1500 tow pig?

lowestjumperTJ

lowestjumperTJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
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Wherever I may roam
last year after I got back from Iraq, I bought a '95 1500 Suburban (2wd) from a buddy of mine that was over there with me. he needed a little money and had this thing sitting at his house (hadn't been driven since before he left for Iraq), and I wanted something to possibly bag and body drop. we talked about it and talked about it, and finally came up with a price that we both agreed on, and then I ended up getting it even cheaper than that. I paid him, and a buddy of mine from Rockwell brought his '96 4x4 Suburban and trailer down to Fayetteville and we towed it back to Rockwell. it cost me over $100 in just fuel that day to get the Suburban to Rockwell. me and my stepdad got it running (and running pretty damn good actually), and after I drove it a little while, I decided I couldn't cut it up. it just runs too good and I can put too many people in it and go almost wherever I want to do that to it. right off the bat I had to put a fuel pump in it (the old one was stopped up from sitting so long). that was no big deal to me. a fuel pump is an easy fix. 57 bucks later (including a new strainer), I was driving it. I went ahead and changed the transmission filter and fluid while I was at it, and did all the normal maintenance that should be done before I started driving it. now, I realize my Toyota doesn't weigh near as much as a Suburban does, so it shouldn't cost as much for fuel to haul my Toyota around....but do you guys think my 2wd Suburban would pull a trailer with my truck on it alright?
 
Yes.
 
Justin, you know I pull my yota everywhere with the Z71. No probs. yet and the Z has 176k on the clicker. You'll be fine, just make sure you load the yota right on the trailer. So not to have to much tounge weight. You can keep the miles off the yota too.
 
Yeah it's a 2001 with a 5.3, but you'll have no prob. with the Sub. pulling. Just make sure you have a good trans. cooler on it. Trailer brakes would be nice but if you don't have em, just take a little extra time stopping. I don't have a brake controller in my truck right now.
 
mbost said:
Trailer brakes would be nice but if you don't have em, just take a little extra time stopping. I don't have the brake controller in my truck.
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I couldn't disagree more strongly...that's the worst advice EVER, beating even lift blocks on a front axle. 1/2 ton brakes are marginal at best, and might even be drums on the rear of the OP's '95 Sub.

GET trailer brakes. You can't always "take a little extra time stopping" - that's the most ignorant "advice" I've read here in a long time. People don't give any respect to people towing.. they'll cut you off and hit their brakes hard.. they'll pull out in front of you, expecting you to scrub off 20mph in 20 feet. And guess what - YOU'RE responsible.

I won't even go into the physics of what's going on with the vehicle when you're pulling a load that weighs almost as much as the tow vehicle, with no brakes. Better hope you're going 100% straight!

Quit being such a cheap ass and spend $100 for a good brake controller.

OP: Keep the trans out of overdrive.. it'll thank you.
 
Rich said:
I couldn't disagree more strongly...that's the worst advice EVER, beating even lift blocks on a front axle. 1/2 ton brakes are marginal at best, and might even be drums on the rear of the OP's '95 Sub.

GET trailer brakes. You can't always "take a little extra time stopping" - that's the most ignorant "advice" I've read here in a long time. People don't give any respect to people towing.. they'll cut you off and hit their brakes hard.. they'll pull out in front of you, expecting you to scrub off 20mph in 20 feet. And guess what - YOU'RE responsible.

I won't even go into the physics of what's going on with the vehicle when you're pulling a load that weighs almost as much as the tow vehicle, with no brakes. Better hope you're going 100% straight!

Quit being such a cheap ass and spend $100 for a good brake controller.

OP: Keep the trans out of overdrive.. it'll thank you.
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yeah I ended up having to replace the transmission about 5000 miles after I started driving it because the guy I bought it from towed something across the country and kept it in overdrive. I'm sure it shifted in and out of overdrive, which is what burned it up. my stepdad told me it would be alright to tow the Toyota if I kept it out of overdrive, so we'll see I guess.

and I do agree, I think the brake controller is a good investment for towing heavy stuff. and my rear brakes are drum, yes.
 
It will be fine as long as you dont use overdrive. My first tow rig was a GMC Yukon. I towed my jeep which is probably a little heavier than a yota on a fairly heavy trailer with it and it did fine. You will definantly want trailer brakes though.
 
I wouldn't tow that kinda weight on half ton brakes, esp without trailer brakes. I would prefer brakes on both axles of the trailer too.
You might even want to find a 6 lug semi float Corp 14 for the rear. Should bolt in, adjust drive shaft length and have much more braking power.
As said, keep it out of OD, more RPM's, More fuel usage, add tans cooler, save tranny.
 
