tow package question

[big_hoovie]

As I understand it, when the first gens were new, there was a tow package available for them. It included a tranny cooler, trailer light hookups, 3.73 gearing and a ball hitch in the bumper(some dealers added a reciever style hitch, if I remember correctly). Am I missing anything?

If I'm not missing anything, then either someone screwed up with my X, or everything was added later, as I thought I had the tow package(trans cooler, trailer light hookups, bumper ball) but I've got axle code 45( 3.55 gearing)

comments?

 

[spdy0001]

As I understand it, when the first gens were new, there was a tow package available for them. It included a tranny cooler, trailer light hookups, 3.73 gearing and a ball hitch in the bumper(some dealers added a reciever style hitch, if I remember correctly). Am I missing anything?

If I'm not missing anything, then either someone screwed up with my X, or everything was added later, as I thought I had the tow package(trans cooler, trailer light hookups, bumper ball) but I've got axle code 45( 3.55 gearing)

comments?

Yeah I wouldn't want to tow anything with those gears
Sometimes my X struggles with the 3.73 gears towing my utility 4X8 trailer

 

[IAmTodd]

Could've been a special order thing. My Sport had what I believed was the tow package, 3.73LS, pig tail for lights, but no tranny cooler. Kind of weird.

 

[techieman33]

try a search, there was just a thread about this a couple of weeks ago, lots of good info in it.

 

[Rhett]

As I understand it, when the first gens were new, there was a tow package available for them. It included a tranny cooler, trailer light hookups, 3.73 gearing and a ball hitch in the bumper(some dealers added a reciever style hitch, if I remember correctly). Am I missing anything?

If I'm not missing anything, then either someone screwed up with my X, or everything was added later, as I thought I had the tow package(trans cooler, trailer light hookups, bumper ball) but I've got axle code 45( 3.55 gearing)

comments?

You do have the towing pkg. Towing package being all 3.73 gearing is wrong...many had 3.27 and 3.55 as well. 4.10 may have been special order but I'm not sure.

 

[metstalker]

mine had 3.08 gear tranny cooler, rear hitch assembly,

 

[Brett F.]

Your X may struggle towing if you are in OD. Make sure you do not tow anything remotely heavy in OD. It hurts on gas mileage but I have towed a loaded double horse trailer with no problems.

 

[big_hoovie]

techieman - I did read the thread(I don't know if I got all the posts or not) but it hadn't answered all my questions

rhett - thanks. I didn't know there were different gear ratios avail for the tow package(it stands to reason, though, that at least the 4.10 gears would be, but I wouldn't have thought anything lower than 3.73 would have been)

metstalker - is it a reciever hitch or a bumper hitch? trailer light hookups hidden in the rear bumper?

brett - I don't think I would try to tow ANYTHING larger than an empty 4x8 in OD...I've got that darned A4LD tranny...

 

[wnanna]

BUMP. My Explorer also has what appears to be towing package (light hookups, bumper hole for trailer ball, and I think tranny cooler. However, I also have the 45 axle code for 3.53 gears. It's a 4.0 V6 4x4 btw.

Anyone got any comments or concerns about this towing setup? I'll probably buy a trailer hitch but my boat only weighs 2700# and the tongue weight is only around 100# so was considering just using the bumper setup.

 

[xjames]

Wow, towing with 3.55 sounds like a slow go at it. I guess mine was a special order, it has the 4.10's, factory cooler, receiver hitch, and light plug. It also has a second aux. cooler, I would like to find another factory cooler to replace the cheap looking aftermarket one. Mostly because it is mounted firmly to the center support, where as the cheapo is mounted using those plastic straps that run through the radiator. It does the trick but a factory unit would look much nicer. I could not imagine towing over 2000# with a bumper mounted ball, and those 3.55's, that is gonna put alot of strain on your tranny. What size tire are you running with that set-up?

 

[little x]

I wouldn't tow that with your bumper. I'd use a class III hitch. And if your towing for any sort of distance, or with any regularity, you should install a tranny temp gauge. Check the stickies in the towing section for write ups on how to do that. Then using the gauge, you'll see if your running hot enough to need an extra cooler. And you see when you need to slow down, or pull over and take a break (working it hard in the mountains or something).

 

[wnanna]

I live in FL and won't be towing it more than 10 miles to the nearest boat ramp. The most stressful part will be pulling the boat out of the water but other than that everything else is flat. I'm getting a class III. I think my towing capacity is 3200#'s, does that sound right?