lokjaw777
Registered Member
88 k5,stock gearing,4in lift,36 swampers,tsl's are beat and i wanna go with a 33in so i can tow our new camper,will 33's put me in atleast a better tow range
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
anyone use a blazer as a tow rig.......
- Thread starter lokjaw777
- Start date
Matt J.
1/2 ton status
From my understanding it's the short wheel base that makes the K5 not very tow freindly. What's your stock gearing? 3:73s?
lokjaw777
Registered Member
yes 3;73.......had a old canned ham camper 14ft right around 2000lb...towed it quite a bit .moved up to a 18ft micro lite at 3200lb...an just camping locally was a strain .....it was time for new tires anyway ...just wanted to know if anyone tows with 33's,
Matt J.
1/2 ton status
I'm no help to you. I've towed a few trailers but that's with my 3/4 ton burb with 33s and 4:10s. I almost have to keep looking back to make sure the trailer is still there because it barely puts any noticable strain on the truck.
A friend of mine towed his boat and his 6000 lbs race car enclosed trailer with his blazer on 33" tires for a long time until he finally bought a crew cab.
He did use a weight distributing hitch and sway control too.
He still felt it behind him so after a few years when he had enough money, he got a diesel crew cab chevy.
He's never been happier, but said if it's the only thing he could afford he would keep using it.
djtejas
1/2 ton status
Only problem I've had is with the short wheel base...it just gets a little squirrelly when towing a long trailer with lots of weight.
I have 32's and 3.73's and there is no strain on the motor...i've easily towed 6,000-7,000 pounds on a 16' trailer.
I have 32's and 3.73's and there is no strain on the motor...i've easily towed 6,000-7,000 pounds on a 16' trailer.
That's where a weight ditributing hitch is usefull, for short wheel base trucks.Worth the $200 price tag.
djtejas
1/2 ton status
Agreed...I didn't tow that much weight very often...usually was in the 2,000-3,000 lb range
63chevyll
1/2 ton status
Just keep it under 70 and should be ok. I only towed a car trailer a few times with mine, burning towed small motorcycle and utility trailers all the time and was ok
badmix
1/2 ton status
Kind of surprised no one has touched on the tranny when towing. Its pretty important to put a tranny cooler on a tow rig if it doesnt have one.
Over heating is a problem towing as well, if your going up and down mountains.
Things to keep in mind.
Over heating is a problem towing as well, if your going up and down mountains.
Things to keep in mind.
lokjaw777
Registered Member
yes a trans cooler is on my to do list.......a newer truck would be nice but right now that is not an option....thnx for the help
bot0611
1/2 ton status
That was goinf to be my question...what tranny you running, would it matter if its a 350,400 or 700
88 K5 stock gearing would suggest stock tranny which would be a 700.
It will do fine if he keeps it in D and a cooler is a must, I stopped saying it everytime someone says towing, it's like a broken record.
shovelbill80
1/2 ton status
3.73's and 33's will be fine. they'll effectively lower your gear ratio....4.10's would be ideal though.....get a good quality tire with the proper load range and keep the air pressure up. as previously mentioned the wheelbase is the Blazer's short coming, pun intended. even a 3,000 lb micro light will push a K5 around......it's like the tail wagging the dog.
what exactly do you mean by "strain".........power?
what exactly do you mean by "strain".........power?
Matt J.
1/2 ton status
88 K5 stock gearing would suggest stock tranny which would be a 700.
It will do fine if he keeps it in D and a cooler is a must, I stopped saying it everytime someone says towing, it's like a broken record.
Lol... That's why I didn't say anything either.
Matt J.
1/2 ton status
I think they're saying how the vehicle feels with the load on, ie. slower, heavier on the throttle etc.
Matt J.
1/2 ton status
Sorry. Maybe a poor choice of words on my part but yes that is what I meant by "strain". Slower, heavy on the throttle and gas mileage suffers a bit.
shovelbill80
1/2 ton status
the rig was not designed to pull the weight and size (think gear ratio)of those 36" tires. not to mention that your braking is compromised as well. dropping down to a 33 will make quite a difference......going to a 33 X 10.5 will be better yet, less rolling resistance........hope this helps.
shovelbill80
1/2 ton status
and how much did the trailer weigh, 1500-1800 lbs? in addition to the 6-7K?
