Almost yanked my rear bumper off today.

*Joey P* · 01-07-2004, 11:25 PM

Well my brother in law just got back from Iowa today and he towed his 1980 scout II project truck out back with him. We where going to unload it from the trailer tonight and we though it was going to be easy............yeah right. He has a driveway that is not too steep but steep enough to get stuck in if you are pulling a trailer with a heavier vehicle on it. Combine that with snow and you aren't going anywhere fast. He has a '00 ford F250 with the Powerstoke that weighs about 7,000lbs or so. he had the trailer hooked to that that weighs about 2,000lbs or so with the scout II on it that weighs probably around 5,000lbs or so. that would equal about 14,000lbs right? Well with all that weight he couldn't get it going. He just sat there spinning.(The whole point of this was to get the scout off the trailer and into a flatter place on his property.) We thought "why don't we just hook up a tow strap to the front of his truck and then to my rear bumper of my '94 to see if we can "ease" it up his driveway." I had a tow shackle through the hole that you would put a tow ball in the rear bumper of mine and then I started to pull. I didn't get anywhere too fast but we actually moved it a little. All was going well so far, but we couldn't get it going enough to get it up the hill.(by this time he had dug some good ruts in his driveway, that made it even harder for him to move.) At this point we thought "well why not just use a running start" so i back down towards his truck and then put my truck into first gear and take off like a mad man, thinking "this is going to work" Well as soon as the slack in the tow strap was gone we where actually moving it! (Got one heck of a shock though.) I couldn't beleive it! My little POS was actually pulling 14,000lbs up a snowy driveway! At any rate we got it to where he wanted it but jacked up my rear bumper BIG TIME! The bumper brackets are still in the original location but the bumper is not. The bottom of the bumper is pulled up to the rear hatch so severe that I can't get the rear hatch open right now. Keep in mind that I have a 1" body lift, and I never relocated the rear bumper. Basically I just bent the rear bumper upwards toward the sky. The license plate is actully about 65 degrees from where it is supposed to be and you probably wouldn't be able to read it if you where behind me.(It's looking up to the sky) Anywho, It sucks but I guess on the lighter side, I can now say "see, I can tow 14,000lbs with a 4,500lb truck!"

*jimbo74* · 01-07-2004, 11:29 PM

that sucks, but you should have known you cant tow 14000 pounds with an explorer... heck, uhual wont even let you tow a utility trailer......

Stephen · 01-07-2004, 11:30 PM

Not bad, considering the bumper is only rated to pull 3500lbs...

*Joey P* · 01-07-2004, 11:33 PM

Stephen, exactly. I think what really did it was the shock when the strap tightened up and all that weight.

Stephen · 01-07-2004, 11:51 PM

I pulled a Mazda out of a ditch once with just the bumper, never a strain...

Alec · 01-07-2004, 11:56 PM

Better be happy you didn't drop the tranny out of your truck

*Stic-o* · 01-07-2004, 11:59 PM

to buy the 4x4 next time. My mom pulls a 30ft. gooseneck horse trailer with her 350 PS. We've always bought a 4x4 for towing do too a insedent we're 4x4 paid off big time.

The stable yard were my mom kept her horses had a steep driveway with a hil going down so it looked like this ^ So when she loaded a bumper pull trailer heavy. The ass of the truck and the nose of the trailer came up. No Traction. Just pop it in 4 Wheel and off you go.

*V8BoatBuilder* · 01-08-2004, 12:31 AM

Pics?

*jimbo74* · 01-08-2004, 01:07 AM

my buddy has a huge ram... he tows with it

its a 3500 dually 4x4 extended cab with the cummins turbo stickshift with the factory high boy type suspension....

*Joey P* · 01-08-2004, 03:01 PM

Yeah Alec, I was worried about that but not really. I figured it's a 10 year old truck and if that had happend, it would have happened. No big deal. It didn't though and I was very surprised by it. (amazing thing is, it's the original a4ld from the factory and no problems yet.) Stic-o, he has 4wheel drive but his tires are like slicks. (Good summer traction but not in the winter so much.) I would get some pictures but I have no digi cam. I don't want to waste any film on something so menial. I beat the bumper back down today so that you can see my license plate now so that I can drive it and not get pulled over by the police. Anyway I need to buy a new bumper sometime. Anyone got one for sale?:p

01-07-2004, 11:25 PM	#1
Joey P On my 5th Explorer Lakewood, CO 1999 Ford Explorer EB 5.0 Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,782 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Almost yanked my rear bumper off today. Well my brother in law just got back from Iowa today and he towed his 1980 scout II project truck out back with him. We where going to unload it from the trailer tonight and we though it was going to be easy............yeah right. He has a driveway that is not too steep but steep enough to get stuck in if you are pulling a trailer with a heavier vehicle on it. Combine that with snow and you aren't going anywhere fast. He has a '00 ford F250 with the Powerstoke that weighs about 7,000lbs or so. he had the trailer hooked to that that weighs about 2,000lbs or so with the scout II on it that weighs probably around 5,000lbs or so. that would equal about 14,000lbs right? Well with all that weight he couldn't get it going. He just sat there spinning.(The whole point of this was to get the scout off the trailer and into a flatter place on his property.) We thought "why don't we just hook up a tow strap to the front of his truck and then to my rear bumper of my '94 to see if we can "ease" it up his driveway." I had a tow shackle through the hole that you would put a tow ball in the rear bumper of mine and then I started to pull. I didn't get anywhere too fast but we actually moved it a little. All was going well so far, but we couldn't get it going enough to get it up the hill.(by this time he had dug some good ruts in his driveway, that made it even harder for him to move.) At this point we thought "well why not just use a running start" so i back down towards his truck and then put my truck into first gear and take off like a mad man, thinking "this is going to work" Well as soon as the slack in the tow strap was gone we where actually moving it! (Got one heck of a shock though.) I couldn't beleive it! My little POS was actually pulling 14,000lbs up a snowy driveway! At any rate we got it to where he wanted it but jacked up my rear bumper BIG TIME! The bumper brackets are still in the original location but the bumper is not. The bottom of the bumper is pulled up to the rear hatch so severe that I can't get the rear hatch open right now. Keep in mind that I have a 1" body lift, and I never relocated the rear bumper. Basically I just bent the rear bumper upwards toward the sky. The license plate is actully about 65 degrees from where it is supposed to be and you probably wouldn't be able to read it if you where behind me.(It's looking up to the sky) Anywho, It sucks but I guess on the lighter side, I can now say "see, I can tow 14,000lbs with a 4,500lb truck!" __________________ There are two types of people in this world: 1.Those who get lemons and make lemonade. 2.Those who get lemons and squirt the juice in their eyes. Updated Mug shot 2/12/09

