Towing w/o rear sway bar?????
- Thread starter spitvenom
- Start date
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Go real slow....
How are you towing? GA/TN tow? (Chain, straight back) or a legit trailer? The runner is 4000. You add a trailer to that (a decent car trailer is easily 1k) you are at the limit for the 5th gen v6 which is much stronger than the 3rd.
That means, I wouldn't.. but YOU CAN.
Go slow. While you could probably get it up to 4th, I suggest hanging in 3rd and just going slow. Going slow limits the wear on the trans and the engine. Since it is only 50 miles, just take it REAL easy.
How are you towing? GA/TN tow? (Chain, straight back) or a legit trailer? The runner is 4000. You add a trailer to that (a decent car trailer is easily 1k) you are at the limit for the 5th gen v6 which is much stronger than the 3rd.
That means, I wouldn't.. but YOU CAN.
Go slow. While you could probably get it up to 4th, I suggest hanging in 3rd and just going slow. Going slow limits the wear on the trans and the engine. Since it is only 50 miles, just take it REAL easy.
Good advice.
Your 4R will be screaming in pain, but the biggest issue is your brakes.
spitvenom
New member
I will be towing the other 4runner on a tow dolly thats 750 lbs, the other 4runner is also 2wd and its a 4 cyl base model which is about 3300-3400lbs isnt it?
I will probably just reinstall the sway bar just for this,
also my truck is a manual so I will probably just keep it at 50mph in 4th gear which should be ok Im thinking
stevec5000
New member
I've towed cars with my little 4 cyl pickup before with no problems except taking longer to stop. I didn't use a dolly or anything, just a towbar to pull them along and could hardly tell they were back there. I expect the 4R would work just as well. Be sure and unlock the ignition/steering if the wheels are on the ground so they can turn though.
I don't know how people say this all the time. Then again, some people are very insensitive to changes.
I notice the added weight of my dog in the truck let alone pulling 4000lbs of weight. I don't do a huge amount of pulling, but I pull snowmobiles, dirt bikes, and have pulled a scissor lift and VW rabbit and car trailer all with my old 09 Tacoma. Sure as poop you notice ALL of it. That truck was rated at 6500 lbs but IMO, should have been limited to 4000.
I always take tow ratings and at the minimum cut them down to 3/4 of what they are rated for. Yes, it'll get there, but how much pain do you want to put your vehicle through? At 6500lbs, my old Tacoma could barely get to 100km/hr (60MPH), and at that speed it wouldn't stop. It seriously took me 5 or more times the distance to stop and if I had to make an emergency stop, or even a quicker stop the truck's brakes wouldn't do it.
You 4R will pull another one if around 5000lbs, however keep in mind it's limitations. As mentioned, go slow, leave LOTS of following space, take roads that are less busy, go slow around corners, and think about keeping your speed way down. Automatic transmissions mask the difficulty your engine and drivetrain are going through. It may appear to handle the load well, but I guarantee it's groaning in pain. Manuals make it much more obvious.
Good luck and let us know how you make out. Installing the rear bar will add stability but may not be needed if you take it slow and cautious. Ever see a trailer causing the vehicle to weave down a road? That's not a fun situation to be in! If that happens, apply throttle if you can and it should settle down. With a vehicle dolly having 4 trailer wheels it shouldn't happen though.
ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
I've towed my 1st gen 4Runner and probe with my 4 banger 99, obvious precautions and truck routes did the job. Those are my only experiences towing and it's easy. Didn't go into 5th.
Just wondering, what's the story with the base model?
Just wondering, what's the story with the base model?
nevada
Senior Member
its not worth the effort. just leave it off.
spitvenom
New member
Ok guys I will just leave the bar off and take it easy, my truck is in tip top shape top to bottom so It should handle it.
Childrenofbodom: its a truck for a friend of mine, hes had it for 270k miles and it went through hell obviously, it was in a small wreck so I fixed all that, fixed all the bodywork, added flares, I changed the engine, every part of the A/C, all bushings, rack guide, all shocks and springs, removed all rust, steam cleaned and pressure washed then undercoated frame/axels,control arms, etc etc, radiator, hoses, some interior parts, detailed the interior, cat converter, 02 sensors, heater control valve, full tune up, all filters, basicly I rebuilt the entire truck, now im taking it him and all it needs is paint, BUT even though he loves the 4 cyl 2wd 4runner he is NOW thinking of getting a sequia for his growing family so he asked me to ask around and see what I can get for this even though he just broke the bank doing all that. I will make a small thread on it in about 1 hour so u guys can see my efforts lol.
Childrenofbodom: its a truck for a friend of mine, hes had it for 270k miles and it went through hell obviously, it was in a small wreck so I fixed all that, fixed all the bodywork, added flares, I changed the engine, every part of the A/C, all bushings, rack guide, all shocks and springs, removed all rust, steam cleaned and pressure washed then undercoated frame/axels,control arms, etc etc, radiator, hoses, some interior parts, detailed the interior, cat converter, 02 sensors, heater control valve, full tune up, all filters, basicly I rebuilt the entire truck, now im taking it him and all it needs is paint, BUT even though he loves the 4 cyl 2wd 4runner he is NOW thinking of getting a sequia for his growing family so he asked me to ask around and see what I can get for this even though he just broke the bank doing all that. I will make a small thread on it in about 1 hour so u guys can see my efforts lol.
spitvenom
New member
today I towed the 4runner and 2 other cars right after, pull the other 3rd gen 4runner like a breeze! the trailer I was using weighed 800lbs too. uphills I had to downshift into 4th to maintain my 60-65mph cruise but id say it was pretty easy, the brakes are the only think that suffered a bit, I need a tundra 231 bbk upgrade ASAP, would I have noticed a big difference if I had them today?
Good to hear.
I haven't done the mod (yet), but you would have noticed a difference for daily driving and when putting them to work.
