Towing with a CUCV

cburgin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
statesville/boone NC
Any input? They are normally 6.2/400/208 with 4.56s gears as Im sure everyone knows. I know its not the best option and probly geared to low in the axles...However, I am just looking for somethign under $5000.
 
IF the engine is running good, you can pull 55-60 on the flats, it will drop to 35 40 on the steep grades.
 
shouldnt be too hard to find a cummins in that price range that would be much better suited i would say.

my buddy and i have both bought a 2wd cummins for $5400

if 4wd is a requirement then that does push the price up significantly.

Edit: love my truck, but i am thinking about selling it and getting a 4wd. pulls all day as fast as you need it to.
 
Yeah I cant do a 2wd. Never owned one and have only owned a car once for about 3 months..4 wheel spin is just to deep in my blood. On a serious note, I like the fact of knowing I can get to the trail head or not get stuck in slick grass while loaded down
 
cburgin said:
Any input? They are normally 6.2/400/208 with 4.56s gears as Im sure everyone knows. I know its not the best option and probly geared to low in the axles...However, I am just looking for somethign under $5000.
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Not having OD is a huge downer, at least in my book. The 4.56's aren't much help, some 4.10's would be more appropriate for non-OD towing duties, 3.73's even better (and yes, they will still pull with the 2.48 first gear of the TH400). Now, don't get me wrong, I love a CUCV and think they perform remarkably well offroad....but, unless you have a dedicated, military-vehicle-loving person who has to have one, I wouldn't recommend picking up one for towing duties. Just my $.02.
 
At most I will be use 3 times a month to tow to the trailheads. It will not be driven any other time. I understand that and OD tranny is better, but people have towed with 3spd autos for decades. I just seems like you get a lot of truck for the money with the cucv. When the 6.2 dies, drop in a 454 and have a killer combo. Sure the gears are tall, throw on some 35s to help a bit with that. I have just been looking and it seems the trucks I am finding are high mileage and wore out and they want new prices for them. And since I am only using this for towing I dont want to spend new car prices...
 
How much weight are you trying to tow. I tow my 18' trailer with my jeep and all my camping gear plus some extras behind my GMC yukon just fine. A little slow up hill but I can deal with it. I paid 4600 for it. Its a 98 with 117000 miles when I got it 8 months ago. Great price and a lot of truck for the money. Its a full loaded suv with heated seats and whole 9 for under 5k. Just something to consider. You can get suburbans for cheap usually also. SUV prices have dropped a ton in the last year.
 
cburgin said:
At most I will be use 3 times a month to tow to the trailheads. It will not be driven any other time. I understand that and OD tranny is better, but people have towed with 3spd autos for decades. I just seems like you get a lot of truck for the money with the cucv. When the 6.2 dies, drop in a 454 and have a killer combo. Sure the gears are tall, throw on some 35s to help a bit with that. I have just been looking and it seems the trucks I am finding are high mileage and wore out and they want new prices for them. And since I am only using this for towing I dont want to spend new car prices...
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The problem with the 3speed autos is now people drive much faster, than decades ago. If you dont mind driving 50-55 youll be fine. I know with my truck 02 hd 2500 with 6.0 410 gears im twisting at 70 in third gear. Im in overdrive a lot.....well until i hit the hills.

But i think one of these trucks would be awesome with a cummins, or bigblock. If you can find one cheap enuf id say go for it cause you can always sell the axles worst case.
 
I found my 3/4 ton suburban for less than 1k. It is 2wd, but 4xs can be had for a lot less than 5k and you can sleep in the back.
 
Ehh....just do what I'm doing! Put a Cummins in your CUCV! :driver:
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Ehh....just do what I'm doing! Put a Cummins in your CUCV! :driver:
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This could be an option down the road. Either that or a 454. Anyone have any experience with a sidewinder kit for the 6.2? I have been looking for a month now and prices have gone crazy on trucks for whatever reason. The cucv seems like a lot for little money
 
Radio is a $100 upgrade, seats are easily changed, I have never owned anything with power windows and only a few things that had a top that kept out the elements for that matter, and bigger tires should help with gears.

I found one for 3k in great condition. Anyone know what the price is on a sidewinder kit?
 
Anyone know what the price is on a sidewinder kit?
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Ummm...not worth it unless its free?
 
6.2L Banks Sidewinder

I bought a Sidewinder Kit on E-bay pretty cheap & complete just check out what you biddin' on...

A new kit was like $2500, which was more than the whole truck cost...good luck
 
Bigger tires will help with highway speed, but not power. The turbo kit will help with power, but will it be enough? I think in the end you will spend more than 5k and not be happy with it.
 
cburgin said:
hell, I could buy it a 3k and spend the other 2k on a 454 swap...
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well evidently you really want this thing. nearly everyone on here has told you that they are pieces of shit but you refuse to listen so just get the damn thing and find out for yourself. if i was you, id have jumped on that cummins that was posted earlier. it was in your price range and would have been perfect for your 1-2 times a month usage and could have done 70 on the interstate with a load. but that's just me and nearly everyone else on here's opinion. :shaking:
 
$3k is too much money for a CUCV.
 
CUCV's suck for towing. I had one, it sucked for towing. When I tried to tow with it, it really sucked. By-the-way, it did'nt tow for shit. I had to put it in low range to pull black mountain with a sami on a trailer. Its not a tow vehicle
 
Buy 3 CUCVs part them out use the profit to buy a tow rig

Id rather tow with an old IDI 6.9 power stroke than a CUCV....but I hate a detroit...ymmv
 
awheelterd said:
well evidently you really want this thing. nearly everyone on here has told you that they are pieces of shit but you refuse to listen so just get the damn thing and find out for yourself. if i was you, id have jumped on that cummins that was posted earlier. it was in your price range and would have been perfect for your 1-2 times a month usage and could have done 70 on the interstate with a load. but that's just me and nearly everyone else on here's opinion. :shaking:
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You would have jumped all over it huh? First off, you arent me. Secondly, since you seem to know me so well, that allows you to tell me what would be perfect for me huh? Please tell me what you have towed with a cucv and your real world experience with them in anyway...underage user...? From your other post, you have only owned one vehicle in your 4 years of driving. So I guess you towed with that, it was a cucv, and you wheeled it. Thats a lot of different duties for an xj.

I never said it was a great choice. Not once in this thread. To be honest, I dont want to buy a diesel with really high mileage that has the potential for maintenace that I cant afford (like the automatic trans behind the cummins list above). With the cucv, if the engine dies I could just drop in a gas motor. Like I have said several times, its just an idea and I am looking at other options much more seriously. I view every angle of everything before I buy.
 
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