towing with 91' mustang GT

[dave buckner]

has anybody had experience towing a boat with a v-8 mustang? tow rating is 1000lbs. i need to tow 1500-2000lbs worth of boat and trailer. is this practical or am i looking for troble? thanks, dave

 

[DaleT]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

You are definetly looking for trouble. You will be able to move the boat but in an emergency situation you won't be able to stop. Not to mention the problems you will have with the drive train.

 

[JB]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

Hi, Dave,<br /><br />I definitely agree with Dale. Safe towing is not really an engine issue (though big engines make it SEEM easier). Safe towing is a whole chassis and drivetrain issue. <br /><br />You need the correct gearing, extra engine and transmission cooling, extra electrical power, heavy duty brakes and heavy duty suspension.<br /><br />The big question with your 'stang would be whether you killed it before it could kill you.<br /><br />Not a pleasant thought.

 

[DJ]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

dave,<br /><br />The others are correct. Your drivetrain may survive it, however cooling will be an issue. The other weak link is the clutch, if you have a standard.<br /><br />The part that WILL NOT survive will be the body. There is NO suitable place to mount a hitch that is strong enough. you can buy hitches for them (class II, 3500 lbs.) but getting the hitch manufacturer to pay a $3,000.00 body shop bill will be another matter.

 

[dave buckner]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

my mustatng has modified motor with supercharger , upgraded cooling, aftermarket transmission and engine oil cooler. the drivetrain itself should be superior to lincoln town car rated to tow aroung 5,000 lbs. im assuming low tow rating has to do with weigh of car, and size of brakes. thats why im wondering what weight this car has towed with in practice. all info is greatly appreciated. thanks, dave

 

[dave buckner]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

car is automatic. there is a class 1 hitch for it that is rated at 2,000 lbs max unless i am mistaken. thanks again, dave

 

[DJ]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

dave,<br /><br />Actually the Town Car is now only rated to pull 2K. Been that way since the last body style change for the same reason your Stang is only rated for 1K.<br /><br />Actually your Stang has fairly beefy brakes. As mentioned before the body is the "weakest link". And you're right, the car is fairly light. A towed load will tend to push you, if you can KEEP a hitch attached.

 

[62_Kiwi]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

...sounds like an awesome machine Dave (I'm partial to Mustangs myself) - but it seems like you're trying to use a racehorse to do the job of a workhorse. Both may have lots of "horse-power" (excuse the puns all over the place), but they're built differently for different purposes.<br /><br />just my 2 cents...

 

[skier]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

I have a 93 Mustang LX with the 5.0 (302) V-8 and an automatic. The rear end ratio is a 2.73 with a .70 overdrive. I have connected the sub-frames and made it a full frame car. I am towing a 96 Glastron GS 160 that weighs about 1500#. If you do tow with this car, DO NOT TOW IN OVERDRIVE!!!!! The gear ratio is way too tall for that. Use Drive (3rd). Your mileage will be around 15 - 17 either in drive or overdrive, but your engine and tranny temp will rise even with a cooler. With my boat sitting a little higher than the topp of the car I can go down hill (6-7% grade) and even in neutral (Tested that once on an empty road with dry pavement and a strait road) the car will not go faster than 65.<br /><br />I sure hope that this helps and gives you something to think about.<br /><br />Craig

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

There is a factory problem or issue with the Mustang towing large or any loads in the overdrive of the tranny. This problem is also with certain models of the Lincoln Town Car. You MUST tow in 3rd gear LOCALLY ONLY, you should be fine....That means within 10 miles of home in realatively flat terrain no more than 55 MPH, easy acceleration. Tonge load should be no more than 200 LBS TOPS! To reduce loads on the tranny, make sure you have proper air in ALL tires. Brakes are not an issue with this load class unless you live in a area with constant 15% grades. I tow with my '89 'stang all the time this way. Originally I used the overdrive and fried the tranny. After considerable consultation with the tranny mech., he told me about the overdrive issue that even applies to certain F150-F350 Ford trucks also

 

[sony2001]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

I think its an issue of not towing 1000 lb trailers that don't have barkes of their own. This week I'm having brakes installed on my Escort. With brakes on it, its a question of how much more can the car pull. 2000 lbs is a light load for a lot of cars using 3rd gear maximum.

 

[Rocnat4]

Re: towing with 91' mustang GT

Saw a guy once tow a PWC with a Vette. Had the bikini clad cutie with him, the man tan and the gold chain. He thought he was pretty darn cool until he tried to pull back up the ramp. Spin Spin!!<br /><br />A few of us family guys (stark white beer belly, black socks w/sandals . . . you know the look)had quite a laugh.