How much should I be able to pull with my short bed 68? It has a 351C 2v with a 4v setup(plenty strong), c6, 3.70 gears, stock rear suspension, upgraded drums and a steel hitch bolted to the frame. Any guesses?

 

I think the spec section about tow ratings on this website should give you an idea.

A wild guess is that the engine tranny diff are up to the task. The big question is axle rating and brakes and tires. Most new hitches will have a rating stamped right into it, check if you have one.

Most frame hitches used on trucks should handle 5,000#, but without knowing what you got who knows. Is the box on the hitch square and 2 inches? If so you are at least a class 3(I think). JC Whitney and countless other sites can tell you a ball park rating for the different classes.

Once you figure the hitch rating you then need to figure out what the truck is rated. If you can't find the rating on this web site, start checking the truck. Often ratings will be posted inside the driver side door frame. Look for Gross Axle Weight Ratings GAWR(front and back), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating(GVWR), Gross Combined Weight Rating(GCWR). You may have only some or none posted.

If you get none, we have to start guessing, unless someone who knows your model steps in. Most 1/2 ton trucks will handle a trailer up to about 5,000# for occasional towing. Most magazines and books I have read don't recommend half tonners for frequent towing, you will just wear it out.

One test you can do it drop a trailer load on it and see how it sits. Does the tail drop alot, are the headlights reaching for sky, is the hitch low to the ground? If so you might be overloaded or need a distributing hitch.

There is a lot of wiggle room here both plus and minus so if you can find authorative information, just throw out my reply, since it is a slightly educated guess.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson