the tow capacity for a 99 4.2 man is 3600lbs and the auto is 5600lbs. what is the difference? can i put in a heavy duty clutch and tow more? i have the manual and want to increase the tow capacity, how do i do this?

 

Buy a new truck. that tranny isn't up to the task. It is by far your week link. Sorry. Actually, there is one thing that would prolly help. Change your rear end ratio to at least 4:10.

 

Slowone;

The big reason for the reduced manual transmission towing capacity that I can find is that you could damage the clutch when launching a heavy load if you don't know what you are doing. Ford probably doesn't want to replace clutches when it is driver inability that has caused the failure. I asked the same question as you several years ago and got the same answers, but nobody on this website had heard of a transmission or clutch failing because of towing abuse. I also called Fords technical support line and they couldn't give me the answer. Because of all this, I went ahead and towed as much with my 5-speed F150 as an automatic equipped truck and it did well. I then replaced the 3.08 gears with 3.55's and it was even better. I have been doing this for three years now and have had no problems. Obey all trailering laws, especially about braking, take it easy and you will be fine as long as you treat the truck nicely. GlennMc.

 

Maybe its just me, but these two statements sound awful conflicting. You're not "obeying all trailering laws" if you are towing more that what Ford has rated your truck for - plain and simple.

Consider the scenario where you are towing a load that exceeds what Ford has rated for the vehicle. While doing this you get into an accident, let's say its not even your fault. If either insurance company got wind that you were towing something and had violated your GCVW, you're screwed. I don't believe they are obligated to cover anything as it relates to your trucks repair bill. You may also get into trouble from the local law enforcement. And this is all regardless of how well you can drive a manual transmission. The only thing that matters in that case is what Ford rated the vahicle for.

So my advice, as has already offered by Tiger - Buy a different truck that comes with the tow rating that you need. If you 'need' to have a manual, consider the F-250. I think those have much higher rated manual trannys.

BTW, if you're in an accident and it IS your fault, you could be possibly looking at a lawsuit from the person(s) you hit. Just something to think about.

 

I was hoping someone would debate the statement that I made as I have wanted to discuss this in more detail.

I have researched all towing laws as they apply to the Ontario Canada jurisdiction that I operate in. The following limits to towing capacity apply;

1) Tow vehicle and trailer cannot exceed 11,000 kgs (24,200 lbs)
2) Trailer weight cannot exceed 4500 kgs (10,000 lbs)
3) Trailers weighing over 1360 kgs (3000 lbs) must be equipped with their own braking system that will stop and hold the trailer weight.

Other than laws regarding hitch classes, trailer lighting, trailer overall dimensions etc. their is no more to it than that. There are no legallly imposed limits on the vehicle that you choose to do your towing with. Nowhere is the "GCWR" mentioned although "GVWR" and "GAWR" limits are not to be exceeded.

The term "GCWR" does not appear on the transport Canada sticker on the truck door. It does not appear there because it is not a legally binding term. It is a recommendation set out by the truck manufacturer. The "GVWR" and "GAWR" appear on the door because they are legally binding terms and must be obeyed or risk penalty.

Another thing I found interesting is that Ontario limits trailer weight to 10,000 Lbs. The tow rating of some of the new trucks on the market is above this if I'm not mistaken. If you were to tow, according to the manufacturers limits, over 10,000 Lbs with one of these trucks, you would be violating Ontario Law. To do so legally would require a "A" Class (Truckers) licence.

The first place to look for towing limits in your jurisdiction is the the local department of transport or highways. The laws are there. Use common sense. Don't tow a ship with a chevette. But remember, a manual transmission does not make it any less safer to tow a load than an automatic transmission if you have equipped your tow vehicle properly. Make a safe decision. GlennMc.

 

Glenn Mc-- It sounds like your traffic laws don't impose a penalty for exceeding your trucks reccommended limits, but civil litigation is a different situation. You do not have to violate a traffic law to be found civially liable.

Your insurance might very well pay for the damages, but I would expect they would chose not to renew your policy, especially if you were found liable for the accident and resulting lawsuit(s) costing them hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Down here we have careless/reckless driving statute, that basically states uf you are operating your vehicle in a manner which an average adult would consider careless/reckless then you can be cited. It pretty much covers everything, although the evidence has to be very overwhelming. Like towing a two horse trailor loaded with Clydesdales with an F-150 with the bed of the truck loaded with gravel.

 

Slowone, I am in pretty much the same situation. I have a 98 Flareside 4X4 with the 4.6 (instead of the 4.2) and the 5 speed manual tranny. My problem only happens when I try to pull my boat (weight 2500 lbs with trailer) back up the concrete launch ramp after a day on the water. The engine starts pulling fine then lugs down (lack of torque???) until it dies or I push the clutch in. Yhen when I have to race the motor to get up the ramp the clutch slips and burns all the way to the top of the ramp. Any other time I have no problems whether towing or not so I guess my 3.55 limited slip axle and small V8 just don't have enough "umph" to tow up an incline from a dead stop. I too would appreciate any suggestions other than get a different truck as I am happy with all other aspects of the driveability of what I have 98% of the time. I sure don't look forward to replacing my clutch but it is only a matter of time.

