The Gun Counter

Okay, I'm driving to CC's shooting spree and driving back with his truck. Wife doesn't want to drive the car alone so I've looked into towing it behind the truck. The truck is the 352 cid engine, auto tranny, standard vehicle. I can't find the tow weights for the trailer hitch. My Google and Bing fu aren't working. U-Haul can't help, local Ford service people are dumbasses, any ideas or info?

I'll be towing a 2006 Hyundai Sonata, preferably on a trailer. GVW of the Sonota is 4301 lbs.

Figured someone would know. I'm pretty sure the wife's gonna be talking to herself on the way home. WAS hoping to save some gas also but I don't want to damage the truck.
Thanks Chris.

For newer vehicles, Trailer Life has great guides: http://www.trailerlife.com/output.cfm?id=42175

ETA: Like Chris said, towing that much weight with your truck should be no problem. Stopping with that much weight is what you need to be concerned about. I would stay away from car dollies or direct towing that rely solely on the truck's brakes (that truck has drums up front, right?) and get a full-sized trailer w. either surge brakes or electric drums.

The F100 is the predecessor of the F-150. I wouldn't be surprised if 4300 lbs is over the limit.

Keep in mind, that this truck has(by today's standards) seriously undersized brakes. So while you could get away with more on a trailer with electric brakes, relying on the brakes of the truck might not be such a great idea, especially if you're going through a hilly area.


HTRN

The 1970 Ford F100 has drums all around.
And I second the bit about the Ford Dealer employees being willfully and painfully ignorant about older vehicles.

Edit to add: What would be sufficient brakes for nowadays? Also, pretty much any VW Rabbit/Jetta/Golf part can be upgraded in terms of go power or stop power by taking parts from later model years; is the same true for this era and later Ford trucks?

And Rod, LMC truck parts has an extensive selection of Ford truck parts including parts for your year and model truck. They have website and catalog ordering service.

Have you considered flying down and driving back?

I've spent a lot of time in that model and year of truck (and under it). I wouldn't be pulling a even your relatively small car further than across town if I valued my tranny and rear end. But then I live out west and our hills are your mountains.

BadgerVet wrote:Have you considered flying down and driving back?

Unless I'm using my private Gulfstream it'd be hard getting on a plane with 5 or 6 rifles, 7 or 8 handguns, and a shitpot of ammo. We're driving up there for CC's shoot. Wife's gonna have to suffer and I get to drive in peace. Thanks folks, I just wasn't that sure about the truck. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it when the U-Haul web site said it couldn't be done.

Windy Wilson wrote:The 1970 Ford F100 has drums all around.
Edit to add: What would be sufficient brakes for nowadays? Also, pretty much any VW Rabbit/Jetta/Golf part can be upgraded in terms of go power or stop power by taking parts from later model years; is the same true for this era and later Ford trucks?

There are plenty of upgrades available as the rear should be a ford 9"(they pretty much never changed so any newer/larger 9" breaks should be bolt on) and the front axle (or twin I beam if it is 2 wheel drive) hadn't changed much until the late 80's. If it's 4x4 the easiest upgrade for front breaks would be to use spindles and hardware from a late 70's F150. BUT that will only work if the front axle has ball joints and not king pins. 2wd would be the same thing with the same caveats or you could swap complete beams. The problem with swapping beams is that early ford TIS used equal length beams while later ones used unequal lengths.

Than there are a myriad of aftermarket possibilities.

Not to 'jack the thread (No! Honest!). . .
It's a 2wd.
So the rears are pretty much the same, all being 9 inch drums?
And if I upgrade the front I should find out if it is ball joint or spindle?
Thanks for the advice.