i want to be able to tow 6500 lbs with a 90 4x4 v6 ext cab... i know i will need some stiffer leafs in the rear and some rancho adjustables all around, but my biggest concern is the brakes, my trailer will have dual axle electric brakes, and im thinking a gm disc conversion for the rear will do... but i need some heavy duty brakes in the front, the 4 piston calipers seem pretty robust but i know these stockers wont be sufficient....

never mind the stock sixer being underpowered, cuz ill be swapping to a 3.4 in the near future...

are there any kits? or are there any other truck brakes that will fit with some modifying?

 

A 3.4 Liter V6 naturally aspirated will ALSO be underpowered for that load in my opinion. Sure it can get an over 5000 pound towing load moving, but it won't have much in the way of driveability and it will really reduce the reliability of the engine if you work it that hard regularly.

I think if you have electric brakes upgrading your brakes wouldn't be a huge huge concern. As long as you have the proper brake controller and it is set right it should have little impact on the trucks braking.

You have to be very careful if you want to tow that much weight. If you cause an accident you could be in DEEP ˟˟˟˟˟ with that law. YOur trucks frame is not designed to that that weight. I'm sure the frame is tough enough to handle it - but it's not rated as such and your consequence scould pan out accordingly.

The other thing you have to consider, whether or not you have the power and the braking or not, is the weight of your truck, and the stability of the frame. These trucks weigh about as much as the newer Tacoma's that can tow 6500 pounds. But they don't have the width of the new Tacoma's. The few inches wider the new Tacoma's are means a big difference in towing stability. Also - while the new Tacoma's are rated to tow 6500 pounds - it's safe towing capacity is probably more like 5000 pounds as far as limits go from most I've read.

Even if you S/C'd the 3.4 it would still have it's work cut out for it with the above mentioned towing load.

You would need to beef up the rear springs slightly and get yourself some really firm shocks.

Anywyas - enough said - I don't think I can recommend doing what you're doing. Get a bigger truck.

 

i believe the 4x4 v6 pickups have fully boxed frames, and are tough enough. i will be doing a custom turbo setup for it, so the end product will have plenty of power. and of course stiffer springs and shocks are a must. 6500lbs of towing for a 4000lb truck is definitely not unheard of so brakes are the one obstacle i am faced with because i dont have any experience custom fabing big brake setups, otherwise i think ill be set

 

I think you are being overly optimistic. The frame might survive, but the inertia of that massive trailer would make emergency maneuvers in our mini trucks deadly.

I would crap my pants if that heavy ass trailer's brakes were to fail and all I had was a little truck weighing 4000 pounds. On a downhill run, trying to stop that thing, I would be worried about what would land in a ditch first, the trailer, or the truck. You need a T-100 at least, just for the stability.

 

The drivetrains are not designed for that much weight, and you'll wind up burning through trannies in a hurry. But, it seems like you're set on doing it. So, put a temp gauge on the tranny and change out the fluid more often than usual. Use heavy duty u-joints and axle bearings. For that matter, if you put a 3/4 ton rear end on it, you'd be in much better shape. I remember readin somewhere also about larger piston master cylinders.

 

yeah, emergency manuvers will be tough in that situation. With all the money you are spending on all the mods, why dont you just buy a used tundra!? When you are done, you probably would have spent the same amount. And it would be even more reliable and stable!

FWIW the new tacomas dont even recommend towing more than that!!

 

Not possible for anything but a T100 (although underpowered) or a Tundra..Your mini truck wouldnt stand up to the abuse at all..

What are you towing, cause unless you got the tundra or t100 I would say you should buy an older ford or chevy V8 to tow like that..

I towed a 6,000lb or so load (trailer, + quads) with my T100 once, although it was a bit heavy the T did it and I was able to be fine taking it slow. Then again I have much bigger rotors than the mini trucks, a class III hitch bolted to my frame with grade 8 bolts (strong!!) and HD brakes plus a brake controller for trailering.

You might just shear off your entire hitch and ruin the frame lest you try to haul with a mini truck. In which case I wanna see the aftermath with pictures!

On another note: we arent trying to be jerks, aint no way your truck can handle it..