who hauls w/ a 4 cyl pickup?

[clutch25]

I agree with the weak leafs on the Tacoma's... I'm on my second set (aftermarket 4 leaf) and they are sacked out!

I have two Toyota's and my dad's 2x2 sitting in my yard to make 3.

My first one was purchased used in 1993 and I have put probably +100K miles on it (217K or so last check) and it resides at my mom's as a back up. I also have a 1996 Taco with a V6 so that doesn't count.

The 4 bangers are solid as a rock!!! You can do anything you can do with any other truck, it just takes longer. I have towed stuff with my 4 cyl were I had to start out in low range to get moving. Flailing away at levers and pedals to beat hell!

I would buy another 4 cyl in a heart beat but you aren't going to tow a trailer down the interstate at 95mph with one. Love the small trucks though! Like having an ATV with AC/heat and wipers.

Both of my trucks...4 banger to the rescue!!!

 

[ulyssesjones]

I have a 1984 Toyota 4x4 pickup. It has a low and a high. I bought it a few years ago. The rear leaf springs are broken and it pretty much rides on the axle in the back. It has a flat bed. The exhaust has fallen off in front of the catalytic which doesn't really matter since there is a leak at the manifold.

I put it in 4x4 low and throw wood in the back and haul a 4x8 trailer full of wood through the woods over downed trees and crumbled stone walls. I have never gotten stuck. I love that I can take it deep in the woods where a full sized truck would never fit. It also does a good job of pulling down leaners and pulling stumps out of the ground. If I could figure out how to put a mower deck on it it would be perfect.

It seems like when you get a truck or a tool of any sort that you WANT to kill it won't let you.

Best $900 I ever spent.

-jones

 

[trialanderror]

i built a little trailer for my aspire. it's a 1.3 with a manual gear box.
trailer has eletric brakes, and car has the controller...

i've hauled a little bit over 2000#'s with it...

it's all it can do in overdrive on flat ground but, two most important things.

#1 trailer has electric brakes.
#2 vehicle has manual gear box.


a 4cylinder truck will pull anything, epsiecally if ti's a manual. you'll win twice if it's got a transfercase for low range if you get in a tight spot in the woods/soft ground.

i have an old jeep cherokee 2.5 4banger with a manual box, i put that thing in low range, and setup a drag system on my pond, and dredged it out one summer. lots of gas later ,and a set of rod bearings and rings, ended up with a 3 acre pond, 20ft deep.

in my time, and i'm only 25, i've smoked 10 different automatics, 1/2 of them had tranny coolers. they just won't hold up in high gear, and newer PCM's always call for a downshift from OD the moment they sense the TPS past 10%.....unelss it's the bigger 1ton+ trucks. auto's are designed to go in gear, and stay in gear. the in/out/in/out/in/out smokes them everytime. and a big load in a soft spot, the kind where you mash it to the floor, and nothing happens. that torque converter is making TREMENDOUS heat, temps up in the 500-600F if you keep it going....

in any situation, you *REALLY SHOULD* have a trailer with brakes....smaller vehicles are lighter, and the brakes are smaller.

in my honest opinion, EVERY TRAILER should have brakes, .no matter the weight, no matter the size., and everyone towing one SHOULD have the controller.

think it's smart to gamble an accident for $150 for backingplates and a $50 controller? What if the DOT could proove you were supposed to have it? they'll have a field day....

but, that's my opinion.

 

[AIM]

My brother in law has a mid to late 80's S-10, 2 wheel drive rust bucket, that just seems to keep going no matter what. He hauled 19 loads of woods piled high last fall and it never broke down once. Drives this bucket to work every day. Hauls scrap steel all the time. Just works the dog sh!t out of it and it just keeps on ticking. Only issue it has is half the time won't start if it's raining.

 

[Longshot]

My 1990 chevy 1/2 ton finally wore out. Ended up getting a 4 cylinder 2004 toyota tacoma reg cab 4x4. Man those things have weak stock leaf springs. I had to install hellwig helper springs right off the bat. I've been beating the hell out of it hauling lately. Just wondered how many of you folks haul firewood with your 4 cylinder trucks? I guess i'm trying to do more with less truck wise.

