Hi, first time I will be towing anything:
Does anybody know the specs for towing with a '92 3.0 4WD Auto 4Runner? I was looking at the manual and it says not to exceed 45mph, is this accurate? How would you ever get on the freeway to go anywhere?
And combined gross vehicle weight cannot exceed 8100lbs. What does the truck itself weigh, and therefore how much can I tow? Does anyone know the curb weight of the Runner?

Thanks,
J

 

legally you arent suppsoed to tow anything over 55 mph (here in CA anyways) people can and do do it though....

now are you talking 8100 gvwr or something else? gvwr is not max you can tow, its how much immediate load is on the vehicle... also, due t ovarying factors, this number can change...

gross vehcile weight laoded is different than what it can tow

 

You can tow 3500 lbs, I think. Someone else chime in.

 

i say anything above 3500lbs isnt such a hot idea.

my 1994 4runner auto 2wd weighs in at 3750...according to the scale at my local recycling plant

 

Keep in mind... braking will be the biggest issue for you, especially if you live in an area with any kind of hills. It may not be any fun to try to accelerate with a load behind you, but there are FAAAAR more safety issues surrounding braking than there are accelerating. And stopping times are only made worse by oversized/aggressive tires - if you're running them.

Braking is the most overlooked aspect of towing.

 

There are lots of towing threads here, do a search and find all sorts. That said, what kind of towing are you planning to do -- how much weight and how far? The 3.0 isn't the best freeway tow vehicle, IMHO, but if you must go freeway, turn off OD. That in itself will limit how fast you'll be going. And if you're going to make a habit of it, look into adding a transmission cooler and maybe a trans temp gauge.

 

Thanks for the info guys.
I did some further looking and the GVWR for the Runner is about 5300lbs, this is supposed to be the SUV + people + some cargo. Still looking for the curb weight for the 4WD. I am guessing maybe ~200lbs more than the 2WD.

The manual says not to exceed 8100lbs combined weight of both vehicles and contents.

I am going to be moving across country and was thinking of towing my car since it will cost a bit over $1000 to ship it there via open carrier. Starting to think that towing it may not be a good idea. The car weighs 3300lbs according to the factory service manual.

Yeah, braking is a big issue. I remember driving a loaded passenger van and it was much harder to stop full vs with 2 people in it.

Any more tips or opinions would be appreciated.
J

 

Ship it, IMHO. Others here may not agree, but I think that towing 3K lbs cross country with your 4Runner may significantly shorten the life of your engine or transmission. It's not worth it. Maybe you could have a friend drive your other car and buy him/her a plane ticket back. Then again, by the time you add up the airfare, fuel and so on it might be nearly the same cost. If you do decide to tow it, allow plenty of time as you won't want to be pushing it speed wise -- take your time and enjoy the scenery.

 

I agree, the 3.0 wouldn't do to well with a 3000 pound car plus the weight of the car trailer. I towed a couple times with my 93 and I tried to avoid it because it was a horrible experience. I could barely do 65, and that was with only towing about 1500 pounds. If you do decide to go ahead and tow then you might be doing a little by the end of the trip.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

i would ship it...I wouldnt pull that much weight with my 3.4 across the country. Maybe if it was 100 miles or so then I'd say go for it, but not across the country..

I dont like towing more then 3000lbs with my truck but I've done it a few times. I never driven a 3.0 but I imagine it wouldnt be as strong as my 3.4. Thats why I say ship it.

 

I have towed a lot of things, some were way over the recomended limit. I would never tow anything more then 12oo punds cross country with my 92. MAybe a small box trailor, or a pop up camper, nothing big or heavy though.

Can you not just have a friend drive it and buy him or her a plane/bus tickit back home?

$1000 is pricy, shop around some more.


Lamm

 

thats a good idea...or better yet if you cant find a friend to take off for a week. Just drive you'll 4r out there then fly back and get the car and do it again.

 

When you go to rent the tow-dolly, from say u-haul, they may ask what you are pulling and what with. I wanted to pull a friends jetta about 40 miles (thought it might be cheaper than a tow truck and I wasn't doing anything) and after asking those questions, they wouldn't even rent it to me. Braking issue, since the car/dolly has no brakes their computer said it was too much.

How far across the country are you going? For $1000 i'll drive it for you

 

Is that GVW on the car? or it's empty weight?


I've towed a midsize car on a dolly w/ my 3.0 in stock form 800 miles.

No prob.

 

You can tow it. But you need to rent a REALLY GOOD Car dolly one WITH BRAKES. The rental cost alone will probably be close to shipping it.

 

Thanks for everybody's input, much appreciated.
Sounds like using the shipping service is the best decision, given the weight, distance, and demands.
J

 

Me I figure out how to completly disengage the tranny on odometer on the car to be towed and use a good tow bar.........down side if bad luck come to visit you on the trip you can be out two cars....shipping has a up side.....you can still rent a small uhaul box trailer and carry 1000 ~ 1500 lbs there ......