towing

[fordon]

Towing with a falcon ba.
Your stock sedan,wagon,Ute,territory can tow brake 2300kg.
The xr range can only do 1600kg brake,why's this,because of sports suspension?
If you used rear air bag ,a xr8 should be fine to tow 2300kg but on paper legally it won't be?

[mik]

That would be surprising if that was the case, tow bar, and transmission type , play a part in what you can and can't tow and load rating, i tow my au XR6 now and again, and I have to say it is the best tow vehicle I have ever had as far as a sedan goes.

[fordon]

Originally Posted by mik

That would be surprising if that was the case, tow bar, and transmission type , play a part in what you can and can't tow and load rating, i tow my au XR6 now and again, and I have to say it is the best tow vehicle I have ever had as far as a sedan goes.

True,I would think a ford BA GT be stronger all round than a stock sedan,but that can pull 700kg more legally than the big v8.

[Bushbasher]

It's not about the model designation it's about the tow bar that's fitted. There's the 1600kg tow bar and then there's the factory option 2300kg unit. If an AU Forte wagon or sedan can pull 2300kg with the big tow bar then any other model can as well if it's fitted with the right tow bar. you can tell the heavy duty unit as it has the square sleeved Hayman Reece hitch.

[fordon]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

It's not about the model designation it's about the tow bar that's fitted. There's the 1600kg tow bar and then there's the factory option 2300kg unit. If an AU Forte wagon or sedan can pull 2300kg with the big tow bar then any other model can as well if it's fitted with the right tow bar. you can tell the heavy duty unit as it has the square sleeved Hayman Reece hitch.

so fine to pull 2300kg with my BA GT with 2300kg tow bar ?
hand book says 1600kg limit.

[XR Martin]

Insurance will rape you if you have an accident, whether the tow bar is of rated capacity or not. If that particular model isnt rated to tow that weight, its illegal.

Tow capacity has also got to do with the load rating of the tyres and rims, not just the tow bar.

[Bushbasher]

Hmmm, ok, I'm happy to stand corrected then. Maybe it has to do with the drive train not being able to cope with that much load with the 290kW/520 Nm power and torque once you hitch up 2 tonnes behind it.

[fordon]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Insurance will rape you if you have an accident, whQtherI rthe tow bar is of rated capacity or not. If that particular model isnt rated to tow that weight, its illegal.

Tow capacity has also got to do with the load rating of the tyres and rims, not just the tow bar.

That's what I don't get,what's makes them that weight.
Au xr range can do 2300,than b series can only do 1600kg.stock sedan 2300kg.
I read some say xr auto can do 2300 manual 1600.

[sico]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Tow capacity has also got to do with the load rating of the tyres and rims, not just the tow bar.

Yeah, you'd probably have to fit 16 inch rear wheels like the 1tonne FG XR Utes.

[xisled]

I towed a 1600kg caravan in my BA GT, it was basically sitting on the ground. I would not recommend towing anything larger.

The limit is there because of the height of the car. My GT is standard GT height, it was really bad towing the caravan.

[xtremerus]

Manual transmissions have the lower tow rate, even with a HD tow-bar

[marty351]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

Manual transmissions have the lower tow rate, even with a HD tow-bar

Would that be because of the clutch?

[deesun]

Originally Posted by fordon

I read some say xr auto can do 2300 manual 1600.

This is correct, manual 1600, auto 2300. It has been discussed on AFF before.

[chrisandsharon]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Insurance will rape you if you have an accident, whether the tow bar is of rated capacity or not. If that particular model isnt rated to tow that weight, its illegal.

Tow capacity has also got to do with the load rating of the tyres and rims, not just the tow bar.

Good point Martin. The F6 tyres for example have a load rating of 93 (650kg/tyre), I'm guessing the ball weight for the 1600kg is 160kg? Even towing a 1500kg van/trailer I'd be making sure that ball weight was in spec. No good towing 1500kg with 165kg on the ball........a claim would be rejected if anything happened.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by chrisandsharon

Good point Martin. The F6 tyres for example have a load rating of 93 (650kg/tyre), I'm guessing the ball weight for the 1600kg is 160kg? Even towing a 1500kg van/trailer I'd be making sure that ball weight was in spec. No good towing 1500kg with 165kg on the ball........a claim would be rejected if anything happened.

So how do you work out the ball weight?