I had an '89 yota 4x4, and now an '01 -both 4 cyl., and moved tons of dirt, mulch, stone and firewood, with cautious success. The older model clearly had the greater load/weight capacity, which is why I'm interested in the mentioned 'helliwig helper springs' option. Is this a an owner installed item, how much of an increase in load carrying do they afford, and at what cost??
I'm going to google them, but figured I'd ask for the 'straight up' from the field.
Thanks

 

[4seasons]

I use an 85 Toy 4x4. Had it set up with 5.71 gears and lockers in both ends. Used it to haul a ton of rock up a steep muddy hill side twice a day for 6 months. Tore down the spring packs and added a couple of leafs up front and changed all but the main leaf out back with 3/4 ton Chevy 2wd springs. I swapped the gears back out to 4.10 open diffs when I moved here to use the truck on the highway. It still hauls 1/4 to 1/3 cord of wood per trip up a steep dirt hillside just not as unstoppable as the 5.71 and lockers. Of course I've replaced the head gasket, timing chain, clutch, tie rod ends, exhaust, two fuel pumps and it is about to need a new bed. 270,000 miles and still working it hard every weekend.

 

[wgrassel]

I've hauled 20 or so beds full of green wood with my 4 cylinder (2.3L) Ford Ranger. It has an automatic transmission, which I drained and then replaced the fluid and filter at 25,000 miles. 28,000 miles on it now, and so far so good. With a full bed on the highway upgrades I'm in the right lane with the flashers on going 40mph, but it makes it home. In general I stop loading when the rear tires still have two or three inches of clearance left.

 

[damifino]

4cyl. mini truck

If I had forty thousand dollars to spend on a firewood truck I would not buy your 4cyl. Toyota nor would I buy my 1989, 2 wheel drive 6cyl. half ton. But I do not have that kind of money so I will continue to proudly drive my old truck. I am guessing the number of times you use your truck to haul wood is small compared to the number of trips you use your 4cyl. to drive around town or to work and back so enjoy the money you save in gas. I think your truck is just fine.

 

[husky455rancher]

If I had forty thousand dollars to spend on a firewood truck I would not buy your 4cyl. Toyota nor would I buy my 1989, 2 wheel drive 6cyl. half ton. But I do not have that kind of money so I will continue to proudly drive my old truck. I am guessing the number of times you use your truck to haul wood is small compared to the number of trips you use your 4cyl. to drive around town or to work and back so enjoy the money you save in gas. I think your truck is just fine.

it really depends what you use the truck for. my taco got 19-20 mpg the entire time i owned it. my hemi ram gets 15 and change.

granted the ram does use a little more gas but its 5 times the truck the taco was. now if i needed it for a long commute the taco would indeed be better. but i dont mind paying a little more gas for the mighty ram. it will handle anythig i throw at it with total ease and i dont have to worry about anything.

 

[audible fart]

hellwig ez 550 helper springs

I had an '89 yota 4x4, and now an '01 -both 4 cyl., and moved tons of dirt, mulch, stone and firewood, with cautious success. The older model clearly had the greater load/weight capacity, which is why I'm interested in the mentioned 'helliwig helper springs' option. Is this a an owner installed item, how much of an increase in load carrying do they afford, and at what cost??
I'm going to google them, but figured I'd ask for the 'straight up' from the field.
Thanks

The hellwig ez level 550 springs are very easy to install. You simply lay each leaf on top of your stock ones and U-bolt them down. That simple. The theory is that once installed, you can load 550 lbs into your bed and the truck will still be level. I can tell you first hand; they work. I ordered mine from summit for around $65 bucks total, but you can get them plenty of places. You won't regret getting them.

 

[EastwoodGang4]

used to...

Had a 92 ranger w/2.3 5 speed manual, 2wd, helwig helpers. could pile the wood as high as the cab and that little thing would just go like a little tractor. the rear spring shackes finally broke :monkey: hmmmm wonder why. I took the passenger seat out so my saw had a place to ride home with a full load. was a good little truck while it lasted. BTW watch your rear axle bearings!! i just found a toasted set in my f150 now it needs new axle shafts and bearings! ouch!

 

[slowp]

2 wheel drive Chevy Colorado. It hauls enough. I should put some of those lift things in it because I've scraped the trailer plug in thing off hauling wood. That's all I need. I get good gas mileage with it and that makes up for the wimpiness. I have a 4 wheel drive Subaru for the serious stuff.

 

[myzamboni]

Helwigs or Timbrens? Which and why?

