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Tow rig build bench racing.

BustedCrank said:
Working on the side of the road in the rain and dark is why I yanked a gas engine in favor of a 12 valve. It had left me on the side of the road a couple times. Crank sensor decided it was done, truck coughed and shut off coming home late sunday night. There's no popping the hood fiddling around and fixing that kind of problem on the shoulder unless you happen to have a scan tool with you, a spare sensor, and tools to replace that sensor.

The 12 valve may develop an issue, but will usually get you home. Outside of something catastrophic, if there's an issue, its probably something you should have noticed before you left, had you not been too lazy to pop the hood once in a while.

Carb'd gas engine is about as fixable as you'll get in a gas engine on the side of the road. Carry a coil, ign module, and a fuel pump, you should be able to get it home.

That said, I'm all for LS swappin' a 67-72, or squarebody. 8.1 gets my vote. You just missed an 8.1 parts truck that sold on the classifieds here on irate, Think it was even a manual.
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In my Jeep I carry all the sensors, coil pack, ecm, tac module and pedal (dbw engine). Fits in a small bag with my scan tool. As long as it has fuel and compression I can fix any of that pretty easy.

Thanks for the input.
 
80s trucks aren't comfy for long road trips by modern standards.

IMO a 05+ super duty, 450/550 specifically, with a Cummins or DT360 or your gas engine of choice would be ideal. Plenty of chassis capacity, dead simple engine, manual transmission, 2wd or 4wd. That's what my 550 is going to be when my 6.oh kicks the bucket, although it probably won't do that for a long time.
 
Just personal experience and observation here so take it for what it's worth.

Everyone (myself included) that went this route ended up with a newer tow rig in short order. Maybe you're the exception.

I've heard and said, "Screw these overly complex and over priced newer tow rigs. I don't need all that fancy shit and I'm not in a hurry.". Then a couple longer than it has be, hotter than it has to be, louder than it has to be, trips and you're in the market for newer rig.

So, my advice would be build something cool enough that you'll be able to sell it if you decide to bail.
 
The only tow rig build I can think of that is still around is skipped link, but he's a different animal and he did it right the first time. :laughing:

I can understand a lot of guys don't want to spend a bunch of money on a fancy tow rig. But a ~2010 or new gas 2500/3500 and throw 5.xx's in. Even a base model will be leaps and bounds more comfortable than anything from the 90s or older.
 
link to his build?

agree, any 4-6 speed could benefit from deep axle gears. if you are buying new enough to get 8-10 speeds your probably better off downshifting.
 
06h3 said:
link to his build?
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Old site I think, old needle nose Pete.

06h3 said:
agree, any 4-6 speed could benefit from deep axle gears. if you are buying new enough to get 8-10 speeds your probably better off downshifting.
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Possibly, but that's not really a budget rig yet.

Based off my experience towing with a 6.2/6speed ford. It would be nice to have drastically lower axle gears, but 3.73 to 4.30s is a waste of time imo.

I wouldn't do the gears unless it's sole purpose was towing.
 
To be fair, I think the builds are awesome and I'm in the middle of one myself. Once the 12v is done, I'm not sure if I'm going to put a small lift and 35-37s on for more of an off-road camper hauler or possibly plan on F450/550 chassis down the road.

But it sure is easy to hop in the 2016 F350, hook whatever the fuck I want behind it and set the cruise at 75 :flipoff2:
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Old site I think, old needle nose Pete.



Possibly, but that's not really a budget rig yet.

Based off my experience towing with a 6.2/6speed ford. It would be nice to have drastically lower axle gears, but 3.73 to 4.30s is a waste of time imo.

I wouldn't do the gears unless it's sole purpose was towing.
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I need to get better at these dana gears so that I can swap 4.88 when I've got the trailer and 4.10s for when I don't in the motorhome:laughing:
 
Provience said:
I need to get better at these dana gears so that I can swap 4.88 when I've got the trailer and 4.10s for when I don't in the motorhome:laughing:
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I have a 72" WMS S110 sitting next to the barn... 4.88's and True-track... And sub 5k miles on rebuild.
 
didnt read everything but yes :flipoff2:

pick any body you like, 05+ superduty frame axles and suspension and then pick your flavor of motor and trans

add a fawk ton of sound deadening and new fancy seats and be a god among men:smokin:

+ 20 points if its a ford f600 cab over
 
Buy the new truck for your tow vehicle. Keep the project on the trailer. Project tow vehicles breakdown just as often as Trail toys. Do you want something more reliable because you’re LBZ is having issues, a project is not the answer.

Also for fun a good friend of mine just swapped from a 05 1500 HD with a 6.0 and 4L80 to a 2500/3500 almost identical truck with a diesel and an Allison because fuck towing with a 6.0. He tows a Jeep on a flat deck trailer only. His last tow was up to big bear and he was miserable.
 
Beat95yj said:
Buy the new truck for your tow vehicle. Keep the project on the trailer. Project tow vehicles breakdown just as often as Trail toys. Do you want something more reliable because you’re LBZ is having issues, a project is not the answer.

Also for fun a good friend of mine just swapped from a 05 1500 HD with a 6.0 and 4L80 to a 2500/3500 almost identical truck with a diesel and an Allison because fuck towing with a 6.0. He tows a Jeep on a flat deck trailer only. His last tow was up to big bear and he was miserable.
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Something to be said for “no projects for my projects”
 
There's also something to be said about tow rig reliability in new trucks. I've read about a lot of problems with the new trucks, especially when it comes to DEF systems.

