Summer has come & need a boat over a screamin' 'Bird

Any body tow a boat w/a '91 Firebird, 305, TPI?

I need struts & shocks as it is & just lookin' a head for a package that will handle a tow but keep the corners when the boat is off.

Thanks


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If you can catch a quick race @ 5am on your way to work,....win or lose, it'll be a GREAT DAY

 

I never liked the idea of towing witha unibody car(it's a personal hangup) but you might want to look at sub-frame connectors before you install a hitch.

The F-bods low ground clearance will have you submerging the exhaust on all but the most shallow ramps, so that is another negative.

Finally, if you think you have traction problems moving from a start on dry ground, try getting the tires wet, pointing the nose uphill and pulling a 1500+ lb trailer out of the water. Good Luck!

Better-off finding a beater S-truck. Preferably with 4-wheel drive(gotta love that extra low gearing).

 

There's a boat in my rear view mirror, , & 'bout time!!!
U-Haul Hitch #24643 Sportframe Rec. for about $200, (including installation, wiring harness, ball, the tacos & beer I had while I waited a little more than an hour).
I wish I had pics but, I'm having
no problems with towing, handling, braking, etc. with a 100% stock, '91 305 TPI, 5-speed w/116k miles.

I'm towing about 1500-1600lbs of boat w/trailer, spinning 'round 2600-3100rpms in 4th, doing 58-63mph, getting 'bout 13-14mpg, (19-21 w/out boat).

 

IMO towing any type of trailer with a uni-body car is asking for trouble.Buy a truck.
Just my 2 cents.
-Rich-

 

jet ski's are okay but a boat. Man , i hope your transmission doesn't blow up on you.
good luck.

 

I would not recommend towing with a f-body.. not designed for that kind of stress...

 

Well, I guess if you can't tow with a unibody, then don't buy a Pathfinder or a Grand Cherokee or a Benz M-Class. By this logic, you shouldn't tow with any car that was made since the late '70s except for Full-size Fords and GMs

I used to tow all the time with my Safari Wagon, which was a '79 A-body; so it was a unibody. I actually installed my hitch myself. Back then all cars had steel bumpers, and so the common DIY hitch was installed by drilling 3 or 4 holes in your bumper and bolting on a hitch. I have way more faith in a 'frame mounted' hitch on a unibody than a bumper hitch on, well, anything. I towed a couple of Coleman pop-up campers all over the country, as well as a utility trailer for all sorts of stuff.

To the best of my knowledge, an F-body is rated tow about 1200 lbs. We're not talking about towing a 38 foot Sea-Ray here, and we're not towing it to Boulder, Colorado. A slow, short trip to your local fishin' hole with a moderately sized boat should not be a problem for you.

Traction also shouldn't be too much of a problem. Why do you think we add weight to our trunks in snowy weather? The tounge weight of your trailer will add to your traction, not take away from it. In fact, it will lift a fair amount of weight off of your front axle.

I do second the use of Subframe connectors. It's not a bad idea to bulk up the chassis, and it's not that expensive. As far as a shock and strut combo, I really couldn't give any good answer. Shocks aren't really what holds up your car, it's the springs. Avoid air shocks, as they ride like crap, then they leak, and won't pump up .I'd suggest getting a pair of air bags that can be installed inside the coil spring. Pump 'em up when you need to do the heavy lifting, let the air out, and your ride returns to normal. Air bags are the common setup on dual-use pickups. It's what I used on my F-350 to tow 6000lbs worth of Bobcat 873 and 24-foot Hudson beaver-tail.

Finallly, if your gotta-have dream boat is too big for your 'bird to haul, maybe it's time to look for that beater-winter car-parts hauler used truck.

 

I have had a hitch on my 90 convertible for atleast 10 years. I tow jet skis with it and have never had a problem. I've even gone as far as 12 hours towing with it. With 156k+ miles on it, all original, its still kickin. I don't recommend anymore than jetski's though.

 

If your towing a boat with a stock tranny your 4th gear won't last long and also you should be running a tranny cooler.

 

First sign of a problem...your doors quit closing correct. (Oops, shoulda got subframe connectors)