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Towing with a k5...???

79k20350

79k20350

3/4 ton status
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Ok guys a buddy of mine has a 91 k5 in good shape (excellent mechanical) and hes going to sell it for cheap ($800) and the though popped into my head. The rig im building is going to more off then on road...Not nessecarily by choice but i dont think it will fly in ct to have a rig like it. so id need a tow rig... thats where the k5 comes in. I know the big downsize is the wheelbase being so short. so heres my idea.

Front:
4" lift, tc or bds springs up front, zero rate pushing axle forward 1.5"
8 lug conversion
Back:
Shackle flip, 3/4 ton springs flipped around + 4" and a zero rate pusing 15." forward. 14 bolt

Crossover steering

33" sport king all terrains (made by bfg, just generic name)

Total wheel base growth 4" or i could run the rear zero rate with no offset and get 5.5" of growth.

This would make a good cruiser too which my other truck wouldnt be even if it was street legal. so what do you guys think, would it be unbearable trying to tow a fullsize weighing roughly 5000lbs + trailer with a wheelbase of 109-110.5"???

I dont have a trailer yet but it would prolly be a 10,000 lb dual axles/ brakes

Btw...I would make a sway bar work with the setup... how, im not sure but ill make it work :D
 
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1979jimmy350 said:
I would be worried about the schackel flip and towing, that has been talked about before on here
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yes has been talked about alot. I have no worries about towing with a shackle flip. Those who have worries are usually the ones who dont tow and dont have a flip and have never seen a flip bracket. id tow with a flip before i towed with a stock stamped steel bracket.:rolleyes:
 
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I've towed with A stock blazer and it was spooky to say the least a shortbed pickup isn't any less spooky though why not tow with the k20 in your Avatar???
 
I no longer have it. i parted it out to start my new project.;)
 
In my opinion, it would be scary towing a fullsize on a big trailer with a k5. A lifted K5 would make it even worse. Id say...spend the money it would cost you to buy the $800 k5 and put the lift and whatnot on...and find an old 3500 suburban or pickup. It would be a lot more stable and safer towing a fullsize. But thats just my opinion.
-Harrison
 
87BrnRsd said:
In my opinion, it would be scary towing a fullsize on a big trailer with a k5. A lifted K5 would make it even worse. Id say...spend the money it would cost you to buy the $800 k5 and put the lift and whatnot on...and find an old 3500 suburban or pickup. It would be a lot more stable and safer towing a fullsize. But thats just my opinion.
-Harrison
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Its a hard deal to pass up but i cant justify another wheeler(full blown like the one im building), but i love blazers.:rolleyes: Also i would like a cruise vechicle, something i could drive to work, or out for some fun and not be hassled by the law.(yup thats right, a mall crawler:crazy:) i hate canundrums(sp?)...that and i have alot of parts already and the things i would need arent too expensive. Anyone here actually tow a full size with a blazer??? how about one with a lengthened wheelbase???
 
I have had up to 4000 pounds behind my truck with no problems .

I towed a Nissan Sentra ( glad its now an Impala ) when stock , and a k5 tub and top with a shackle flip and 33's .

Couldn't feel either one behind me .

Depends on gearing , hitch , trailer , towed rig weight , and common sense .

They wouldn't of rated it to tow or haul anything , if they didn't think you could .
 
I towed my project truck home with my current blazer. all-be it was on a tow dolly not a trailer but I still pulled it. It went along just fine-some of the downhills were a little scary but still nothing too bad. Also just the other week towed a fullsize backhoe on a trailer behind it and it towed like a dream.

I also plan on towing the project truck on a trailer with the current blazer once it's done. It might not be the best idea but it's all I have for now. I'm gonna go with an airbag setup in the rear(the kind that go between the frame and top of the spring and you can turn on or off when needed) once I need to start towing and I think that will really help. So that might be something to look into.
 
mtnman210 said:
I towed my project truck home with my current blazer. all-be it was on a tow dolly not a trailer but I still pulled it. It went along just fine-some of the downhills were a little scary but still nothing too bad. Also just the other week towed a fullsize backhoe on a trailer behind it and it towed like a dream.

I also plan on towing the project truck on a trailer with the current blazer once it's done. It might not be the best idea but it's all I have for now. I'm gonna go with an airbag setup in the rear(the kind that go between the frame and top of the spring and you can turn on or off when needed) once I need to start towing and I think that will really help. So that might be something to look into.
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This is more the stuff i wanted to hear, actual expierience.;) hmmm. now to come up with money for both projects:rolleyes:
 
79k20350 said:
;) hmmm. now to come up with money for both projects:rolleyes:
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hey I have that same problem and don't forget the cost of the trailer for the project:doah:

yeah the only thing I don't like is my speed limit. I'm stuck at 55--65 at the most. While the guys I'm with have their nice new tow rigs and can cruise along at 70-75. but oh well atleast I won't have a truck payment:haha:
 
I've towed a lifted K5 with my old 76 K5 which was also lifted 6" and it towed just fine. I was towing with a tandem alxe trailer with hydraulic brakes and the K5 and trailer came in at about 8,000 lbs. I also don't tow at 55 mph either, more like 65 mph with the rest of traffic but do slow if the conditions warrant me to.
 
That all good to know! Thanks alot, i feel more confident now! i think the biggest thing is people were prolly towing with a trailer that was underrated or beat up brakes, something of the sort
 
yeah i get hounded for towing with a 1/2 ton pickup but yeah a k5 will tow used one for it before and i have no problems we towed a 16 ft enclosed trailer loaded with 2 golf carts and had no issues but i would not make it a permanant tow rig just dont stress it and you could also get a weight distributing hitch as well that is my plan till i get enought for a 3/4 or 1 ton newer ford or dodge.
 
A couple weeks ago I used my K5 to haul a Jeep YJ from Tucson to Mesa. Total trailer weight was about 5800lbs, and it was a tandem-axle with surge brakes. It towed just fine. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the trailer didn't have a weight distributing hitch. I would have also preferred electric brakes over the surge brakes. Oh well, you do what you can with what you got.:D
 
for sure i will be towing my Trail Rig on a 18.5 Ft Trailer with electric brakes , and a a weight distributing hitch rather than a normal one since the half ton still is not preferred
 
if you really want to use a blazer to tow a blazer, i wouldnt lift it. it'll tow alot better with a lower COG. crossover is not nessesary for a cruiser, and im pretty sure it wont work with a zerorate upfront, besides not being able to run a front swaybar.

i'd say best setup would be stock height, add a leaf in rear(or 3/4t springs) 30" tires or smaller,14b and 8lug front with 4.10 gears. W-D hitch.

maybe a set of zero rates, but i dont think the 1.5-3.0" of extra wheelbase would make a huge difference.

another think to consider is the stock hitch is only rated for 5k with a W-D hitch. pulling 8k lbs just isnt safe, no matter what. im not sure if you can get one rated for 10k for a blazer.


i think you'd be much better off just using the money you'd put in this blazer into buying a 3/4t truck.
 
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