Max pull with a 1/2 ton Chevy?

lazerguy said:

Hi guys,

I've never towed anything yet with my '91 Chevy 1500 Suburban (6,2l diesel engine, 700R4 auto tranny, 3.42 rear end) , but I am considering buying a small farm tractor with a front loader and a small backhoe on it, so I guess something like 6,000 - 7,000 pounds total.

Would it be a problem to put that on a trailer and tow with my truck?
I guess I would need a trailer with brakes on it, but that's about all I can say...

Any hints or idea how much is the max. load I can pull with this truck?
The owner's manual is superbly vague on the subject.

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You would be supremely slow with that much in tow.

I suspect 5000 would be around factory rating. If you call gm with a vin # thay would probably tell you.

Hugh is correct on that tow rating, 4500 to 5500 lbs depending on the axle ratio. And with a 3.42 I would assume 4500 lbs.

But it isn't going to be fun even with the rated load. Problem is tall gear ratio that probably will not allow towing in OD, the 700R4 tranny, and the 6.2 diesel without much power.

The 6.2 wasn't so bad of a motor, but not for towing. It's main good point back at that time was very good mileage if you kept within its limits. But you throw in just a extra 2000 lbs and you will know it right away.

Way back I owned a 1985 GMC 3/4 ton with the 6.2 , auto, and 3.73 gears. I also owned at the same time a 1987 GMC 3/4 ton with 5.7, 4 spd, and 3.42 gears. Also both were 4x4's. The 87 would run circles around the 85 even with its taller gear ratio even with small loads, but it got a little over half the mileage of the 85.

BobsLandscaping said:

On your drivers side door jamb is a plate that has the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) for the Suburban. Take that number and subtract from it the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) to get your maximum towing capacity.

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it may only display the GVWR on the door, but the specs should be on the owner's manual if you have it, otherwise there's got to be a chevy forum online somewhere.

hughjazz said:

You would be supremely slow with that much in tow.

I suspect 5000 would be around factory rating. If you call gm with a vin # thay would probably tell you.

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with his engine, tranny and gear ratio? nah, he's got no problems there, it's really just a matter of his vehicle frame rating, but yeah GM might give an answer on that too...

Go to dieselplace.com and the guys over there can give you a good answer. They can also give you some advice on power upgrades to help you out. A definite Yes on trailer brakes and i would advise on the Prodigy brake controller. It is one of the best controllers on the market and probably the most safe.

Hugh is right about the horsepower, that engine was only rated at 143 hp.

Shane is right about the 700R4, these trannys did not take well to towing. Thats why I bought the 87 with a stick.

And a quote from Wikipedia:

"The original 6.2 L (379 cu in) Diesel V8 was introduced in 1982 for the Chevrolet/GMC C/K trucks and was produced until 1993. The 6.2L diesel emerged as a high-MPG alternative to the V8 gasoline engine lineup, and achieved better mileage than the General Motors 4.3L V6 gasoline engines of the 80s, at a time when the market was focused on mileage more than power."