Advice on towing

[mygirlz55]

I have a 1989 1500. Suburban 4wd with 6" lift. Springs in front & blocks in rear.
Would like to know what others with my setup are capable of towing.
Shocks...trans cooler...air bags in rear...etc...etc
Im looking at pulling an enclosed trailer, possibly with a sandrail or a couple of quads. Would like to be able to pull my 55 pickup or my 65 vw bus on a flatbed trailer, but not sure if the burb can handle those.
Thanks for any suggestions.

[Killer Bee]

engine / trans / transfer case / axles / gear ratios would be more relevant to tow capacity..

trailer weight of toy hauler, auto hauler, towed vehicles, etc. relevant to determine burb's ability to tow reliably...

with that info, the owner's manual for that vehicle should get you in the ball park..

good luck!

[cal30_sniper]

Not a lot with that rig (relatively speaking).

I had a 90 R1500 Suburban for a while, and wasn't overly impressed with its towing capability. The most I ever felt comfortable towing was my 3rd Gen T/A on a flat bed trailer and 500-1000lbs of gear in the rear cargo area of the burb. I moved some heavier stuff on occasion, but it just wasn't comfortable. A light 18' jet boat on a single axle trailer was a lot more manageable.

There's two big things holding you back:
1. TH700r4 trans. It will last a while if you tow in direct drive. Don't even try to tow in overdrive. The 1-2 gear split is also terrible in it, so if you're towing any kind of weight with a SBC, you're going to have a tough time staying in your powerband.
2. Brakes. The half tons just didn't get that great of brakes from the factory. Even 3/4 ton vacuum brakes weren't that awesome. That really caps the upper weight of what you can tow. You shouldn't be relying exclusively on your trailer brakes to slow things down, as they can and do cease to function at the worst possible opportunities.

At least on the 2WD trucks, the spring rates were pretty soft also. I had helper leafs on the rear of mine, but really couldn't keep the ride height manageable until I installed Air Lift air bags. I've got them on my 3/4 ton as well.

Short version: A lighter vehicle on a flatbed or a lightly loaded smaller enclosed trailer should be manageable. Anything larger than that, and you really should be looking for something with better brakes, springs, and a tougher trans.

[mygirlz55]

Thanks cal30....Your info is helpful. Guess i need to start looking for a truck to tow with.

[cal30_sniper]

I have been really pleased with my C20 Suburban in the towing department. It's a 3/4 ton with the factory HD towing package, so it got the large brakes and 14 bolt full floater like a 1-ton. I added the air lift rear bag conversion that my 1/2 ton had on it, ditched the factory vacuum brake booster setup for a hydroboost conversion, and figured out a bulletproof trans (NV4500), and I've had a blast towing with it since. I towed a 11,000lb 24' enclosed trailer from TX to NC a little over a year ago (with an extra 1000lbs or so of stuff in the cargo area of the burb) and had no issues at all. It handles a loaded flatbed car hauler almost like it isn't back there at all. If I was going to tow anything heavier than my enclosed trailer, I'd be looking towards a C20/30 crew cab with the longer wheel base, and possibly a dually. What I have now works just fine for anything I'll ever do though, and the shorter wheelbase/softer suspension (compared to a crew cab) of the burb makes it a blast offroad.

One other recommendation for your 1/2 ton. My 1/2 ton suburban was a dog with the TBI 350. I swapped on a pair of Vortec heads with an Edelbrock intake, 1.6:1 rockers, and good headers/exhaust. That made a huge difference in the power that 350 put out. Much more fun to daily and tow with that way. You could either tune the TBI to act friendly with it, or do a carb conversion like I did. Either way, it was a much more capable motor than stock.

[grillzy]

I pull around a ski boat on trailer with a few k5's Boat etc around 5000-5500 with no issue. Trailer brakes on tandem are a must anyway. So good to go. IMO I slide down the hwy at 55 like you should and everyone is happy.