Towing Question... Too Much?

[VolklGoat]

I have a 2002 4wd ST geared to 4.10 with a limited slip rear differential and 54,000 miles that's in great shape. In a few days (hopefully) I'll be closing a deal on a boat and I'm really worried about towing this thing...

The boat, motor, and trailer all weight a combined 4000 pounds and full of fuel and gear the total towing weight could be approaching 4700 pounds. I'd be towing it from my house (up a small hill) to various launch ramps around the area on a regular basis.

I know the maximum towing capacity is 5000 pounds but I've kept my ST in such great shape it would kill me to trash it by towing this boat. Right now I'm looking thinking about selling my ST and getting a full sized truck with a V8. Does anyone have experience towing and launching boats this big with a 1st generation sport trac?

Thanks for any advice, suggestions, or opinions.

 

[John_Rock]

What you have to watch out for when towing is overheating the transmission. Heat kills transmissions.

You need to install a transmission temperature gauge so that you know when you are abusing the transmission.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176798

Heck, you don't even need to be towing to abuse the transmission. Being stuck in hot summer weather in stop and go traffic will send the transmission temperatures to high levels. I know this since I've have gauges installed on both my Explorers. I was recently stuck on I-10 in stop and go traffic near downtown on a hot day and my tranny temps got high. I had to turn off the A/C and roll down the windows to get the temps to come down until I could get moving and airflow through the coolers.

Also, make sure your Sport Trac has a transmission cooler. Not all Explorer's come with a transmission cooler. On my Limited I installed an additional one in series with the stock Ford transmission cooler.

I've done lots of heavy towing with my 2000 Limited and she has 140K miles on her and still going strong. And I attribute that to having the gauges installed to let know if I'm abusing her or not. She can pull the heavier loads because she has the 5.0L v8. The Sport Trac with the v6 can't handle those same loads. I towed a Saturn on a trailer once with my Sport Trac and it seemed a bit much for her, but she still did it.

I think I got lucky and didn't burn up my transmission back during this time. I didn't have a transmission temperature gauge installed back then. But, now I do so that I know when I'm abusing her offroad.

 

[manaen]

Everything John said is spot on.

Get that temp gauge installed it will save your butt (and your tranny) big time!!

You also will want to add a large tranny cooler. The stock setup from ford will easily climb into the 250 degree range on warm days when climbing a hill/mountain or worse slow going offroad situations. This is without a load imagine what temps you will see when you start to tow almost 5000lbs.


Also you need to consider not only the weight in the trailer but the weight you carry in the vehicle. Unless you always go boating alone with no gear in the truck you must consider the weight of all people and gear when towing.


When I first got my truck I hooked up my temp gauge and took my 5000lb pop up camper for a drive down the highway. When hit the power to merge into traffic my temps instantly climbed to over 260. I knew I had to do some enhancements before I toasted my tranny. So here is what I did, I have a temp gauge, two large external coolers, external filter, external PSI gauge, Shift kit (set to towing), full synthetic Mercon V. After these mods under normal towing conditions my tranny never goes above 190. When I climb mountains it will hit 220 briefly and then instantly fall back to 190 on the other side. I'm not saying you need to go to these extremes but start with the temp gauge and see where you are running. Then add additional coolers as needed to keep your temps as low as possible.

One other point, I boat as well, and I will say that boat ramps will wreak havoc on your tranny. You are basically asking your truck to slowly climb a steep incline which basically spins the transmission the whole way. This creates a lot of heat fast. If you don't remove this heat you can quickly burn your transmission fluid and, as the chart above says, burn up tranny parts...

Good luck and have fun on the water!!!

 

[VolklGoat]

Hey thanks a lot for the help guys, I really appreciate it.

Right now I've got the ST in the shop getting transmission service, hopefully some new fluid and filter will help with the temps. I won't be towing the boat long distances, 20 minute drives or less.

Is there any way to tell if the transmission is getting too hot without having a temp gauge?

 

[manaen]

Is there any way to tell if the transmission is getting too hot without having a temp gauge?

there are no sensors in the transmission for temp so there is no way to tell if the transmission is cooking itself. BTW It's not the length of the drive but the terrain and driving situations that you will be in. You can quickly cook your tranny towing up a hill if it is not able to hold the torque and cool itself. When I tow I find that 98% of my driving time is flat ground on highway and temps usually are normal. Then comes the other 2% which is filled with mountains, hills, and slow speed inclines, oh an the worst of them all backing the trailer up hill. Reverse on my transmission is a weak gear that can build heat quickly.

