Increase towing

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

dannetb

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Posts
16
Reaction score
3
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.2
I was wondering if there was any way to boost the towing capacity on my truck. It's an 01 ram 1500 sport. 5.2 with the 4x4 off-road package. I have a 40 ft snowmobile trailer that I would like to be able to tow that weighs around 8000. Anything I can do such as new rear springs or suspension upgrades or different gearing?



Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
 

dudeman2009

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
1,562
Reaction score
208
Location
Arizona
Ram Year
2001 1500 Sport with enough electrical modifications to make my brain hurt
Engine
Magnum 360
8000lbs is pushing it on stock gears. If the tongue weight of the trailer is above 500-600lbs, which i'm guessing it is, you are going to want to beef up the rear suspension. Forget helper springs unless you dont mind it sagging 4-6 inches while loaded. I would go with an add a leaf kit or replace the rear leafs all together with a pack that has an additional leaf. Might as well do the shocks too, they aren't that expensive for what you're looking at.

I cant remember what the stock gears are, either 3.55 or 3.73 however jumping to the next ratio will give put a bit more torque to the wheels, however your gas mileage will slightly decrease (about 1mpg) and your rpms at a given speed will also increase, as well as your speedometer saying that you're going faster than you actually are.

A lot depends on the tires you are running, the larger the tire, the worse it tows, to an extent.

As for the other things you can do, check for the deathflash. There will be a sticker on the PCM on the passenger side firewall that says something like "factory authorized update". There are guides to fix that problem under the plenum gasket thread in the Engines section.

Only other things I can think of are a nice set of brake pads and a tongue at the right angle.
 
OP
OP
D

dannetb

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Posts
16
Reaction score
3
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.2
8000lbs is pushing it on stock gears. If the tongue weight of the trailer is above 500-600lbs, which i'm guessing it is, you are going to want to beef up the rear suspension. Forget helper springs unless you dont mind it sagging 4-6 inches while loaded. I would go with an add a leaf kit or replace the rear leafs all together with a pack that has an additional leaf. Might as well do the shocks too, they aren't that expensive for what you're looking at.



I cant remember what the stock gears are, either 3.55 or 3.73 however jumping to the next ratio will give put a bit more torque to the wheels, however your gas mileage will slightly decrease (about 1mpg) and your rpms at a given speed will also increase, as well as your speedometer saying that you're going faster than you actually are.



A lot depends on the tires you are running, the larger the tire, the worse it tows, to an extent.



As for the other things you can do, check for the deathflash. There will be a sticker on the PCM on the passenger side firewall that says something like "factory authorized update". There are guides to fix that problem under the plenum gasket thread in the Engines section.



Only other things I can think of are a nice set of brake pads and a tongue at the right angle.



I hav 4:11 gearing because it's the off-road package
 

dapepper9

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Posts
5,908
Reaction score
2,224
Location
Iowa/Nebraska Border
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.9L V8
I'm with dd94 in saying get a 2500 if you're going to tow it often. Your truck can handle it yeah but you also gotta take into account braking ability too. Considering the highest any 1500 was rated for was about 1000lbs less than what you have i wouldn't recommend it. Something happens and authorities find out you were over capacity you're ****** with a lube-free cactus
 

cyclepuck

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2014
Posts
338
Reaction score
162
Ram Year
2014 2500 Mega
Engine
6.4
+1^

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
D

dannetb

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Posts
16
Reaction score
3
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.2
I'm with dd94 in saying get a 2500 if you're going to tow it often. Your truck can handle it yeah but you also gotta take into account braking ability too. Considering the highest any 1500 was rated for was about 1000lbs less than what you have i wouldn't recommend it. Something happens and authorities find out you were over capacity you're ****** with a lube-free cactus



I have electric trailer brakes so I don't really have that issue and its towed currently by a 1500 Tahoe so I feel confident my truck can do it with some minor changes. I'm also de badged so there is no way to know its a 1500 from the outside
 

Padilen

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2015
Posts
647
Reaction score
163
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I have electric trailer brakes so I don't really have that issue and its towed currently by a 1500 Tahoe so I feel confident my truck can do it with some minor changes. I'm also de badged so there is no way to know its a 1500 from the outside



Unless you commit fraud on your insurance and registration de badging isn't going to save you from tickets - law suits if your over weight and pulled over or involved in an accident.
And heavier springs won't either.
Forget money in fines and lawsuits how would you feel if you lost a loved one because someone else was confident that (insert what ever, no safety chains, over loaded, no brakes, load range P or D instead of E, fancy rims not rated for loads, no tow mirrors etc) was good enough.
Rhetorical because people do what ever they want, causing loss, which leads to more rules and regulations.
 
OP
OP
D

dannetb

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Posts
16
Reaction score
3
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.2
Unless you commit fraud on your insurance and registration de badging isn't going to save you from tickets - law suits if your over weight and pulled over or involved in an accident.
And heavier springs won't either.
Forget money in fines and lawsuits how would you feel if you lost a loved one because someone else was confident that (insert what ever, no safety chains, over loaded, no brakes, load range P or D instead of E, fancy rims not rated for loads, no tow mirrors etc) was good enough.
Rhetorical because people do what ever they want, causing loss, which leads to more rules and regulations.