[XR Martin]

Jackstand under the hitch ontop of a couple of bathroom scales is one way. (making sure the hitch is at the same height as the towball on the car)

[fordon]

Originally Posted by deesun

This is correct, manual 1600, auto 2300. It has been discussed on AFF be

So this is true? So your saying by law you can do 2300kg with ba gt with right tow bar ect..
Thinking get air bag support for back so keep her balance:-)

[xtremerus]

Can't exceed the weight on the placard, no matter what you do, - Legally.

[fordon]

Looks like I have to sell the gt :'(
290kw to 190kw falcon so I can be legal

[xtremerus]

And no-one drives a vehicle illegally??? Ha
Don't worry about it.

[2011G6E]

Good quote from a car dealer I spoke to once about a Land Rover Discovery which, at the time, had a towing "capacity" of 4000kg.

He said that yes, it can tow 4000kg...but that was the maximum capacity. He commented that "Just because your vehicle can tow a certain maximum weight claimed in the advertising...usually done on a billiard-table-flat piece of test track at a careful slow speed...doesn't mean you should do that every day, or sometimes even at all..."

I remember these words when I see those massive Yank trucks which claim ridiculous towing "capacities" of several times the mass of the vehicle...and also TV spots where they show a vehicle "towing" an airliner on a runway...

[mik]

you would think a GT would be far better for towing than than the lower spec models,
the GT has.......
better brakes
firmer suspension
more mass,
more power
enhanced comfort for less fatigue
the only things i could see going by these posts is possibly suitable load rated tyres and rims for extra load and an appropriate tow bar,
and perhaps some heavier slightly taller springs on the back for sag, and a tranny cooler.
it might be worthwhile to have a chat with a knowledgeable dude at the rta and see what he says.

[GASWAGON]

I dont get why a manual has much less rating than an auto?

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I remember these words when I see those massive Yank trucks which claim ridiculous towing "capacities" of several times the mass of the vehicle...and also TV spots where they show a vehicle "towing" an airliner on a runway...

I think you'll find Yank pickups will easily tow their rated figures day in and day out.

[fordon]

Originally Posted by mik

you would think a GT would be far better for towing than than the lower spec models,
the GT has.......
better brakes
firmer suspension
more mass,
more power
enhanced comfort for less fatigue
the only things i could see going by these posts is possibly suitable load rated tyres and rims for extra load and an appropriate tow bar,
and perhaps some heavier slightly taller springs on the back for sag, and a tranny cooler.
it might be worthwhile to have a chat with a knowledgeable dude at the rta and see what he says.

That's my thoughts.
A ford mechanic told me it was due the power that the gt is already putting on the gear box diff.
It's the gear box and diff won't handle the power weight ratio going thru it.... ?
Nothing with suspension or wheels.

[a-total-tool]

Originally Posted by mik

you would think a GT would be far better for towing than than the lower spec models,
the GT has.......
better brakes
firmer suspension
more mass,
more power
enhanced comfort for less fatigue
the only things i could see going by these posts is possibly suitable load rated tyres and rims for extra load and an appropriate tow bar,
and perhaps some heavier slightly taller springs on the back for sag, and a tranny cooler.
it might be worthwhile to have a chat with a knowledgeable dude at the rta and see what he says.

It has different suspension. It may be firmer but it will also be lower. Load them up with the extra 150-200kg that such a trailer would put on the back of the car and there will be a difference.

As mentioned before, if towing something that heavy on a regular basis, I would suggest a more appropriate tow rig.

My Grandmother and her partner have a caravan that weighs 1.9t. He has a FG G6, with the 2300kg towbar and the weight distribution hitch. They say while the ford can tow it, they can really feel the caravan on the back of the car, expecially when the winds pick up. Her Hyundai Terracan has less power but feels a lot more sturdy with the massive weight on the back of it.

[GREGL]

Interesting read on ExploreOz forum on this . These are the places people need to visit when researching towing heavy loads . Like most forums it has its pros and cons as to what is fact , but in many cases the logical outcome can be reached .
It is truly scary what is happening in particular with the popular dual cabs rated at 3000 kg ex factory . People are buying them , loading up to factory specs and coming to grief when they use them for their ADVERTISED purpose .
Their is an AU wagon on a street on the way to work which the owner regularly has a car trailer attached . It doesn't matter much whether a car is on the trailer or not , the nose is always up in the air and the rear makes ssl springs look 4wd in comparison . Must be a handful when under way .
I'm old school , cannot get my head around pulling more than the vehicle weighs with a non commercial vehicle .

[Crazy Dazz]

I think it is the lower suspension.
Pursuit ute has lower capacity than standard because of lower suspension.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by EF_6

So how do you work out the ball weight?

I ask my wife.






Sorry

[zilo]

a multiple axle trailer fixes the tow ball weight limit issue.