Website to find original towing specs by VIN NUMBER? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Website to find original towing specs by VIN NUMBER?

Recoil Rob

Well-Known Member
Joined
April 5, 2008
Messages
118
Reaction score
0
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 XLT
I have a 2002 V6 Ford Explorer 4 x 4. Is there anyway to punch the VIN number into a database to find out if it was set up for with the towing package? It has an aftermarket class III hitch bolted on but I'm not sure if the oil cooler and radiator were upgraded.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





You could try FordETIS, but I have not been able to get it to work for many months now.
 






There is no oil cooler that I know of. There is a dedicated transmission cooler between the condenser and the radiator. There is also a power steering fluid cooler at the front bottom in front of the condenser.

The main thing is you only want to do towing with a 3.73 axle and not the 3.55. If you're doing serious towing I'd invest in swapping the rings and pinions to 4.10
 






The oil cooler would be above the oil filter. My wife's 04 explorer had one (I omitted it during an engine swap). It has the 2" hitch / 7 pin factory. It's also a v6 4x4 w/3.73 gears.
 






The oil cooler would be above the oil filter. My wife's 04 explorer had one (I omitted it during an engine swap). It has the 2" hitch / 7 pin factory. It's also a v6 4x4 w/3.73 gears.

What does it look like? If you have the trans and PS coolers should one have the oil cooler too?
 






Oil coolers are only on a few of the models. PS and trans coolers are stock equipment.

Look at where your oil filter mounts on the block. It will be an aluminum block with 2 coolant lines coming off it right above the oil filter.
 






Not sure about the oil cooler and radiator but you should start with the axle code.

The trailerLife towing guide for that year has these numbers:


Explorer 4.0 V-6 3,500 3.55 axle
Explorer 4.0 V-6 5,940 3.73 axle
Explorer 4.6 V-8 3,500 3.55 axle
Explorer 4.6 V-8 7,300 3.73 axle
Explorer 4WD 4.0 V-6 3,500 3.55 axle
Explorer 4WD 4.0 V-6 5,500 3.73 axle
Explorer 4WD 4.0 V-6 3,500 3.55 axle
Explorer 4WD 4.6 V-8 7,000 3.73 axle

If you have the 7.73 then you can work though the cooling issues. If it doesn't then you are somewhat limited
 






Back
Top