GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

OK, got my S-Techs installed last Friday and already have bottomed the front springs out three times hitting large bumps. OK, not a problem, I know driving 2+ inches lower means your REALLY got to watch for those big pot holes and large gradation changes in the road and SLOW down. But, I still want to tow my 800LBS utility trailer and fill it with that free County supplied mulch (1500+LBS filled). Am I going to flatten my back springs?Anybody else that has done this?

i would say you shouldn't tow that much with it. you'll probably be bottoming out.

absolutely don't tow.

Ha, not to prove anybody wrong, by why not!towing ~600 LBS trailer with about 800 LBS of wet mulch (it rained like crazy just before I filled up the trailer which is actually a good thing. It lowers the ambient temp here in Florida down to about 85 degrees and it feels much cooler. Next time I will fill the trailer up even more and see if I can push closer to 2000 Lbs total.

Ive heard people say you shouldnt tow or you can tow, lowered. 600 is still under half what the vibe can do so you should be able to get away with it. The lowering springs are still really stiff so I dont see why some light towing wouldnt be acceptable. I had my car fully loaded with 3 people in the back over 200lbs and it dropped a little more but she still could move! so... if you tow be very careful specially with braking and the wear on the struts may come sooner than later...

I'm surprised you were able to tow that much.

Now I need to know if anyone has towed a 4wheeler or jetski on TRD springs , stock or other lowering springs....

I think you have the weight wrong, the trailer weights somewhat over 600LBs and the mulch was probably around 800lbs to the total weight was probably just under 1500lbs. I also have a Seadoo GTX that I tow that is considerably lighter...so A jetski should be easy. A 4-wheeler probably weighs more since the trailer weight will be higher.So...no problem...S-techs will tow, but keep in mind my tow was only 4 miles each way and the roads are easy to navigate...going down a steep boat ramp or on a sandy beach may be a different story.

oh duh...boat ramps...mmm wonder how the TRD springs are. A atv might not be bad since I just bring it on a road to the cabin...but if I start towing again Ill go get different springs, Ill check on the TRDs... ah maxing out the tow at 1500? nice, 4 miles on easy to nav. should be fine. but yea the steep hills :s I might need a mini truck

I thought i replied to this once, but, i don't know where it went?? Oh, well....You might want to consider a set of "air struts" for just the rear to tow... you could have a small compressor without a tank, just to level the ride hight when you have your gear on the car...

The air ride idea makes sense...how does that work with springs? Does it take the place of the springs, or does it just attach and/or replace the struts?

damronjr??

It depends on how you load the trailer. Theoretically, your towed weight can be 1500 lbs and your tongue weight could be ZERO, if you load the trailer with an equal amount of weight ahead of the axle and behind the axle. You need to have some tongue weight for the trailer to track correctly. As you load the trailer, observe the fender height above the rear wheels. If the wheel/fender gap lessens, add more weight behind the trailer axle and visa versa. The ideal tongue weight is 5%-10% of the trailer weight or 75-150 lbs tongue weight for a 1500 lb trailer weight. Surely your chopped springs could handle 75+ lbs for a short distance. The main thing you must be careful of, is the increased stopping distance when towing.

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »The air ride idea makes sense...how does that work with springs? Does it take the place of the springs, or does it just attach and/or replace the struts?Something to look at.... http://www.airbagit.com/strut_measurement.html