futurerunner

Okay, I have a 1982 4 speed toyota long bed with 112k miles. I really want to get a small tent trailers. From what I have seed, the curb weight runs between 1500 and 2500 lbs. Big range I know. The question is, what is the max weight I can tow without destroying engine, tranny etc. I know that it will be slow up hills and what not.

Next, I have stock rims and I want to move up to bigger tires. I know that this might conflict with the desire above. Still, I don't know what kind of rims (read size, specs etc) will work on my ol 82. If I know the size, I can hit the used rim guy for cheap.

Finally, this is quite curious to me. I found out that my reverse gear has a higher ratio than my first gear. This makes no sense to me. Why would someone need to go faster in reverse than first? In fact, I end up using the low range on the t-case just so I can back up slower. Besides that, using 4high on even a slight incline in reverse can be a bitch. If anyone want to know why, please let me know. By the way, I have encountered this on many vehicles. For instance, my 2000 ranger 4x4 could do 40mph in reverse. Why?

Thanks for reading and replying.

Silver_Truck

You probably shouldn't be using 4-lo on the road all the time...why not just slip the clutch a little? that way you can control your speed

89macrunner

DONT USE 4WD ON PAVEMENT..your front axle had a diffrent ratio than your rear and its bad to do it...it also puts a lot of strain on your CVs when turning..save the 4wd for snow and offroad.

when you need to backup slow...slip your clutch like silver truck said..that works and if you need to back up any slower put it in neutral and use ur legs..haha

futurerunner

Hey guys, I am not a dumbass. The front hubs are not locked in. And I never go over 10 miles an hour.

Ok, now reading the post......
I don't have CV joints, I have birfields. Also, the front axle has the same ratio as the rear. If it didn't, I would die in the snow and ice.

ok, so does anyone have more educated answer?

Silver_Truck

My guess on why first is lower is for towing/hauling heavy stuff so that you can get going on an incline etc...but i still dont know why theyd make reverse higher????

green91runner

my guess is for those high-speed pursuits like in 'gone in 60 seconds'

you know, where he's driving next to the kid in reverse...

CynicX

Although I believe Toyotas comes with the same ratio....a Jeep Wrangler will have 4.11 in the front and 4.10 in the back.....acts for slightly better control in slick conditions....

Glenn

He has an '82, which came with manual hubs.

Glenn

A higher numerical ratio means an overall slower speed for a given RPM. Your 1st gear is actually faster than reverse, which is the way it should be.

Don't worry about those that say don't drive in 4LO in reverse (or any other gear) on pavement. I do it all the time when I need greater control over speed. I have manual hubs like you, and it has never been a problem.

futurerunner

4.10 for front and 3.93 for rear. Hence the reverse gear is "faster". Any thoughts? By the way, thanks glen. I won't worry about the folks who tell me that running one axle is harder on teh tcase than two.

Glenn

4.10 for the front? I thought you were talking about 1st gear, not the front axle ratio. If you really do have that discrepancy in your front and rear axle ratios, that isn't a good thing. Unless you drive in 4wd exclusively in very slippery conditions, like deep mud, it will damage driveline components in 4wd. No 4wd comes from the factory with that great a discrepancy in the front and rear axle ratios. Someone must have changed one without doing the other. Usually they are the same ratio or very close.

futurerunner

Ok, sorry abou the confusion. This has nothing to do with my axles. And I checked the marlin site, my reverse gear is lower than my first. Although it does not feel like it. It could have something to do with the way reverse gear works. Anyway, any thoughts on the stock rims or the towing questions?

kyle_22r

you're not gonna destroy anything by towing with this truck. the drivetrains(with the exception of the early transmissions we have) are very, very stout. sure, you're not going to go fast, but keep in mind these trucks have a 1 ton frame and were built to take abuse.

if you want to run bigger tires, you can regear. this will help you keep your speed and will also mostly correct the speedometer offset you'd have. however it isn't really cheap(without lockers, figure $400 per axle -- $250 for parts and at least $150 for labor). most guys run 4.56s for 31s, 4.88 for 33s, 5.29 for 35s, but you have a 4 speed and our '79-83 trucks are lighter than later models, so take that into consideration(you can run a numerically lower gearset without as much power loss, plus you don't have to take overdrive into the equation)