 

1depd;

The situation you describe in which someone tows a loaded trailer behind a truck loaded with gravel is I assume a real life situation in which someone was charged?

If we look at that situation, I agree that that is a reckless thing to do. Without knowing the details, I assume that the combined weight of the gravel and trailer tongue weight were above the rear GAWR rating of the truck. That is illegal and indeed reckless.

Let's look at the situation that I referred to in my original post. Compare two identical F150's, same options, GVWR, etc. but you equip one with an automatic and one with a manual transmission. One has a tow capacity of 5000 lbs (automatic) and the other 3000 lbs (manual). Why? Neither is any less safe when driving down the road if they are both equipped with the same axle, brakes etc. and they will be similarly equipped.

My point to all of this is that some of the reduced towing capacities associated with manual transmission vehicles are arbitrarily set by the manufacturer to eliminate needless repairs required because of unskilled operators damaging the clutch and transmission. If you know how to operate a clutch and shift properly, you can comfortably tow a similar load to an automatic transmission vehicle. There may be the occasional time when stopped on an uphill that an automatic will be more desirable, I agree, but overall the manual is quite capable of towing a similar load. Thanks again for all the debate. GlennMc.

 

Glenn Mc -- the point of the example was to show overwhelming evidence. The story protrayed is ficticious. Any similarity to actual events is merely coincidence.

The whole point of my post wasto point out, that just because you can not be cited by law enforcment does not mean nothing will happen. If the truck is rated to tow 2000 lbs and you are towing 2500 lbs, you could still face civil problems.

I'm sure your lawyers are the same as here, in that they will sue anyone for a buck over just about anything, if they think they might win.

 

1depd;

Luckily, here we have a far less litigious society. Know the laws, follow them and you will be O.K. The key is to know the laws. Our firearms regulations are a prime example. The government issued "Safe storage" guidelines which were far stricter than the actual text of the law. The result was that people ran around with the opinion that they were following laws, when they were doing more than they had to. This made people nervous and they wasted more time and money than they had to. Police are not immune to the same misconceptions so it is in your best interest to know the laws. Along the same line of reasoning, I like to find the legal facts of towing laws, not just the common perceptions. The ball is in your court, GlennMc.

 

Here is another thread dealing with the topic from this site:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...hreadid=127898

 

Glenn Mc -- I agree with your post. However with the overwhelming amount of laws on the books and our civil law being based on case law it makes it very difficult. Since there is not a reference book written with a "if-then" type of format similar to the criminal books for the civil side, it is best to go with manufacurer reccommedations. That way you transfer some of the liability to them and might only be guilty of Driving With Head Up A@@.

 

Not wanting to get embroiled in the legal discussion, I'll give you a different reason for not going beyond manufacturer published capacities.

It isn't known why the trucked is rated for a given towing/hauling weight based on the original question in this thread. It could be because of drivetrain, suspension or even chassis limitations. He (or I or probably even you) don't know. Let's also assume that you add aftermarket pieces to increase capacities in areas that you THINK will increase the trucks limitations.

Can you honestly tell me that you have covered ALL possible areas that might contain a limit??? You may increase the engine horsepower but can the truck chassis handle the extra weight without failure? If you overload your truck and then drive it down the highway, you run an increased risk of causing an accident that either persons in your truck or other cars could be injured or killed.

Do me a favor, if you're going to drive down the highway in this manner then please stay away from me. I don't want me or my family killed because you THOUGHT you covered all the bases.

I don't care if it's legal in Canada/US or not.

 

rksylves;

You should never take a debated topic and put a personal spin on it. It sours the mood of the discussion and puts people on the defensive. I am trying to stir up peoples thoughts by prolonging this, but constructively. I would like to see another member look at some of the towing laws in different jurisdictions than my own and post what they find.

To tow safely, I believe that you must use a hitch designed to mount to your vehicle and handle the trailer gross weight and tongue weight, use a good quality trailer brake system and controller to operate it, use a tow vehicle that is capable of towing the load that you are pulling without exceeding the GVWR or GAWR of the tow vehicle or trailer, and balance the load to give a proper tongue weight. If you meet these criteria, I would rather drive beside you on the highway than someone who is within the GCWR of his/her tow vehicle but has neglected to make sure that the trailer is capable of stopping quickly in a controlled fashion if required. GlennMc.

 

Glenn Mc, I agree with you.
Two identical trucks, two different ratings.
Ford does not want to replace clutches under warranty, plain and simple.

Sometimes just going on down the road about your business is at the same time taking the high ground.