towing rig
Submitted: Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 14:54
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allymac
Hello,
What, if anything, needs to be done to a VT commodore, V6 automatic, with limited slip diff, sports
suspension and ABS brakes, already fitted with a 2100kg towbar and
wiring harness, in order to tow a 15' Viscount aerolite, unladen weight 920 kg, laden weight about 1200 kg or so?
Many thanks for any help,
Ally
Reply By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:02
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:02
Decent tranny cooler wouldn't go astray...
AnswerID:
187112
Follow Up By: allymac - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:14
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:14
Many thanks Blue for your reply and suggestion.
Allymac
FollowupID:
444309
Reply By: crfan - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:03
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:03
I would fit a transmission oil cooler.
AnswerID:
187113
Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:09
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:09
beat ya by a minute... ;-))
FollowupID:
444278
Follow Up By: allymac - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:15
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:15
Many thanks crfan your your reply and suggestion
Allymac
FollowupID:
444310
Reply By: old mate - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:39
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 15:39
allmac,
Is your VT an ex cop car? I ask only as you mention it's a V6 with sports
suspension, (FE2?) and LSD etc. If so, it may already have the tranny cooler. Depends what state force it came from.
AnswerID:
187120
Follow Up By: allymac - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:12
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:12
Hello old mate, thank you for your reply. Yes, my VT was a cops car with FE2
suspension and all. How do I know if it already has the tranny cooler? I've heard some talk about an oil cooler and a power steering cooler also. Does the oil cooler refer to the engine oil or the tranny oil? I'm not sure, but as I bought it in Qld, assume it was a Qld cops car ??
Thanks,
Allymac
FollowupID:
444306
Follow Up By: old mate - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 18:47
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 18:47
I had a VX2 ex SAPD. It had both the oil and trans cooler on front. Different states spec them up differently but there is a basic "9C1"
police pack. (e.g. LSD FE2 lower profile and wider tyres premium brake discs etc.etc.etc.)
Check the lines running from the auto to the front of the car to see if it has an external tranny cooler or in the radiator as I'm not sure about the VT. If you bought it from Q Fleet then definitely a QLD car. If you are not the second owner then it could have come from anywhere. My ex SAPD VX2 is running around QLD now. If you want to know it's origin original owner and rego # and exactly how it was speced up, take the VIN # to a Holden Dealer Service as they have all this info. i take it came with out books wen you bought it. People bag ex cop cars but they can be quite a bargain with so many options in a base model.
FollowupID:
444359
Reply By: Notso - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:09
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:09
There were some very specific mods that had to be mad to the commodores for towing heavier loads.
I would
check the handbook thouroughly because they had the required mods listed in it.
Of course no matter what they recommend an oil cooler is essential, even if it already has one fitted as original they are often not big enough to handle the extra loads towing. I am not too sure but some of them had the cooler in the radiator and of course that adds to the heat load on the system too so you are far beter off with an external one.
AnswerID:
187127
Follow Up By: allymac - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:14
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:14
Hello Notso, Many thanks for your reply and suggestions. Its possible that
mine might already have a transmission oil cooler fitted, but does it need an engine oil cooler too?
Allymac
FollowupID:
444307
Follow Up By: Notso - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:21
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 16:21
Not too sure about engine oil, my background is in fleet management etc and we never fitted them to any of ours, just transmission coolers.
FollowupID:
444312
Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 17:39
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 17:39
Transmission cooler definitely.
Had a friend who towed a van with one.
Distribution hitch makes a big difference too.
Besides better steering with some load on the front, it also helps to keep the front end down. Friend found that with the front lifted 20 to 30mm with load on rear, front air flow was affected, and the cooling at the front was on the limit before towing. Any one elese heard of this problem. Wondering if was just the car?
AnswerID:
187140
Reply By: 3F62 - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 18:21
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 18:21
???Polyair bags, keep your mud flaps out of the gravel, saves flicking stones @ your van & keep your headlights on the road.........& trans cooler........
Cheers
AnswerID:
187151
Follow Up By: Tabz72 - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 21:02
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 21:02
Definitly fit Oil cooler for the trans (prior to my LandCruiseras a towing vehicle) as I did a trans in...very expensive thing to omit I can tell you.
Also I fitted a camber/ caster kit to the IRS on the rear to keep the wheels moving up and down in a paralel motion. This saved scrubbing the insides of the tyres out. Holden fixed it in the VX series2 by fitting an extra radius rod setup as standard, so they are really good on tyres now.
Cheers,
Tabz
FollowupID:
444388
Reply By: Andrew-rodeo - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 01:26
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 01:26
Hi allymac,
I agree with the majority, fit a transmission cooler if you dont have one fitted yet. Just ask you mechanic to check it out. Air adjustable shockers would be an option, and i would go for a weight distribution hitch on the van. Also only tow in 3rd gear or you will be carrying your transmission home in a box!
Cheers Andrew
AnswerID:
187212
Reply By: Mr Z - Saturday, Aug 12, 2006 at 17:27
Saturday, Aug 12, 2006 at 17:27
when i had my vt, i looked into tranny coolers and found out they came fitted as standard
thats what the holden dealer told me anyway, so it might be worth a phone call to double check
AnswerID:
188683