Class III/IV towing package / 3.73 axle ratio

Hi guys,
just need some kind of idea on the matter, im currently shopping for an explorer.
As ive seen in the owner manual for the GEN 3 explorers, they have the Class III/IV tow for the 4.6L 3.73 ratio.

1. How do i know which second hand explorers have these specs ?
2. Did the Class III/IV tow come standard for the 3.73 axle ratio 4.6L ?

im in dire need here as everyone i call never know what there explorer is capable of in terms of towing.
Also i live in australia.

Greatly appreciated.
Thanks again guys.

 

[1_v8_merc]

funny....my class 3 is rated for more weight than my class 2 was.

i thought we were talking about the v8, suddenly i see someone mentioning the 4.0 v6.

Ive towed well over 4000lbs with my class 3....but according to what your saying i cant tow more than 3240lbs...

WTF? Theres gotta be some mix-up here guys.

 

[gijoecam]

funny....my class 3 is rated for more weight than my class 2 was.

i thought we were talking about the v8, suddenly i see someone mentioning the 4.0 v6.

Ive towed well over 4000lbs with my class 3....but according to what your saying i cant tow more than 3240lbs...

WTF? Theres gotta be some mix-up here guys.

I would expect a Class III to be rated to tow more than a Class II setup. Not sure what's weird about that?

As for the tow rating of your truck, if you'd kindly crack the spine on your owner's manual, and turn to the Trailer Towing section on page 167, you'll see that in the following two charts (4x4 and 4x2), the tow ratings are clearly indicated as follows:

V-8 2wd, 3.73 with the Class III/IV towing package, 6980
V-8 4x4/AWD, the 3.73 gears and Class III/IV package is rated for 6840lbs
V-8, AWD/4x4 with the class II package (which only had the 3.55 gears in it) is only rated for 3260lbs.

It's my understanding that when they went to the 6-speed trans, they dropped the 3.73 as the lower first gear in the trans compensated for the taller gearing. I'd have to look at the owner's manuals, but I believe that happened for the '06 or '07 model year... Not too sure off-hand though.

At any rate, getting back to the OP's question, again, the key is to look for the FACTORY Class III/IV receiver integrated into the rear bumper. That's a pretty good sign that it should have the trailer towing package.

 

[jrford]

we should probably add, and although you may not find many trucks like this, but some are unbolting the Class II and bolting on a Class III hitch, which technically dosn't change the limit of 3200lbs.

To be sure, only thing i can think of is the Axle codes. 45 is open 3.55's and still 3200lbs. I believe if the code is a D4 it should be 3.73's and the big tow limit of 7k.

Although i imagine if you left over drive off, did it once and a blue moon or emergency, had the aftermarket class III hitch, you could tow more then the technical rating.

The reason i added a class III to mine was simply add a bike carrier i already owned. A used hitch at $75 was cheaper than a new bike rack. I only tow a small boat of 1,000lbs anyways.

 

[GreenMando]

,,,,It's my understanding that when they went to the 6-speed trans, they dropped the 3.73 as the lower first gear in the trans compensated for the taller gearing. I'd have to look at the owner's manuals, but I believe that happened for the '06 or '07 model year... Not too sure off-hand though.,,,,

It feels odd a few times, going thru a intersection from a stop the truck goes thru three or four gears before I hit the next crosswalk. Can't beat how smooth the shifts are thou.

 

[eikeland]

You should be able to check the manual for the max towing capacity. If not, depending on the year, you can check this link:
http://www.explorerforum.com/ntrprize/
Some years have more info than others, but the later years are pretty good. It can be a little confusing though since one vehicle I looked at had 3500# capacity written on the bumper hitch, while the chart showed 5200#. So, I assume that means the tow capacity is 5200# with a class 3/4 (frame mounted hitch). I haven't seen this in writing, but it makes sense to me....

 

[eikeland]

Look at page 218 of Dead Link Removed

I got that link from Ford's website on Dead Link Removed

On that page you can see that it lists the max tow capacity depending on configuration of the vehicle. It says that if a trailer heavier than 3500# will be towed, a weight distribution hitch (frame mounted) should be used.