towing

[willymonster]

whats the towing capacity for a blazer ? what about a short bed ? do they weigh enough to tow a 18 foot trailer loaded with a crawler about the same size plus camping gear ? i could swap in 3/4 ton running gear if need be . would a 700r4 be strong enough to tow with and use as a daily driver ?

 

[dhcomp]

not up to the task of hauling a k5 on trailer safely. Axles aren't really up to it, plus the wheel base is way short to be stable. Plus it would be a ton of stress on a 700r4.

Yah, guys do it, and live to tell about it....but i wouldnt' do that to my trucks....

 

[botboy]

whats the towing capacity for a blazer ?

Depends on year IIRC, check the manual or a haynes. Also dependent on suspension, add ons (add a leafs, bags, etc) and bumper/receiver combo.

what about a short bed ?

do they weigh enough to tow a 18 foot trailer loaded with a crawler about the same size plus camping gear ?

The issue isn't usually pulling (lots of 1-tons got sbc's) but stopping and retaining control. Really depends on the handling and controllability of the trailer, but I've pulled some pretty heavy stuff with half ton trucks, they just get tossed around the road a lot worse than my dads truck (89 V3500 crew lwb)

i could swap in 3/4 ton running gear if need be . would a 700r4 be strong enough to tow with and use as a daily driver ?

In short, no.

a (stock) 700r4 will die in short order if you tow much with it. You will need a big trans cooler and even then I am not sure if I would trust it to stay working reliably. Personally I'd go for a TH400 or a built 700r4 from a reputable shop (with a LONG warranty). If you need the OD I'd suggest maybe a TH400 with an american overdrives unit.