Wasn't saying he shouldn't run trailer brakes, and I agree with the stopping issues of a 1/2 ton vehicle. But if he hasn't got brakes on his trailer axle or the controller in his Suburban yet, he can still pull it if he needs to. The Z71 is not the only truck I've owned and I'm not being a cheap ass if thats what the f@ck you think. Before economy went to sh@t, I had a nice dually to tow with and yes it had a controller. Justin for the people that think that was bad advice on my behalf, I wasn't saying not to have extra braking power. :flipoff2:
 
Get tralier brakes......X cab toyotas are heavy!
 
mbost said:
But if he hasn't got brakes on his trailer axle or the controller in his Suburban yet, he can still pull it if he needs to.
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:shaking:

Nobody NEEDS to go wheeling. Tight budgets are something I've lived with too, but there's a difference between not having much extra cash, and being negligent. You don't tow your junk if you don't have tires, tie-down straps/chains, etc.. Well, functioning trailer brakes is one of those things too. To do so without any of those is negligence.

Seriously, this isn't rocket science.
 
I've towed my 89 x cab with no tralier brakes....with my 2500 ctd. It's stupid and I almost got in a bad wreck because of someone elses bad driving. I won't do it again and I sure as hell wouldn't do it with a half ton burb
 
:fuck-you: rocket scientist! Maybe you can ride down to NC and give us all a lesson in how northeners do. Next time you want to slam somebody with your little keyboard. DON'T!
 
I tow my XJ with my 03 Ram 1500 all the time. I don't have trailer brakes. I do have 4 wheel disc brakes and I suspect that makes a difference. I don't have any issues stopping. Of course I triple my following distance, but I would do that even if I had trailer brakes. I personally don't see anything wrong with you towing it with your Suburban. I know it won't stop as well as my tow rig so be sure to increase your following distance by at least 5 car lengths.
 
I agree that it's MUCH safer to have a 3/4 ton or bigger truck to tow with, but to be honest, I remember growing up watching my dad pull a 20+ foot tag-along Streamliner trailer behind a Greenbriar Station Wagon. He pulled it up and down mountain roads going to Florida from Michigan. At no point did he ever feel unsafe about it. He did have surge brakes on the trailer, but no brake controller in the vehicle.

Now, that being said, I agree that the better prepared his equipment is, the better he will be, but a certain degree of common sense needs to also be added into the mix. I see a lot of people get behind the wheel of F350+'s and pull loads that are well within the vehicle's safe towing capacity and still wreck. Do you know why? They FORGOT the trailer was back there..... (or at least that's what it would appear to be)

One word of advice if you are going to pull this load with that rig... Know your route. I made the mistake once of flat towing a Scrambler on 36's behind a YJ that had a 4 cyl, 33's and a rear Lock Right. It pulled it just fine, but stopping was another story. I was unfamiliar with the route I was taking home due to a construction detour. It put me going down hill with an intersection at the base of the hill. I was able to get the Jeeps stopped about 1/3 of the way into the intersection. Had a car been coming the other way, I'd have wrecked for sure. This would have turned a $300 Scrambler into a several thousand dollar catastrophe.
 
jph0913 said:
here is what no trailer brakes gets you




bet that guy wont tow without them again..... dont be that guy.
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Based on the fact that there are no skid marks behind it, I doubt that the lack of trailer brakes had as much to do with this wreck. It would appear that he had no TRUCK brakes at all.
 
Yeah I remember that story. I think it was only the way to Moutain City on 421. Seems like I remember something about not having any brakes...but my brain is foggy.
 
mbost said:
:fuck-you: rocket scientist! Maybe you can ride down to NC and give us all a lesson in how northeners do. Next time you want to slam somebody with your little keyboard. DON'T!
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I love how some people spew shit from there mouth without any knowledge of who or what they are talking about..
 
BRUISER said:
in short yes suburban can tow it.. but without trailer brakes is just dumb..

get brakes and be happy
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agreed, and get it tagged, just a little extra cash and time for that. if your going to be towing and you want to do it safe and legit, you cant just say you need trailer brakes. lights are just as important as well. if the person behind you doesnt no your stopping do to bad lights well you get the idea.
 
trailer brakes are the only thing that would make me feel safe towing with a 1/2 ton. I didn't see if anyone said anything about it in a previous post but 3/4 and 1 ton trucks are equipped with bigger breaks and thats why they can tow more, because they have better stopping power. I know too many people that have towed with 1/2 tons and no trailer breaks and have messed some stuff up.

listen to bruiser and get trailer brakes.
 
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