Sport Non Max Tow Towing?

[BringTheLightnin]

So from what I've seen, I think my sport with the 8 speed auto and tow package (not max tow) can tow 4500 lbs right?

Well I have a Mopar lift and 35s added on and I am regearing to 5.13 in a week. My question is does the suspension from the Mopar lift and the gear change increase the towing capacity or does the max tow package only boost towing because of the wider axels?

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[Labswine]

Okay, first off, a Sport with the 8 speed transmission and tow package is rated at 6,000 lbs.

Gearing will not increase towing capacity but, will enable your truck to better handle the load especially with the larger tires which, by the way, due to their weight, will actually lower your towing capacity as you need to look at the max combined weight figures on your door sticker which accounts for weight of your truck and the weight of what you're towing.

Add weight to the truck itself (i.e. heavier than stock tires, winches, steel bumpers, etc.) and you'll need to subtract that weight from what you want to tow to remain within the safety specs.

 

[Mav4x4Chris]

4,500 pounds should be for a manual transmission truck, not an auto (I don't have manual handy). Your towing capacity should be dictated by the owners manual (usually there is a table in there with the various combos and what they are rated for). Nothing you personally do to the truck will (legally) increase the towing capacity beyond what is indicated by Jeep. Sure, you can add stiffer springs, helper bags, gears, etc. - but from an attorney standpoint - the factory spec is the spec.

My truck is a Max Tow. To get the rating of 7,650 pounds it included things such as wider axles, 4.10 gears, more powerful cooling fan, different springs, a higher output alternator, a factory installed hitch, different fenders with a very small extension lip, and probably some other items I am forgetting.

 

[Mav4x4Chris]

Okay, first off, a Sport with the 8 speed transmission and tow package is rated at 6,000 lbs.

Gearing will not increase towing capacity but, will enable your truck to better handle the load especially with the larger tires which, by the way due to their weight, will actually lower your towing capacity as you need to look at the max combined weight figures on your door sticker which accounts for weight of your truck and the weight of what you're towing.

GCVWR - that's it. I couldn't remember if its on our door stickers or not and I'm not walking out to my truck for another couple hours

 

[Snake Eyes]

So from what I've seen, I think my sport with the 8 speed auto and tow package (not max tow) can tow 4500 lbs right?

Well I have a Mopar lift and 35s added on and I am regearing to 5.13 in a week. My question is does the suspension from the Mopar lift and the gear change increase the towing capacity or does the max tow package only boost towing because of the wider axels?

From a LEO (law enforcement officer) perspective, you cannot legally increase your towing capacity.

The Max Tow has other items that gives it the 7650 tow rating.

Again, no matter what you do, even if you copied every bit of the Max Tow your legal towing capacity is no different. This means even if you make changes that let you physically tow more it will not matter in an accident or issue. You will lose the insurance coverage of the incident and be liable.

If you want to legally tow more than your current vehicle allows you will have to buy a new vehicle.

 

[bd100]

The regular tow package does still have the better cooling and alternator.

The lift and larger tires make towing harder. The gearing change will make it easier. The legal limits still apply.

I've towed a 2000lb fold-down camping trailer with a manual transmission, regular tow package, and 3.73 gears. It was fine until the mountains where sometimes I could only hold second gear. Your automatic transmission and gear change will have an advantage there. If you have a full-height trailer or a heavier trailer then it'll get harder. I'm a big fan of using the smallest trailer that will get the job done. Stay away from the legal limit and it'll probably be fine.

 

[BringTheLightnin]

From a LEO (law enforcement officer) perspective, you cannot legally increase your towing capacity.

The Max Tow has other items that gives it the 7650 tow rating.

Again, no matter what you do, even if you copied every bit of the Max Tow your legal towing capacity is no different. This means even if you make changes that let you physically tow more it will not matter in an accident or issue. You will lose the insurance coverage of the incident and be liable.

If you want to legally tow more than your current vehicle allows you will have to buy a new vehicle.

Not actually planning on ever towing that much. Was more of a curiosity thing

 

[ShadowsPapa]

So from what I've seen, I think my sport with the 8 speed auto and tow package (not max tow) can tow 4500 lbs right?

Well I have a Mopar lift and 35s added on and I am regearing to 5.13 in a week. My question is does the suspension from the Mopar lift and the gear change increase the towing capacity or does the max tow package only boost towing because of the wider axels?

Lifts decrease towing.
And no matter what you do, the tow rating will never be higher than when you bought it unless the one and only difference is the hitch.

There's a great YT video out there from a 4x4 shop that does lifts on pickups and such and they explain why a lift, etc. DECREASES towing, etc. so no matter what you do otherwise, you are actually reducing towing ability. You've increased the center of gravity and greatly impacted braking and handling. Bigger/heavier tires reduce braking ability.

 

[bleda2002]

The number stamped by the manufacturer carries no legal weight if you dont get in accident, its not illegal to tow 8K pounds, with a 6K pound tow rating if you go door to door with no infractions. Going over the number does open you up to liability in the case that you do cause an accident, if you get in accident and the extra weight is considered a factor you can (and will) get sued for civil liability as well as potentially criminal penalties like reckless driving etc.

The number on the gladiator is high enough that I dont think i'd ever want to tow more than its rated for except maybe down the block or at night on a deserted road.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What he said - keeping in mind what you "can" do and what you "should" do with towing and payload don't always intersect. Your truck may be able to tow it - but what happens if a texting clown cuts you off, blows a light, or something like a horse jumps the fence and jumps onto the road in front of you. You are done.

You can't be pulled over and ticketed - but........... again, like he said.

Also keep payload in mind. Towing 5,000 pounds means 500 pounds of your payload is gone. Add your 200 pounds and now 700 pounds of your payload is gone.

 

[Panthers65]

Remember, 4500 or 6000, whatever your vehicle is, is the perfect scenario (180lb driver, no passengers, no cargo, bone stock from the factory).

If you are worried you really need to look at the GCWR of the truck, this is the most that your truck and trailer can weigh (as you drive it.)

Say you and your truck together weight 5000lbs, "Tow Rating" = 5000lbs, GCWR would then be 10,000lbs.

but say your and truck, plus the misses, plus 2 kids and a dog, plus vacation luggage = 6500 lbs, you would only be able to tow a 3500lbs trailer before you exceed your 10,000 GCWR.

There are a million things you can do to help your truck handle a trailer better (HP/Torque, Brakes, rear air bags, anti-trailer sway hitch, ect...) but legally there is nothing you can do to increase your GCWR.

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