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View Full Version : Challenging Conventional Wisdom


N40GL
08-30-2011, 07:46 AM
Everything I've ever read says "don't tow a trailer with a super- (or turbo-) charged car." I've challenged that 'wisdom' myself, by towing a 5300-pound trailer with a '96 Toyota Land Cruiser that I had supercharged with an Eaton unit. Of course, the truck didn't have rear air suspension. And it was, well, a truck.

So - what's the real answer?

I'm asking because I am thinking about putting a 2" hitch receiver on the MM to hold my bike rack. And I know that, if I have the hitch on there, there may come a time when I actually want to tow something for real. Do I avoid it like the plague or what?
SC Cheesehead
08-30-2011, 08:28 AM
Everything I've ever read says "don't tow a trailer with a super- (or turbo-) charged car." I've challenged that 'wisdom' myself, by towing a 5300-pound trailer with a '96 Toyota Land Cruiser that I had supercharged with an Eaton unit. Of course, the truck didn't have rear air suspension. And it was, well, a truck.

So - what's the real answer?

I'm asking because I am thinking about putting a 2" hitch receiver on the MM to hold my bike rack. And I know that, if I have the hitch on there, there may come a time when I actually want to tow something for real. Do I avoid it like the plague or what?

Funny you bring this up, because my wife asked me the very same question last week. Wanted to know if I could tow anything with my car now that I've "ruined" it with the S/C...:rolleyes:
Jolly Roger
08-30-2011, 08:46 AM
Funny because my brick (Flex) lists a 4500 lbs. factory towing capacity and it's turbocharged.
Go figure.:confused::confused:
RacerX
08-30-2011, 09:00 AM
Funny you bring this up, because my wife asked me the very same question last week. Wanted to know if I could tow anything with my car now that I've "ruined" it with the S/C...:rolleyes:
Yeah. Tell her you can tow a trailer that holds a body, a bunch of 50lb bags of lime and shovels... :D

OP, I would guess that it would raise air and engine temps quite a bit under load for a while, say going up a hill, and could cause detonation. ?
RF Overlord
08-30-2011, 09:05 AM
I wondered why my Thunderbird SuperCoupe manual said not to tow with it.

Until I saw the size of the radiator. It was about half the size of the one for the N/A V6 to make room for the intercooler. The heater core in my Buick was bigger...

I have no idea why there would be a general restriction on towing with SC or turbo. I would think the extra power would be beneficial...
1 Bad Merc
08-30-2011, 09:17 AM
The new Ford Trucks are turbocharged V-6's and they dont have a problem towing. I think you have to use common sense and realize that you can probably tow small trailers/boats but probably would want to pass on towing a 10,000 lb. trailer!
Chevyguy
08-30-2011, 06:59 PM
A towing tune would be a great idea especially if you are above 400 rwhp
RacerX
08-30-2011, 07:57 PM
A towing tune would be a great idea especially if you are above 400 rwhp
You could just go in to your sct tuner and pull 2 to 4 degrees timing, that should do it.
Local Boy
08-30-2011, 08:07 PM
I think RacerX has the right idea. S/C's like the most timming you can put into it without pinging, to get the most out of it...hence the use of a spark retard when in boost...Soooo, I agree with RacerX pull some timming out of it and watch your IAT temps...you should be fine...

Aloha
N40GL
08-31-2011, 10:23 AM
Data Point: When I towed the aforementioned 5300-pount trailer with the Land Cruiser, I was towing a Volkswagen Passat on a U-Haul car trailer (*not* a dolly!) filled with my personal stuff as I moved from San Francisco to Chicago in 1999. For those of you in Salt Lake City (or familiar with the area), I was taking I-80 eastbound all the way. When I left SLC, I started up that horrible hill just east of town (I had forgotten to notice the truck route signs).

All this backstory to say: Toyota Land Cruiser (S/C, 325 HP, 4.5L I-6) plus trailer plus uphill FLOORED = 5 MPH.

Man, I don't mind telling you that I was worried I'd blow something up. But all survived. I sure won't forget it.

(The Toyota stayed with me until 2007, with 325,000 miles on it, all on the original engine and transmission - no rebuilds. Sold it for $12K)
Fourth Horseman
08-31-2011, 11:02 AM
Data Point: When I towed the aforementioned 5300-pount trailer with the Land Cruiser, I was towing a Volkswagen Passat on a U-Haul car trailer (*not* a dolly!) filled with my personal stuff as I moved from San Francisco to Chicago in 1999. For those of you in Salt Lake City (or familiar with the area), I was taking I-80 eastbound all the way. When I left SLC, I started up that horrible hill just east of town (I had forgotten to notice the truck route signs).

That's Parley's Canyon. It is, by the way, a blast to rocket through that canyon with a supercharged Marauder with all the standard suspension mods. ;)