Towing a trailer w/ the X...Help!

[98XLTLMEdition]

I have a 98 4dr Explorer 4.0 EFI(the 160HP one w/ an auto) and I was asked by a friend to tow a Ford Focus on one of those car dollys where there are 2 wheels up and 2 on the pavement(the back ones sence its FWD) I have a couple questions....

1.I do no have a hitch do i need one that will mount to the frame(Stage I/II/III) or just a ball for the bumper????
2. If I need just a ball in the bumper what size should i get...
3. Will my bumper Sag...
4.If I need a stage I/II/III hitch how much is a hitch for it and what size?
5.Can I wire the brake lights myselft (i though i saw the conectors and crap at walmart)
6.Im towing on the highway can i put overdrive on at a steady highway speed
7. Am i correct when i say any driving under 50MPH while towing i should have od off right....
8 .Any tips or trick to towing something????

9.Thanks Alot!

 

[X24]

I would get a class 3 hitch.

If you crawl under your truck up behind the drivers side tail light (you can take the tail light out for easier access) you will find a grey connector in there. Go to your dealer or try www.fordpartsnetwork.com and get a harness that plugs right into that. That way you wont have to splice anything.

I would leave OD off unless you are on a flat highway going pretty fast (which I wouldnt to towing a car on a dolly). You should be able to tell if it likes OD or not. If it's constantly bogging and going in and out of OD then leave it off.

Last... I hope you dont plan on renting the dolly from U-Haul.

(BTW, what's an LM edition?)

 

[Alec]

1) Get a Class III hitch with a standard 2" reciever and ball.
2) keep the RPMs up high enough not to bog the motor, but use OD if you can
3) if the tranny is shifting too much or you're going up and down hills turn off OD
4a) do not accelerate much in OD
4) get an aux tranny cooler
5) keep the tongue weight below 350 lbs
6) to wire up the lights you can get a trailer wiring kit and tap the taillight wires, though you may need to get a heavy duty flasher, you may not.

 

[MyExpWork]

I'd get a hitch that mounts to frame.

I think the bumper is only rated at 300 pounds weight and 3000 pounds tow.

2. Get 2" ball or whatever the dolly tounge has. Probably 2".

You should be able to wire it yourself. Not too hard.

Under 50, probably leave od off. Highway speed o/d is okay i think.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

okay with a car dolley you dont really have too much tongue weight and it sounds like you dont tow that often at all.... so using the bumper for this trip wouldnt be bad at all unless you plan on towing more in the future....weve used the bumper to pull a 20 foot boat before and while not as nice as the frame hitch it did work with no problems. overdrive off is just a way of keeping the rpms up so your tranny isnt shifting back and forth all the time trying to seek out more mpg..... my advice keep it off if your in hills or going like 50 and your truck keeps shifting back and forth.... on the highway unless your in hills your probably okay... and as far as the lights go... most new trucks came with the pigtail already.... look by your jack in the back as that is where it usually gets stuffed.....

 

[98XLTLMEdition]

I would get a class 3 hitch.

If you crawl under your truck up behind the drivers side tail light (you can take the tail light out for easier access) you will find a grey connector in there. Go to your dealer or try www.fordpartsnetwork.com and get a harness that plugs right into that. That way you wont have to splice anything.

I would leave OD off unless you are on a flat highway going pretty fast (which I wouldnt to towing a car on a dolly). You should be able to tell if it likes OD or not. If it's constantly bogging and going in and out of OD then leave it off.

Last... I hope you dont plan on renting the dolly from U-Haul.

(BTW, what's an LM edition?)

The LM edition was (from what the dude at ford said) A special order explorer that was my color paint....he said that there were only 50 made in 98 in the color of my car...and that the color was only made in 97-98 and that it was darkened to become a diffrent green...He also said mine was the only explorer he'd ever see with actual badging that said "explorer" on the side on the doors(like 02+)...I dont know what LM stands for though he never answered that question..It did come with roush floormats and a certificate from roush that said it was like #43 or something i dont know ill have to read it again. By the way whats roush there mblems are cool there on my floormats and all over the engine and crap?

 

[X24]

Rousch is a company that makes special vehicles (for example: the rousch mustang).

Do you have any pics of your explorer? I know my color green is pretty rare. Lots of people actually think I had it custom painted. Click the link in my sig to see some pics of it and tell me if yours is the same color.

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

Its Roush. They make speciality vehicles along with running Ford's only real NASCAR team left (#6, 16, 17, 97, 99).

And if you're only towing this Focus once, don't bother going to get a hitch and tranny cooler. The Focus doesn't weigh that much, you could tow it fine with the bumper, provided the tongue weight wasn't too great. You've got to run the wiring either way and just to be safe, I'd get a hitch. Its simple to install and cheap. If you're not going to tow that much, I wouldn't worry about the tranny cooler. I've towed a 3400 pound trailer 600 miles to school and my tranny's fine without a cooler. I paid about $115 shipped for my class III hidden hitch, heckuva good deal. www.etrailer.com

 

[98XLTLMEdition]

Rousch is a company that makes special vehicles (for example: the rousch mustang).

Do you have any pics of your explorer? I know my color green is pretty rare. Lots of people actually think I had it custom painted. Click the link in my sig to see some pics of it and tell me if yours is the same color.

Yeah My car is the exact same color...aparently theres only 50 of us or something! how cool a real Limited explorer! Oh and i bought just a ball for the bumper this trip is to South/North carolina and back w/ a focus on a dolly so there will be 2 wheels on the ground...I dont plan to do much towing afterwards but im considering getting as hitch b/c they look kinda cool and its good for stupid people that rear end you cuz ur car doesnt get damaged and theres does! hehe go trailer hitches!

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

sweet looking Green!

 

[X24]

I have seen many that are the same color as mine. It is a rare color, but I have probably seen about 10 different ones since I have owned mine.

You might want to check the year of yours. Unless you upgraded your bumper, thats a 99-01. All the ones I've seen that are my color have all been 98's. Strange...

 

[98XLTLMEdition]

I have seen many that are the same color as mine. It is a rare color, but I have probably seen about 10 different ones since I have owned mine.

You might want to check the year of yours. Unless you upgraded your bumper, thats a 99-01. All the ones I've seen that are my color have all been 98's. Strange...

Its a 98 I got the bumper off an 01 sport and i plan on color keying it to match the rest of the car or just leaving it graphite it looks good to me!