 

[powerstroke73L]

Even though I do most of my hauling with my F-350 I also have a '91 Toyota 4x4 Mini Truck with a 22RE 4 cylinder and a 5 speed. I've hauled just over a 1000 lbs with it with no real problems. Sure, it felt like it was about to do a wheelie the whole time and I had to nurse it into 2nd gear, but it handled it.

 

[Brushwacker]

. but i dont mind paying a little more gas for the mighty ram. it will handle anythig i throw at it with total ease and i dont have to worry about anything.

How about driving it inbetween trees through the woods to pick up a dead tree here and there ?
When you have weight and mass its time for the big truck. When snaking into woodsy area's inbetween trees and you are not after a half cord or more at a time for me the big trucks limitations outweigh the benifits.

 

[husky455rancher]

How about driving it inbetween trees through the woods to pick up a dead tree here and there ?
When you have weight and mass its time for the big truck. When snaking into woodsy area's inbetween trees and you are not after a half cord or more at a time for me the big trucks limitations outweigh the benifits.

very true my ram cant gewt into the woods at my parents house. its just simply too long to get in there through the path. every truck has its place people just have to decide which style fits them best. for me i dont go into the woods enough to make me want a small truck again. i much prefer the superior hauling capacity.

 

[TKeller]

My 88' S-10 does the job

1988 s-10 hauls all my wood and does a good job. Bought new in 88' and have spent very little money on that truck for upkeep. Just can't put as much wood on it as a bigger truck. Also use it to keep the limbs picked up in the yard and bring split wood into the garage during burning season. No problem hauling with that little 4 cylinder.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I have a 99 S10 with the 2.2 engine and a stick shift. It has done a lot of hauling and the hills around here are pretty steep - but not more than 350 feet of elevation difference at a time so you aren't climbing hills for miles like you would be in the mountains. You can't put a lot of weight in the back so I do use a trailer. It does a good job and has 90,000 tough miles on it and I have only needed to put shocks and brakes on once - everything else is original. I had a 2002 extended cab S10 with an automatic before this one and the automatic really made the truck less powerful.

Below is a picture of how I sometimes abuse it......I only hauled this about 6 miles.

 

[IndyIan]

i built a little trailer for my aspire. it's a 1.3 with a manual gear box.
trailer has eletric brakes, and car has the controller...

i've hauled a little bit over 2000#'s with it...

it's all it can do in overdrive on flat ground but, two most important things.

#1 trailer has electric brakes.
#2 vehicle has manual gear box.


a 4cylinder truck will pull anything, epsiecally if ti's a manual. you'll win twice if it's got a transfercase for low range if you get in a tight spot in the woods/soft ground.

i have an old jeep cherokee 2.5 4banger with a manual box, i put that thing in low range, and setup a drag system on my pond, and dredged it out one summer. lots of gas later ,and a set of rod bearings and rings, ended up with a 3 acre pond, 20ft deep.

in my time, and i'm only 25, i've smoked 10 different automatics, 1/2 of them had tranny coolers. they just won't hold up in high gear, and newer PCM's always call for a downshift from OD the moment they sense the TPS past 10%.....unelss it's the bigger 1ton+ trucks. auto's are designed to go in gear, and stay in gear. the in/out/in/out/in/out smokes them everytime. and a big load in a soft spot, the kind where you mash it to the floor, and nothing happens. that torque converter is making TREMENDOUS heat, temps up in the 500-600F if you keep it going....

in any situation, you *REALLY SHOULD* have a trailer with brakes....smaller vehicles are lighter, and the brakes are smaller.

in my honest opinion, EVERY TRAILER should have brakes, .no matter the weight, no matter the size., and everyone towing one SHOULD have the controller.

think it's smart to gamble an accident for $150 for backingplates and a $50 controller? What if the DOT could proove you were supposed to have it? they'll have a field day....

but, that's my opinion.

2000lbs behind an Aspire is impressive! Do you slip the clutch or tires starting a load like that on a hill?

I tow with my 03 tracker 4x4, 4 banger, with big loads its fun as you can get the back end to rise with the torque from the axle when starting off, just like the big rigs! First gear is quite low and 4th or 5th are close together so I can tow in 4th if I need to. Its rated to tow only 1500lbs and for highway trips I don't go much over that as I can imagine sudden swerving would get interesting really fast... I've thought of getting a trailer with brakes but most of the times I can just take more small loads without extra driving.
Ian

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I remembered this Youtube Video after reading about the 1.3 litre Aspire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Xygo2054Q