towing 68 f250 4 wheels down with a 71 f100

[Racer Z]

My F250 broke down about 2000 miles from home once. I checked into renting a truck and trailer capable of safely towing it home. I paid a local mechanic $1000 to fix my truck so I could drive it home cause that was a LOT less the the heavy equipment rental.

[mrollings53]

You guys keep saying that U-Haul won't let you tow a truck with their car hauler. Last November I towed my F250 with one of their trailers, and all they told me was that I might need extra straps because of the tire size on my truck. I don't know if it is the tow vehicle that is limiting you guys, because I used one of their trucks to do the towing. It barely fit, and I only needed to buy 10000 LB ratchet straps to fit the oversized tires.

[Racer Z]

It's the hitch. Most have a class 2 step bumper. 2000 pounds max trailer weight. I have a beefy receiver hitch, maybe class 5. I have not tried to tow a truck, but I've rented several big trailers with any questions.

[FormerMarine1981]

I towed my 69 F100 from East Texas to North Carolina with my 2000 Dodge Dakota Sport, 4cyl 5 speed. I took the drive shaft out of the 69 since it was an auto and put it and the bumper of the Ford in the bed of the Dakota. It handled it just fine as long as I was careful. Like other said leave plenty of room to stop. Might not be a problem with your truck but if I tried to make a turn too fast the F100 would try to push the rear end out from under the Dakota so watch your speed on turns into gas stations and such.

[MaxKlinger]

My tow vehicle is a 71 f100 302 T18 tranny.

Dumb question - where/how did you get a Borg-Warner T18 behind a 302? I thought the T18's were only available on the FE blocks. I thought that the 302s could only be ordered with an automatic transmission OR a 3-speed on the tree. Also, as someone else asked, what is the rear end ratio on the tow vehicle? Can you clarify?

I've towed my Focus with my F100 (360, T18, 3.50 rear). The T18 is a solid trans and I would use all the engine braking you can - use the drums only to supplement the engine braking when necessary and "save" them from heat. Going downgrade, I'd be going pretty slow, probably 20-25mph. And I'd leave about three to four times the normal stopping distance. Of course, my Focus weighs half as much as a Bump, and the 360 has more engine braking than a 302.

And as Ranchero said, sometimes the cheapest way is the most expensive. Is it worth saving a few bucks if you wreck both your Bumps and take out the family in the minivan going the other way?

[zoso]

There has got to be a way to avoid a "Montana Tow." Friend with a wrecker, buy and sell a used trailer fit for the job, drive it home etc etc.

[averagef250]

There has got to be a way to avoid a "Montana Tow." Friend with a wrecker, buy and sell a used trailer fit for the job, drive it home etc etc.

Towbars are great. The best thing about them is you absolutely have to be smarter than the towbar to use one successfully. If you're stupid and decide to use the towbar stupidly there's a very good chance your stupidity will no longer contaminate the gene pool.

The rules are simple:

KEEP THE BAR LOW IN THE FRONT!!!! High in the front and there's a good chance you're not very bright.

KEEP EVERYTHING TIGHT!!!! If it's sloppy you can't control it. Nothing in this universe is actually rigid, you actually need to pre-stress the frame of the vehicle being towed with a properly designed bar to have good control with a tow vehicle that isn't significantly heavier than the one in tow.

[sargentrs]

I pulled a 6500# track hoe on a 26ft trailer for 50 miles over some pretty steep grades with a '77 F150 short bed. It had 400ci engine and automatic tranny. I didn't say it was fun but I did it!

[68Slug]

Whats wrong with the brakes on the 68?

[Whateverman]

Man,if you're planning on towing that f250 with yer halfton i hope you've done a disc brake swap or have decent brakes on your car trailer cuz otherwise you are gonna learn all about brake fade in a hurry
good luck

My tow vehicle is a 71 f100 302 T18 tranny.

Dumb question - where/how did you get a Borg-Warner T18 behind a 302? I thought the T18's were only available on the FE blocks.

I had a 300/t18 in a 71 f100 a few years ago,and other than one truck i scavenged from in a wrecking yard with an obviously swapped in np435 (a total hatchet job) i've only found 3spds or autos behind 302s

[Racer Z]

Man,if you're planning on towing that f250 with yer halfton i hope you've done a disc brake swap or have decent brakes on your car trailer cuz otherwise you are gonna learn all about brake fade in a hurry
good luck

Yup. I flat tow my Datsun 240Z (2400 pounds), have 1 ton disc & drum. Had to put in high-end pads because of brake fade. The fade was just in my test drive around town with OEM class pad & shoes. But with these aggressive pads I have not experienced any brake fade including two panic stops on the Interstate.

You just never know when some moron is going to bounce off the retainer wall and go skidding across five lanes of traffic and hit the K-rail. Happened right in front of me twice while flat-towing my Datsun.

Since then I've towed a few cars on a trailer with surge brake and I can feel a big difference. I defiantly need to get me a car carrier.

[flyboy71]

I need to ask the obvious but what would it take to fix the brakes and just drive it home? or what Craig said. Sorry didnt see that post.

[GHOST]

here is my ...use the tow bar instead of renting a u-haul and just find a route that would take you around the 6% grade. The extra money you would use on u-haul will likely be more than the alternative route...Like I said it's just my