What a Joke

[wushaw]

I use my FWD often and hard. Sometimes several times a day, sometimes just to get home. A good example would be today. On my way home from town I drove up and Semi Truck that had missed it's intended driveway. The truck in the ditch and the trail blocking the highway. Without hesitation or fear of my weak transmission, insufficient rear axle, poor frame or under sized driveshaft's I turned my nearly 200k 2002 F250 around and hooked to it. The driver ask me if I was sure I wanted to do it, to which I replied... I didn't didn't buy this thing to look at, it will pull you out or die trying. With the BULLY DOG barking and all four 36 inch tires smoking on the payment the poor old under achiever somehow pulled him back up on the highway. Once out the driver said to me. I'm really surprised, there's no question "That dog will hunt"



So now I know it's only because I have a good front axle. YEA RIGHT!



I did ask him around 40k

I did that with my Jeep Wrangler one day, class 8 Freightliner 53' trailer, his right side tandems were just hanging in the air going nowhere, Jeep in 4 low didn't spin a tire and he was happy for a free tow.

 

[Builder]

I remember 25 years ago pulling a semi that had just delivered windows to a jobsite with my dad's 1/2 ton 4x4. It actually seemed easy.

 

[jcmseven]

One point which has been brought to my attention by PM that was discussed earlier in the thread regarding the Tundra pickup. I think it still has bearing within the thread. This point is something that in my mind we cannot underestimate. The Toyota Tundra is a fantastic truck. It is well-designed and well-constructed. It is powerful and quite quick, especially unloaded. It is NOT though a 3/4 ton truck. I am 100% sure it will tow its maximum recommended weight safely, but lest we forget this rating is for a TWO wheel drive model (it is in the small print on the ad's), which I personally have never seen. The four wheel drive models, which almost everyone drives that I have seen, are rated for less (how much--can't find on website) than the now 10,600# maximum TRAILER weight. My point here is that a frequent tower of any "significant" weight--for these trucks perhaps 6,000 pounds or more or an "ever" tower of maximal weight may strongly wish to consider a 3/4 ton. Diesels, though their practicality advantage might be slimming, still rule the roost here. Some articles, mainly written by car journalists, depict the Tundra as being the better performer than the crop of new high tech diesel 3/4 ton trucks when pulling loads. This simply is a potentially dangerous falsehood. The Tundra is a marvelous performer and at full throttle on flat ground can in many cases out-accelerate the 3/4 ton trucks, both unloaded and loaded. But the world is not flat (as per Columbus): add in hills, wind and elements, and all the torque required for towing under the curve and the diesel, heavier duty trucks would still (yes, even in 2008) "eat the lunch" of any lighter duty offering from any maker I can recall. They also with their heavier chassis weights and heavier suspension components offer a more stable towing platform when one tows heavy on a regular basis, making this type towing safer. This is not to disparage anyone who bought one of these fine Toyota trucks as I would be camped at my local Toyota dealer tomorrow if I did not currently need a heavier-duty truck; it is merely to state that perhaps some of the recent articles which depict the Tundra as "diesel killer" and an alternative to a true 3/4 ton may lead some purchasers to feel they do not need a 3/4 ton to tow that 12,000 pound 110 TLB and trailer combo (after all, it is pretty close to 10,600#). It does seem to me that Toyota's own ad's based on my viewing may, in fact, help perpetuate that myth. It took me several viewings of the most recent TV ad to see the "4x2" comment under the ad, and even the local Toyota dealer who sells a ton of these trucks was not fully sure about how much a 4x4 Tundra was rated to tow. One of my close friends here in town--who actually bought a Tundra--was told the Tundra's were all "rated the same" for towing, which I am not sure is really true. Can someone help me with the actual number--it seems to be changing by the day on the ad's???

John M

 

[Builder]

One point which has been brought to my attention by PM that was discussed earlier in the thread regarding the Tundra pickup. I think it still has bearing within the thread. This point is something that in my mind we cannot underestimate. The Toyota Tundra is a fantastic truck. It is well-designed and well-constructed. It is powerful and quite quick, especially unloaded. It is NOT though a 3/4 ton truck. I am 100% sure it will tow its maximum recommended weight safely, but lest we forget this rating is for a TWO wheel drive model (it is in the small print on the ad's), which I personally have never seen. The four wheel drive models, which almost everyone drives that I have seen, are rated for less (how much--can't find on website) than the now 10,600# maximum TRAILER weight. My point here is that a frequent tower of any "significant" weight--for these trucks perhaps 6,000 pounds or more or an "ever" tower of maximal weight may strongly wish to consider a 3/4 ton. Diesels, though their practicality advantage might be slimming, still rule the roost here. Some articles, mainly written by car journalists, depict the Tundra as being the better performer than the crop of new high tech diesel 3/4 ton trucks when pulling loads. This simply is a potentially dangerous falsehood. The Tundra is a marvelous performer and at full throttle on flat ground can in many cases out-accelerate the 3/4 ton trucks, both unloaded and loaded. But the world is not flat (as per Columbus): add in hills, wind and elements, and all the torque required for towing under the curve and the diesel, heavier duty trucks would still (yes, even in 2008) "eat the lunch" of any lighter duty offering from any maker I can recall. They also with their heavier chassis weights and heavier suspension components offer a more stable towing platform when one tows heavy on a regular basis, making this type towing safer. This is not to disparage anyone who bought one of these fine Toyota trucks as I would be camped at my local Toyota dealer tomorrow if I did not currently need a heavier-duty truck; it is merely to state that perhaps some of the recent articles which depict the Tundra as "diesel killer" and an alternative to a true 3/4 ton may lead some purchasers to feel they do not need a 3/4 ton to tow that 12,000 pound 110 TLB and trailer combo (after all, it is pretty close to 10,600#). It does seem to me that Toyota's own ad's based on my viewing may, in fact, help perpetuate that myth. It took me several viewings of the most recent TV ad to see the "4x2" comment under the ad, and even the local Toyota dealer who sells a ton of these trucks was not fully sure about how much a 4x4 Tundra was rated to tow. One of my close friends here in town--who actually bought a Tundra--was told the Tundra's were all "rated the same" for towing, which I am not sure is really true. Can someone help me with the actual number--it seems to be changing by the day on the ad's???

John M

John, just a bit of advice-shorten your posts and add paragraph indentation.

4x4's are rated to tow less because of the extra weight of the live front axle, transfer case & front prop shaft. usually it amounts to 300-500 lbs.

A 4x4 Tundra should be able to out accelerate a 3/4 ton because it is a lighter truck and probably has better aerodynamics, too. My 1/2 ton Chevy gasser with a small gas engine is faster than my 360HP GMC diesel because it's like 1/2 the weight and has better aerodynamics.

I get a chuckle out of the "V-10 fuel mileage threads". The author usually trying to make himself feel good about his purchase of big block gas instead of diesel by exclaiming his 14MPG achievement. Great- 14MPG, very close to diesel mileage and probably equal when you factor in the extra cost/gal of diesel! Now hook up a trailer to both trucks and see what happens. Gas mileage goes down 50% and diesel mileage goes down 25%. Now who's ahead?

There's no free lunch guys. Gas trucks like the Tundra are lightning fast unloaded and are ideal for light loads & light useage. So are the domestic gas trucks.

 

[jcmseven]

Builder,

Thanks for the advice. Twice in one thread, also. I do apologize to the group for my aimless ramblings, though. The style is "business bloc" which does not require indentation and paragraphs only occur when the subject matter changes. I thought it was appropriate since all things truck and/or tractor-related are strictly business. Is this thread short enough???

John M