Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Bemidji USA
Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
Hey yall Im restoring my 83, Im putting a 302 in it instead of my 300-6. Question #1. Can I install a hitch myself for a GN trailer? if so how hard is it and what do I look for? #2 Is there anything I want to do to my motor to get the best pulling I can. Thanks in advance.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
1. Not unless you are an experienced fabricator. Gooseneck hitches are welded to the frame of your truck under the bed. Mine cost me $450 installed about 2 years ago.
2. K&N Filtercharger and dual Flowmaster exhaust. Also, if you have an automatic transmission, be sure to install an aftermarket tranny cooler(the factory one is not enough).
2. K&N Filtercharger and dual Flowmaster exhaust. Also, if you have an automatic transmission, be sure to install an aftermarket tranny cooler(the factory one is not enough).
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2001
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Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
If I remember right, the 300 has more torque than the 302. Why are you switching? Also, is your truck a 1/2 or 3/4 ton? How many horses will you be hauling and what do they weigh?
Freshman User
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Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
I pull a heavy frame, all steel ,2 place side by side with a pair of Standard breds in it from the bumper of my 89 F-250 with no trouble. I have a 4.9 (300 six), and a five speed. Just put a little extra wind in the tires and don't ride the clutch.
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: MCBH Kaneohe Bay, HI
Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
You can go to a trailer shop and buy a right sized gooseneck ball and take a 1/4 inch steel plate and plug weld it to that. Then drill or cut holes into the plate where they fit across the frame rails. Then drill holes into the frame and bolt it up with grade 8 bolts. Total cost should be around 50-65 bucks if ya have a welder and some spare plate lying around. should take a couple hours to fabricate. Only thing i advise is that a half ton aint really designed to pull a good load on a gooseneck. I got a friend with a 84 f 150 w/ 302 and automatic. His granddad used to pull a I think 24 foot gooseneck with a pretty good load around town and it wore the motor out real fast. Also aint really good for light duty transmissions neither. I'd use at least a 3/4 ton truck for haulin a gooseneck. But then again, a small horsetrailer wouldnt weigh 18000 pounds loaded neither.
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
Cowgirl,
Before you get too far invested in your restoration, do some math and add up the weight of your truck, trailer, and projected load (both in the truck and trailer - include the weight of gasoline in the tank) and compare that number to the vehicles Gross Combined Vehicle Weight rating (GCVW).
If the sum of your addition is higher, you may need a bigger truck.
But to answer your question, yes you can install a GN yourself, but I'd personally pay someone to install it.
Before you get too far invested in your restoration, do some math and add up the weight of your truck, trailer, and projected load (both in the truck and trailer - include the weight of gasoline in the tank) and compare that number to the vehicles Gross Combined Vehicle Weight rating (GCVW).
If the sum of your addition is higher, you may need a bigger truck.
But to answer your question, yes you can install a GN yourself, but I'd personally pay someone to install it.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Towanda U.S.A.
Pulling horses GN or Bumper Help!
I agree with the ones suggesting a larger truck. You can get a very good and less expensive goosneck plate install very reasonably for your truck though. I have seen folks around here pull to the local rodeos with your size of rig but I don't believe that I would consider traveling all over the country that way but that is my opinion. It has taken me awhile to settle on the rig that is best for me and I have had it for seven years now and am starting to give it the new truck look inside and out cause I can't find a reason to go out and buy a new truck that will do nothing more but to look newer in front of my trailer!!!!
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