The truck is rated for about 7500 the trailer weights between 7500-8000 I'm not really towing that much over the rated weight. I'm towing at the limit. I just want to make it so my truck will be able to do it without struggling
 

Padilen

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2015
Posts
647
Reaction score
163
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
The truck is rated for about 7500 the trailer weights between 7500-8000 I'm not really towing that much over the rated weight. I'm towing at the limit. I just want to make it so my truck will be able to do it without struggling



Have you weighed it loaded? Truck with all people &gear, full of gas. Trailer with (?)) and all fluids. It's a combined weight. But it's futile to ask for advice when your going to do it regardless.
I'm not perfect I have towed over loaded. But it wasn't the plan. I now have a 1/2 ton, at the time I thought it was more than I'd ever need again. But once again I was wrong. I made my decision based on faulty future sight[emoji851]
 
OP
OP
D

dannetb

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Posts
16
Reaction score
3
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.2
Have you weighed it loaded? Truck with all people &gear, full of gas. Trailer with (?)) and all fluids. It's a combined weight. But it's futile to ask for advice when your going to do it regardless.
I'm not perfect I have towed over loaded. But it wasn't the plan. I now have a 1/2 ton, at the time I thought it was more than I'd ever need again. But once again I was wrong. I made my decision based on faulty future sight[emoji851]



I have towed it with a 1500 Tahoe and it toes it perfectly fine. The trailer is rated at 6000 empty and it has 4 sleds in it plus gear puts it at about 7500
 

dapepper9

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Posts
5,908
Reaction score
2,224
Location
Iowa/Nebraska Border
Ram Year
2001
Engine
5.9L V8
I have electric trailer brakes so I don't really have that issue and its towed currently by a 1500 Tahoe so I feel confident my truck can do it with some minor changes. I'm also de badged so there is no way to know its a 1500 from the outside

Because 5 lugs says nothing lol. Your trick is not rated for 7500. That's the most any 2nd Gen 1500 was rated for and that's 2wd rclb with 5.9 and 3.92s. Yes you have 4.11s and it'll pull it fine but your truck is also taller than standard stock and isn't rated for that and you can get in a **** load of trouble. 1 trip maybe every couple months or so ok do whatever you want but if you're going to tow it often, get a bigger truck.

You could put standard 1500 springs and 245s on to over gear if you are serious about this being your tow pig but answer this: is it worth your time and money and risk to use this truck.

I'm not gonna tell you what to do just my recommendation. The ORE will be better than tune tahoe but a 2500 would be better yet
 

Gr8bawana

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Posts
1,274
Reaction score
1,059
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.7 CTD
Funny how someone will ask for opinions or recommendations and then poo poo every one of them because they don't get the answers they want.
This guy is going to do what he wants anyway so to him I say :flipthebird:
 

IrocRam

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Posts
144
Reaction score
21
Location
Phoenix, Az
Ram Year
1997
Engine
5.2
Yeah this just sounds like a bad idea. It's fine and dandy to consider the dealer undsrshoots power numbers on engines sometimes and can be altered and whatnot to gain more, but towing is not something to fool around with. I do have ample experience towing as I do it weekly for my job. It's really nothing to take a risk on. If it's an emergency and you were going to stay on side streets then I can see taking a chance maybe once if you didn't get going too fast. I'm talking nothing above 35. I have literally witnessed welded in receivers bend on a truck when it took off from a light. Thankfully that had no momentum, but if he got lucky and made it through that might, he might have gained enough momentum to cause a lot of damage and risk injury to many people. Basically, if you have to ask about increasing the towing capacity of a vehicle, it's time to find another vehicle with a higher towing capacity. Towing capacity isn't going to change unless you do some seriously hardcore frame strengthening and other modifications that would cost you more than 2500 with a cummins. You can squeeze more power out of a drivetrain and make towing easier, however it won't increase how much you can pull. I don't know that I'd pull that load with a Tahoe either. You might have done it lots of times, but you don't notice the strain that's being put on the truck each time. And you won't usually until it's too late, ans it would really suck for somebody else to pay for it.
 

pajeepman

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2015
Posts
249
Reaction score
52
Location
SE PA
Ram Year
2003
Engine
5.9 magnum
What is the gvw if the trailer, sounds like that may be overloaded also, can not tell from your wording (may just be the way I am reading it though)
 

joepizuro

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Posts
457
Reaction score
46
Ram Year
1998
Engine
Magnum v10
Well let's see. Gearing is fine. Use stock tire size and you'll be fine. What kind of rims/wheels do you have? Stock or find a set rated for what you need. Buy an Add a leaf for each side or just get new leaf shackles AND extra leafs. Get some decent shocks. Make sure the hitch is in good condition. Get a fresh set of brakes and not the cheapos lol.. Please don't go 70.. Now for what you don't want to hear... Get a cummins or v10.

You can get an airlift system to help.
New shocks/springs in the front can help.
Brake controller
Use less load

I don't recommend it though. I knew a guy who got killed and killed a few others doing what you are.. He used a 1/2 ton chevy to haul a gooseneck with 4 horses... Was a good man and great horse trainer
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,426
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
I don't recommend it though. I knew a guy who got killed and killed a few others doing what you are.. He used a 1/2 ton chevy to haul a gooseneck with 4 horses... Was a good man and great horse trainer

Fun fact: Previous owner of my truck had a gooseneck installed and used it to tow a cattle trailer.
 

joepizuro

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Posts
457
Reaction score
46
Ram Year
1998
Engine
Magnum v10
I also had a 95 ram 1500 with 5.9 and a 3rd wheel for hauling a gooseneck... The suspension was shot in that truck and everything needed replaced. Also had cracked leafs on both sides... When I bought it I only used it for hauling hay and bumper trailer
 
Top