How much can we tow with a 3.8L

[shenanigans]

Whats the towing capacity on a 3.8L mainly a 2000 v6?


Not looking for ideal day to day towing, maybe once in awhile towing lets say, anotehr 4th gen Camaro [img]smile.gif[/img] ~3600 lbs max, plus maybe a 2 wheel trailer?

[98Camaro3.8]

I'm fairly certain it was 1000 lbs. Check the owners manual to be sure, but I'm pretty sure it was 1000 for both L36s and LS1s.

[shenanigans]

Think we could tweak it to tow a 4th gen [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Little G]

yeah it's 1000lbs and they even say it's not recommended at all. So I'm thinking bad things could happen.

[Die Ford V8]

our cars can handle it. BUT KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND

v6s will have to rev higher producing high tranny heat as well as engine heat. you run a high risk of hurting your tranny if you tow far or on big hills without a tranny cooler.

another thing. its not smart to tow a rig as heavy as you are without trailer brakes. your rig would suck trying to get stopped, especially since our cars have most of the stopping in the front end. you slam the brakes and you have the risk of jackknifing. your rotors would probably get so hot they would warp.

your rearend also isnt made for 8000+ lbs. its made for a little camaro and 200 hp. if you lose and then catch traction without your car moving you could snap your driveline.

dont get me wrong i would tow an escavator with a galant if i needed to.

i once drove a 1ton chevy towtruck (class A for cars and small trucks) towing another chevy truck full of garbage with the cab of another chevy truck ratchet straped to the top of the bed. i didnt go over 40mph because it swayed like no other. you should have seen peoples faces. three trucks going and wobbling down the road. oh so fun.

i dont recommend anything more than a 4 wheeler or something. if you do tow another camaro(i would do it) be careful and keep it in drive. your tranny will blowup if it keeps touching 4th then 3rd then 4th. slow for stops early and dont turn fast. that much weight will most likely put your front end in the sky so your steering will suck and wobble.

in other words id say no, but its not me

[shenanigans]

I understand I would have to be careful even more careful then most, and I wouldn't be hitting any hills or mountains I live in FL [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ellik]

???? Holy Christ, rent a truck from U-haul for a day. Much cheaper than replacing a tranny.

[shenanigans]

Has anyone experienced this or just saying from the specifications?

Remember the same company also wrote that a K&N drop in filter will void your warranty at GM.

Am I the only one who has seen 5-speed S-10s with 4.3L v6s towing stuff. For the most part we are nearly identical when it comes to the drivetrain, except we have a more powerful motor?

I mean look at these specs...
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Sp...IP&tab=2&sub=0

Am I mistaken in that we have 200hp, 230 ft. lbs of torque, while a 4.3L S-series had 160hp, 235 ft. lbs of torque, and I see people towing boats, and vehicles with those.

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by ellik:
???? Holy Christ, rent a truck from U-haul for a day. Much cheaper than replacing a tranny.

~$1440 a year if its ~$40 a rent, and I rent 3 times a month(could be more)

and I see it be more hell on my clutch then my tranny.

[ellik]

If your in that much need of a towing vehicle, I would look into buying a beater pickup for said use. I know I could find a $500 early 90's truck or van that wouldnt be much to look at, but would serve this purpose better than an F-body. Most already come with a tow hitch, something you would have to add and deal with constantly looking like crap trailing at the rear-end of your car.

[ February 08, 2005, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: ellik ]

[nikon]

my tahoe has over 300ft/lbs torque and its comfortable at 60-70mph , even then I had the camaro on the trailer backwards so less weight would be on the tongue of the trailer. and my truck still sat way down in the back. check the load rating of your rims and tires, I doubt even they can handle that. Dont use something for other than what it is designed for. my little 17ft boat didnt make my truck sag as much as my camaro did. there's no question the motor can handle it. but can the rest of the car? dont think so and I wouldnt risk it. Cant you just drive the other car?

[NCState98]

...and I thought I felt strange launching our jetski with my dads firebird.

[3.4 slow to go]

towing capacity is based on the frame, or lack of one.

[shenanigans]

hehe not buying a beater truck to tow a beater race car... idea was get a beater car to race on the side, and not beat up my daily driver. Idea was to cut cost of no isurance or title. not gonna get a truck to insure, just to tow this car.


ok how much you guys think I could get for a '00 NBM camaro with a 5-speed, t-tops and 45k. [img]smile.gif[/img] $8-9k?

Any sporty cars that can tow anything worth a damn? Never been a huge fan of trucks...

[ February 09, 2005, 12:41 AM: Message edited by: shenanigans ]

[F1GT]

Originally posted by 3.4 slow to go:
towing capacity is based on the frame, or lack of one.

This guy just answered your question. We don't have a full frame under the body, nor any sports car. When you tow a boat with a REAL truck, they have a full ladder frame and the hitch is connected to this frame. And out tires are not made for heavy loads. That is another reason why truck tires are taller.