how much can my 150 tow safely?
 

i was building my 78 150 for my off road rig, until i inherited a rig that is already built for it. so, i actually changed directions with the build and "restored" it. it's a 78 f150 4x4 with the 400. my ? is, how much can my truck actually tow? i tried looking up the weight of my ford, but it's sketchy on what i actually found...
can this
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...-38-52_838.jpg

tow this
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...lxj/blaser.jpg
:-huh

i'm pretty sure that the other vehicle i have with a hitch couldnt....just using it to move my truck around was pretty "sad" to see haha

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...1210111653.jpg

Hahahahaha, I don't think your SUV is up to the task.

haha nope. around the property is no big deal, but def. not going down the road with it!

I've pulled several fullsize trucks behind my 79 150 4x4. It sets about like yours does. Pulling was not the issue as with most towing, stopping is the problem. If YOU have some experience towing vehicles and have trailer brakes then yea its do able.

In addition to good brakes on the trailer and truck, gears, cooling and hitch matter. If the 150 has 4.10's that's good, if 3.5x, that's OK. Less than 3.5X would not be so good. You'll need a good trans cooler to keep the tranny happy.

For the hitch, it looks like you will be grossing around 7,000 lb or a bit more with the trailer. 10% tounge weight would put 700 lb on the hitch... too much for a 1/2 ton. A weight distributing hitch would take care of the tounge weight problem and help balance out the tow vehicle for a safe tow.

First thing I would do is weigh the truck and trailer combo to see what weight your dealing with.

i do have trl brakes and good truck brakes, just re did all the brakes on the truck. i also have the electric brake controller. i do not have the hitch for the " weight distribution " and i probably should order a good trans cooler. ive pulled alot of trailers and other things behind a vehicle, i also have my class a cdl, which may apply to "experience". i just dont want to "ruin" my truck trying to pull that blazer. my brother used a 2010 duramax 2500 to tow it, and it seemed like that truck didn't even notice it. maybe i need to think about investing in a decent tow rig? :)

You could make this a decent tow rig with a few mods. Spend a little time researching brake upgrades on here. Also, a set of 250 leaves in the rear could help. Finally, inspect the hitch to make sure it is good to go.

Personally, I like 250s because they come with the "upgrade" stuff, but you do with what you have. On the axle there should be a tag. I am guessing that you have 3.50s and with your larger tires, that makes for a tow rig killer. You could upgrade to 4.10s and 3/4 ton axles at the same time, but then you need a bigger booster and master cylinder, and your wheels don't fit. It is a snowball effect.

Look everything over and post up with what you find, then maybe we can go from there.

alright, my truck does have the 250 leafs, they're brand new from broncograveyard. brakes in the rear are brand new, shoes and drums, and the front pads are new - rotors resurfaced. i'm not sure about the gearing, i know i have checked by turning driveshaft and watching tire etc. but there's no tag on the axle. the bearings on the rear axle shafts are brand new as well, along with all the ujoints on drivetrain. i just put the hitch on it friday, and i'd say it's good to say the least. i guess with the exception of a trans cooler, is my truck "strong" enough to tow that??

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...lxj/blaser.jpg
:-huh[/QUOTE]

You're kidding right? Fords are used to towing/pulling chevys.

In all honesty I don't think you should have any problems. My 96 f150 w/300 5speed 4x4 tuggem strap pulled my lifted "5700lb" f100 4 miles home one time no problem. Just had a lack of power with stock 3.08 gears with "big" tires.

hahaha i like that ( used to pulling them around ). i'm going to give it a shot, maybe a couple "trial runs" just to see what could be better.

I pulled a lot of years with a 400/c6. Ussually somewhere aroung 3500-5000 lbs hauling contruction equip. Just keep an eye on the cooling and brakes as suggested. You'll have plenty of power. Heck the 300 has enough and you have the other 2 cylinders!

hahaaa yea. jhaving enough balls wasnt really what i was worried about, as much as the weight on the truck so to say. but that's very re assuring! thanks

I would be leery about towing much in excess of what the owners manual says.

Some years ago, there was a thread on Pirate 4x4 where a guy was pulling quite a bit over rated weight and got in an accident and ended up killing people in the car he hit.

Long and short of the story was that the insurance company paid out to the limit, he got stuck for a large amount in excess and spent time in prison.