would this be too much weight for my car? [Merged 5-7] hitch towing trailer

[FlyinRyan151]

right now I plan on selling my 95 RS with a few mods to get a 1st gen GSX or GST. My question is, is it possible to tow a small trailer for my dirtbike with one? The max weight of the trailer and bike combined would be around 500 pounds at most. My only other option is to buy a truck which would be really lame.

 

[Defiant]

I had a 1995 with a hitch -- hauled my motorcycle from charlotte to west palm beach and back.

No overheating, no problems.

I towed jetskis and lawn equipment too. Why the worry with towing?

Simply because the Owner's Manual tells you not to. It's not really a point of debate. Of course you're free to drive however and whatever you want. Maybe they were just funning around in saying that.
But there was a topic here, just a couple of posts ago. How about we try re-visiting it, hm?

 

[drakedeming]

I drive a 95 talon awd

can i tow a 355lb boat and a trailer that weighs about 200-300 lbs?

 

[drakedeming]

better yet what is the max recommended weight my car could tow?

 

[goalieman24]

Sorry I can't help you out with the towing capacity... but my talon came with a hitch/receiver mounted to it. I have no use for it if you're interested.

 

[DSM4me44]

Trucks are for towing.

Your going to look goofy towing a boat with a nice car like that.

Secondly, the transmission and friendly components aren't cheap. Don't put the added strain on them.

 

[Defiant]

From the Owner's Manual:

 

[Tsi_User]

He he
(taken from the shootout pics thread)

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[Burnett03]

From the Owner's Manual:

Ya, cool, we get it.. You've posted that like three times now. Towing 500lbs with an eclipse will not hurt anything if done correctly. They have four seats in them, and lets pretend you put four people in there and everyone weighs 150lbs. 150x4=600lbs. So what's the problem? The manual says lots of things not to do that you can do that don't hurt it.

 

[goalieman24]

Heres the little hitch that's on my 1g. Any interested "towers" can come by and get it if you are interested.

 

[danyz250f]

I think a 4g63 powered mighty max would be the way to go. RWD, Room for a bike, Turbo 4g63 power, What more do you need?

 

[Defiant]

Ya, cool, we get it.. You've posted that like three times now.

And strangely, the question seems to come up, and up, and up. What a mystery. If only there was some mechanism by which people were able to seek out answers to the question they're asking before they start a new thread. What to do, what to do, what do do. With any luck, it's all been rounded up into this Merged thread, now. So we can put all the trash in the same can.

Towing 500lbs with an eclipse will not hurt anything if done correctly.

A GE Turbofan strapped to the roof will not hurt anything, if done correctly. In towing with a DSM, the "correct" way to do it is to not.

They have four seats in them, and lets pretend you put four people in there and everyone weighs 150lbs. 150x4=600lbs. So what's the problem? The manual says lots of things not to do that you can do that don't hurt it.

It's not the weight, it's the dynamics. 300 pounds pushing from the rear on a 6' lever outside the wheelbase of a nose-heavy car on a braking curve can prove quite..... interesting.
And yes, we're aware that many Never Dos are done regularly by DSM owners. Which is what keeps this site running.
Still, the depth of your insight and valuable contribution to the thread are greatly appreciated.

 

[Morphius]

I don't think you want my opinion........... (from years back)

 

[DSM4me44]

I don't think you want my opinion........... (from years back)

and since then those cars have had all of their drivetrain and transmission components replaced from the wear and tear

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

Christ, ill try to put useful input.....


Towing with a dsm from the factory is obviously a no-no according to mitsubishi, but they also discontinue warranties on evos at the track...when the car was obviously made for the track....so whatever the manual says you can throw out the window.

A main part of the problem is not the power or clutch, its your poor differentials, tranny and brakes. Ok well lets say you upgraded brakes, thats good, but what about building your tranny....thats not the problem. Its heat...thats why when trucks need to tow something heavier, people put on aftermarket tranny coolers that are larger. For people that actually want to tow, people put tranny and diff temperature gauges with coolers and thermostatic control.

I will be getting at least a tire trailer, but I am doing a manual tranny cooler setup with temp gauges and making sure that diff in the back is solid with fresh fluid.

Increased wear and tear??? Yes, but wtf are you doing modifying your dsm if your worried about increased wear and tear. If done right, your doing less damage than your hundreds of clutch drops at the drag strip.

 

[Defiant]

"Why are DSMs so unreliable?"

 

[silvah_gsx]

Aside from power and driver smarts, suspension is the main limitation, as using a trailer with a 200 lb tongue weight could have you riding the rear bumpstops all the time if you're on stock suspension. Anyone with stiffer springs/shocks will be fine for light loads, and the brakes, clutch, and tranny won't see any difference than having 3 200-lb passengers.
I've been towing a kart & trailer (~600 lbs) for a while on an old Beemer, with no problems, and thats an automatic with the same power as an n/t DSM, and the 2g will soon be towing that trailer. If you can find a custom hitch place with a good reputation, that'll do you better than Uhaul, which sometimes is afraid of "high-end" cars (they were afraid to touch the bmw).

 

[Defiant]

It's dynamics. DSMs, as with most FWD chassis (which even the AWDs are) has the motor and transmission mass ahead of the front axle. When towing anything, with any vehicle, you'll be fine so long as things go well. But when they go bad, your trailer will become a hat. Or, a suppository.

 

[talonracn49]

In towing with a DSM, the "correct" way to do it is to not. It's not the weight, it's the dynamics. 300 pounds pushing from the rear on a 6' lever outside the wheelbase of a nose-heavy car on a braking curve can prove quite..... interesting.
:

How are the dynamics different from a small truck? Nose heavy, no weight in the rear, same lever...

 

[EclipseSH21]

You guys are making my head hurt. I'm with Defiant here- just don't do it. A DSM is not a tow rig. Get a Jeep, you can get a used cherokee for like 50 bucks these days. They are rated to tow up to 5,000lbs, most come with hitches and if not they are incredibly easy to install...

 

[Supa Dexta]

I'm going to bring this back, I need to get a hitch for my 1gb, and was wondering how it mounts. I no longer have my crash beams so I need to know if it's a factor in mounting it up.

Also, I have a 1.8 nissan sentra, which is absolutely gutless, and it's manual says max towing 1k lbs, tw of 150 lbs or something.. So if those weak ass cars can pull 1k lbs, a talon in good running order should have no trouble at all.

 

[Defiant]

Oh, gee, try reading the thread.

They're usually mounted to the floorpan.

Again, don't.

 

[Morphius]

Hmmm.... my pics reminded me of something. I have a pic to share. Towing of a different sort. Now they move in herds.

 

[2FoX2]

They do make hitches for our cars, I have one on my 99 GSX and it works like a charm... that being said, I wouldn't use my hitch for anything more than a bike/snowboard rack. Here's where I picked up my hitch with all the accessories, great quality construction, and very firm mounting.

Reese Hitches

 

[99gst_racer]

Back from the dead.


Does anybody have pictures or testimonials of this style hitch installed on a 2G?

 

[99gst_racer]

Or pics or experiences with the now discontinued DrawTite 24602?