I'd rather have an older engine that I can fix with wrenches or maybe an OBD2 scanner instead of problems hidden behind infinite body and powertrain computer modules.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
There's also something to be said about tow rig reliability in new trucks. I've read about a lot of problems with the new trucks, especially when it comes to DEF systems.

I'd rather have an older engine that I can fix with wrenches or maybe an OBD2 scanner instead of problems hidden behind infinite body and powertrain computer modules.
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I get what you're saying. But there's a sweet spot between new new and 80's rattle trap.

But like I said, build something cool and ,if you get tired of it, you can always send it on to the next dude wanting out of his new rig.
 
Rangerrod said:
Something to be said for “no projects for my projects”
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I was having this conversation with someone the other day and thats very valid

for better or worse i think my most reliable vehicle is actually my crawler :homer:

86 4runner that i drive to and from the trail bout 1.5 hour of flat freeway and 1.5 hour of mountain grades each way, granted the overall mileage isnt that high each year

i've replaced, fixed, touched or inspected almost everything, new engine,axles,suspension,brakes,bearings,seals blah blah blah

ideally that would be how i would do a tow rig too, everything replaced and upgraded with good shit, what could go wrong :flipoff2:
 
What about rolling the GMT 800 body off and throwing on whatever body you fancy along with doing a NV4500 swap? I know the duramax isn't as dead simple as a carbed gas motor or 12v but its pretty close to same amount of electric BS as a LS or 8.1 swap. I know the zf6 duramax's towed pretty well but the trans casing is $$$ and a weak link. I don't remember ever seeing a 4500 swap but I imagine the powerband would be more forgiving than the 12V's is.

If going gas is a 100 must then you could also do deep axle gears and then a GV unit between the trans and transfercase.
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
FOR THE MILLIONTH FUCKING TIME...... AN 8.1L IS NOT A FUCKING LS AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BIG BLOCK LS STYLE ENGINE, AN 8.1 IS JUST A REGULAR OL MODERNIZED BIG BLOCK.
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350TacoZilla said:
What about rolling the GMT 800 body off and throwing on whatever body you fancy along with doing a NV4500 swap? I know the duramax isn't as dead simple as a carbed gas motor or 12v but its pretty close to same amount of electric BS as a LS or 8.1 swap. I know the zf6 duramax's towed pretty well but the trans casing is $$$ and a weak link. I don't remember ever seeing a 4500 swap but I imagine the powerband would be more forgiving than the 12V's is.

If going gas is a 100 must then you could also do deep axle gears and then a GV unit between the trans and transfercase.
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The GV is such a solid idea but GV says if you tow with them they will fail. I told them that I had a stock 7.3 (I don’t have it near stock but told them that) and will stay under 26k gross (they rate it to 26k online) and they told me they don’t want to sell me one because it will fail.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Right, that's why I was advocating the 05+ super duty platform for a swap, like others.

DEF is the last thing i'd want to deal with on a tow rig.
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Why? I've broke a lot less stuff on my 6.7 than I did on my 7.3. Only thing I would caution is throw an EGT sensor and a long 14mm wrench in the console but that's the DPF which is a different animal. Other than that a warrantied DEF tank/heater which other than being inconvenient wasn't something I had to hurry to fix until late November and unless you live where it gets cold all day doesn't stop you. Now that I think about it, my 6.7 has been more reliable than my dad's LS 6.0.

As far as the original question, I wouldn't have a project tow rig unless I was close to home. Also project tow rigs will eventually be more expensive than buying a decent truck to start with.
 
speed bump said:
Also project tow rigs will eventually be more expensive than buying a decent truck to start with.
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A decent truck or a new truck?

No fucking way the build costs less than the new truck unless you're one of those retards that never stops building.

Now, a $10k build vs a $10k superduty, that's probably a close race.
 
06h3 said:
The GV is such a solid idea but GV says if you tow with them they will fail. I told them that I had a stock 7.3 (I don’t have it near stock but told them that) and will stay under 26k gross (they rate it to 26k online) and they told me they don’t want to sell me one because it will fail.
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Did not know that. I had always seen them advertised like your saying with the gross rating and figured that they picked that to keep it out of the realm of CDL required loads and thereby out of commercial use.
I have always had a really stupid idea that I wanted to do but don't have the cash or home machine shop to make it happen. A NP203 rangebox turned backwards as a manual OD unit. I would basically just use it from a stop to select direct or OD but with the SM465 1st\OD would almost match the factory 2nd gear and it's pretty standard to take off in 2nd on those stock so I don't think it would be too bad. Gearing in the 5.38-7.17 range would become highway gears with a .5 OD.

I know the backwards 203 thing has been done by one guy with a K5 on mog axles and also by a land speed racing place but I don't have there type of cash to make it happen. and I don't know the projected life span doing that.
 
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350TacoZilla said:
I know the backwards 203 thing has been done by one guy with a K5 on mog axles and also by a land speed racing place but I don't have there type of cash to make it happen. and I don't know the projected life span doing that.
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BW 1356 has the same spline on the input and output. Flip one around and get a second input (they have like 4" of splined length) as a female-female coupler. That gets you 2.73 instead of 2:1 which might be a tad much. :laughing:
 
So I haven't done enough homework on this but I think a ford 203 divorced input (now output) would fit into the GM female side of a transfercase so I would just need a custom output (now input) on the 203 to accept the GM male splines from the transmission.
 
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