increasing gcvw
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
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increasing gcvw
I have a 2003 ranger with a 3.0 and the dealer has told me that my max towing capacity is only 4000 lbs. Is there any way of increasing this to 5000 lbs? I now that if i had the 4.0 engine I could tow that much.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 5,228
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From: Running Springs CA
Since you already have 4.10 gears, thats it. The 3.0, just like my 5.0 is a car engine in a truck. Why would you want to tow 5000 lbs with at truck that wieghs under 3000 lbs itself anyway?
Jim
Jim
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
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From: So Cal
Towing something heavy with a light truck gets pretty squirrely. The tail wagging the dog is what you will get. That and lots of grey hairs from the white knuckle express ride.
Your brakes, suspension and possibly driveline are not up to it. Like the other guy said you can't legally, and I'll add safely, increase your GCWR. You can bandaid things like air bags or helper springs and tranny coolers, but your truck still has all the basic systems that limit it. If you had an accident and the police did a little investigation, you would be in trouble.
You would not like driving the Ranger with a heavy load, trust me. You would be tired and tense after a long ride.
Jim Henderson
Your brakes, suspension and possibly driveline are not up to it. Like the other guy said you can't legally, and I'll add safely, increase your GCWR. You can bandaid things like air bags or helper springs and tranny coolers, but your truck still has all the basic systems that limit it. If you had an accident and the police did a little investigation, you would be in trouble.
You would not like driving the Ranger with a heavy load, trust me. You would be tired and tense after a long ride.
Jim Henderson
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Freshman User
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it just seems strange that a ranger with a 4.0 can pull 6000 lbs. The brakes are the same and everything else is the same just the engine is more powerfull. You would think that if a person could get the same power out of a 3.0 by supercharging or turbo charging, that the truck could handle the wheight. Im still waiting for whipple to start selling there new supercharger that they make for the 3.0.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Barrington USA
Ok, everyone here is wrong there is one way to increase GCWR, and that is by going to a bigger more powerful
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Joe Kucinski
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Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Copley, OH
I've towed 4500# with a 4.0 Ranger with all the HD options and allegedly that was within the truck's tow rating. That rating is a total crock. It was extremely squirrely. No matter how I set the brake controller, hard braking was more of an adventure than I need or want. I now have an F150. If i towed anything heavier than 5000#, I'd have an F250. There is no substitute for weight (except possibly a lot of wheelbase) in a tow vehicle. Power is fairly irrelevant
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Barrington USA
I have 1997 F250 LD which is basically a heavy f150, it has a little more beefy frame, bigger brakes and radiator, I've approx 7000 lbs with it using only surge brakes, absoultly no problems brakeing. so in the end it's brake size not nessercerly vechial weight.
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I agree with you about good brakes being important In addition to my ranger I have a 3500 stake body with a 10,000 gvw trailer and if i set the brake controller any higher than half strength the trailer will stop the truck. Thats with the trailer fully loaded. I think alot of how a trailer handles is how you have it loaded. If you have to much weight in the back of the trailer it will handle poorly. I always try to load most of the weight directly over the wheels.