On one hand people tow every day without a care about transmission temps. You could do the same. Just understand that you can greatly reduce the life of your transmission by allowing it to slip/heat up too much. and it only takes 5 min to burn up a transmission when things get tough.

It really comes down to a choice.. preventative maintenance now or repairs later...

 

[Capt_Rob]

I have a boat that I pull with my 03 ST, every weekend, rround trip is about 50 miles....... and I have never had any problems pulling it... It weighs right at 5k lbs... Maybe Im lucky, but I do change the filter and fluid once a yr, and the truck has 110k miles on it, . so far... so good.............
But, he is right..... heat will kill the tranny...BUT i pull in Mid and South FL... VERY FLAT......

 

[mxl4729]

I think there is a sensor in the transmission for temp

I use my scangauge2 to get it

i have it showing my average MPGs, MPG, Transmission Fluid Temperature (deg F), coolent temp.

After flushing my tranz good (see link below) i wanted to see what temp it runs at with out adding a temp sensor. the scangauge did that for me

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278945

for all the people towing i think its money well spent

 

[manaen]

Maybe in the newer models, now you got me thinking I missed it. I'm going to go hook up my laptop to my truck and browse the sensors to see whats available.

 

[mxl4729]

My st is a 2003 and u can see from the pic it def has it. Not sure about years befor tho

 

[VolklGoat]

I think there is a sensor in the transmission for temp

I use my scangauge2 to get it

i have it showing my average MPGs, MPG, Transmission Fluid Temperature (deg F), coolent temp.

Wow that thing looks pretty nice, I've done a lot of reading and never heard of anyone using that to monitor transmission fluid temps.

After browsing their website it looks like you need the "ScanGaugeII with X-Gauge" to get the trans readings. The standard scangaugeII won't do it.

I'm definitely gonna try to get one of those!

 

[mxl4729]

they all have Xgauge now. that is just the new firmware. if yours does not have it you can send it back and have it added.

i got mine from

http://www.jcwhitney.com/scan-gauge-ii-for-vehicles-built-after-1996/p2019681.jcwx

I waited till they have a 20% off cupon which gave me the best price from anywere i could find.

 

[generaljohn]

The tranny stuff is all good information but there are other systems to consider. The suspension and brakes must be evaluated to determine if they are capable of handling those loads. Brakes can get very hot, effecting perfomance and stopping distance. If they are undersized they could spell disaster.
What is the tongue weight of the boat/trailer and what is the suspension rated for? All the horsepower/torque won't help if your dragging bottom.
I've been using an F250 heavy duty to tow a 24 footer since 1983, weighs 3990 lbs. empty and dry. Some of the hardest work it does is getting the boat/trailer out of the water. Angle of the ramp, ramp surface condition (rough, smooth, wet, dry) trailer condition, boat location on the trailer, etc. all affect perfomance of the overall vehicle/trailer system.

 

[Curtis]

You managed to get uHaul to rent you a trailer??
They wont touch explorers but the sports must be ok?

 

[John_Rock]

You managed to get uHaul to rent you a trailer??
They wont touch explorers but the sports must be ok?

Check the date on the photo. That's before they implemented their famous Explorer ban policy.

 

[fedyfedz]

I think there is a sensor in the transmission for temp

I use my scangauge2 to get it

i have it showing my average MPGs, MPG, Transmission Fluid Temperature (deg F), coolent temp.

After flushing my tranz good (see link below) i wanted to see what temp it runs at with out adding a temp sensor. the scangauge did that for me

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278945

for all the people towing i think its money well spent

Do you have the onboard computer for your x? If so how accurate is the scnagauge compared to the info on your x's computer. Prefably just mpgs

 

[mxl4729]

not sure what you are talking about i have no idea what the "onboard computer for my x is" i do not know of a computer that will tell me that on the ST. if there is one i would love to know. i have a 2003 and did not know that was an option

 

[fedyfedz]

its just the computer where the digital odometer is if u have one it tells me my mpg, how many miles till empty and the trip.

 

[John_Rock]

not sure what you are talking about i have no idea what the "onboard computer for my x is" i do not know of a computer that will tell me that on the ST. if there is one i would love to know. i have a 2003 and did not know that was an option

1st gen Sport Tracs definitely didn't have the message center that would tell you your MPG.

 

[mxl4729]

the 03 did not even have a digital odometer. its a number wheel