01-07-2004, 11:29 PM	#2
jimbo74 Elite Ranger NorCal 98 XLT Supercab 4x2 Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 17,902 Vehicle Specs*	that sucks, but you should have known you cant tow 14000 pounds with an explorer... heck, uhual wont even let you tow a utility trailer...... __________________ My Truck

01-07-2004, 11:30 PM	#3
Stephen Moderator In Memoriam Annapolis, MD '97 Limited Join Date: Jul 1999 Posts: 9,984 Vehicle Specs	Not bad, considering the bumper is only rated to pull 3500lbs... __________________ RIP Stephen Stephen Withrow Moderator-Ford Industry News Other Makes & Models Off Topic Ramblings Support the site! Become an -Elite Explorer! 97 Explorer Limited 4X4 SOHC V6

01-07-2004, 11:33 PM	#4
Joey P On my 5th Explorer Lakewood, CO 1999 Ford Explorer EB 5.0 Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,782 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Stephen, exactly. I think what really did it was the shock when the strap tightened up and all that weight. __________________ There are two types of people in this world: 1.Those who get lemons and make lemonade. 2.Those who get lemons and squirt the juice in their eyes. Updated Mug shot 2/12/09

01-07-2004, 11:51 PM	#5
Stephen Moderator In Memoriam Annapolis, MD '97 Limited Join Date: Jul 1999 Posts: 9,984 Vehicle Specs	I pulled a Mazda out of a ditch once with just the bumper, never a strain... __________________ RIP Stephen Stephen Withrow Moderator-Ford Industry News Other Makes & Models Off Topic Ramblings Support the site! Become an -Elite Explorer! 97 Explorer Limited 4X4 SOHC V6

01-07-2004, 11:56 PM	#6
Alec Elite Moderator Houston, Texas 2008 JK Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 16,061 Vehicle Specs	Better be happy you didn't drop the tranny out of your truck __________________ Alec "Dr. Candlepower" Rosenbaum Daily: 2008 JK Gone: EE "Splat", 2003 VW GTI VR6, 85 Bronco project

01-07-2004, 11:59 PM	#7
Stic-o Elite Movie Star Tujunga, CA '99 XL 4x4 & '06 XLT 4x2 Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 12,426 Vehicle Specs	tell your bro. to buy the 4x4 next time. My mom pulls a 30ft. gooseneck horse trailer with her 350 PS. We've always bought a 4x4 for towing do too a insedent we're 4x4 paid off big time. The stable yard were my mom kept her horses had a steep driveway with a hil going down so it looked like this ^ So when she loaded a bumper pull trailer heavy. The ass of the truck and the nose of the trailer came up. No Traction. Just pop it in 4 Wheel and off you go. __________________ The JP Mobile ~'99 Explorer XL The Mall Crawler ~'06 Explorer XLT The Tow Rig ~ '05 F-150 SuperCrew The Commuter ~ '10 Focus SES

01-08-2004, 12:31 AM	#8
V8BoatBuilder Transplanted Bostonian East Brunswick, NJ 97 Mountaineer V8 4x4 Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,429 Vehicle Specs	Pics? __________________ -Aaron Off Road: 97' Mountaineer: V8, 4x4, 4.56s, 4" Superlift, SOA, TrXus 33x12.5 - Under The Knife Work: 00' Ranger 4cyl 5spd, 02' Ford E250 5.4 On Road: 2006 VW Jetta TDI/6spd DSG. Fill it with diesel, please. Octopus Yachts, LLC Engineered Marine Electrical Systems

01-08-2004, 01:07 AM	#9
jimbo74 Elite Ranger NorCal 98 XLT Supercab 4x2 Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 17,902 Vehicle Specs*	my buddy has a huge ram... he tows with it its a 3500 dually 4x4 extended cab with the cummins turbo stickshift with the factory high boy type suspension.... __________________ My Truck

01-08-2004, 03:01 PM	#10
Joey P On my 5th Explorer Lakewood, CO 1999 Ford Explorer EB 5.0 Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,782 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Yeah Alec, I was worried about that but not really. I figured it's a 10 year old truck and if that had happend, it would have happened. No big deal. It didn't though and I was very surprised by it. (amazing thing is, it's the original a4ld from the factory and no problems yet.) Stic-o, he has 4wheel drive but his tires are like slicks. (Good summer traction but not in the winter so much.) I would get some pictures but I have no digi cam. I don't want to waste any film on something so menial. I beat the bumper back down today so that you can see my license plate now so that I can drive it and not get pulled over by the police. Anyway I need to buy a new bumper sometime. Anyone got one for sale?:p __________________ There are two types of people in this world: 1.Those who get lemons and make lemonade. 2.Those who get lemons and squirt the juice in their eyes. Updated Mug shot 2/12/09