Rear shocks and towing/hauling

[Jr's3800]

Hello!

My experience in towing has been with
1. A-body wagons (including a tech4)
2. Windstar Minivans
3. Venture / Montana Minivans

By FAR the best for towing were the Venture / Montana vans. They tow (and have towed) our 2500 pop up camper with ease. You really cannot tell anything is behind you. Plenty of power to spare and gas mileage around 16.5 highway.

I agree with the other posters: what ever you two with, install a transmission cooler first.
Second, I have always used Gabriel or Monroe air shocks (added to the vans and wagons). This keeps your headlights aimed correctly and keeps your van/trailer from scraping the pavement, especially on driveways for gas stations.

I tow only in drive, never overdrive - saves the transmission.

That's all I can think of...
George

One of the reasons that the Montana could tow so well was the 3.29 gearing behind the 3400, and in the later years with the 3500 there was more torque to be had, pretty good for a 3.5 pushrod...

The old Trans Sport with the 3800 and 3.06 gears could tow as well... The 90-96 vans weighed 3600-3800 Lbs and with the torque of the 3800 towing was easy.. Bad part is there is no class III hitch for the 90-96 vans.. IIRC the 3800 powered vans were actually rated to tow 3000 Lbs.. And 94-96 Vans had some updates that the earlier ones didn't have, Frame also changed to some degree...

I also agree on the cooler... If you tow or are going to tow a Trans cooler is a must...

[MADHUSMITA]

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[Duke George V]

I tow only in drive, never overdrive - saves the transmission.

Not only that, at 60-65 mph, the gearing puts the engine right in the meat of the torque band, at least on my 3.06 and Buick V6.

[white89euro]

Hello!

My experience in towing has been with
1. A-body wagons (including a tech4)
2. Windstar Minivans
3. Venture / Montana Minivans

By FAR the best for towing were the Venture / Montana vans. They tow (and have towed) our 2500 pop up camper with ease. You really cannot tell anything is behind you. Plenty of power to spare and gas mileage around 16.5 highway.

I agree with the other posters: what ever you two with, install a transmission cooler first.
Second, I have always used Gabriel or Monroe air shocks (added to the vans and wagons). This keeps your headlights aimed correctly and keeps your van/trailer from scraping the pavement, especially on driveways for gas stations.

I tow only in drive, never overdrive - saves the transmission.

That's all I can think of...
George

[Duke George V]

I bought those Monroe shocks I linked to in a previous post and installed them today. Easy job, as long as you have a helper. Of course I forgot to take pictures. The van rides a lot better now, especially since the old shocks were more or less blown and old as hell. Ride height is a bit higher in the back as well. Should work real well for when I move next.

[JB1]

Don't shock yourself

I have a century wagon w/3rd-row seat, and haul 2 kids back there all the time. I have Gabriel Ultra shocks, and put airlift 1000 bags in the rear coil springs. The bags made a HUGE difference! better handling, stability, and a firm ride without being harsh.The kit comes with 2 air fill valves, and I put separate fills for the bags because I didn't want any side to side transfer of air.
I recently warrantied out my front gabriel ultra struts for some that fit a '94-96 dustbuster. The spring seat is 3/4" higher, and I now run 225/50-17s on steel wheels front and rear. I really wanted to go with Monroe struts, but the spring seat didn't have much difference. The monroe load-adjusting shocks, and the max-air shocks have 7.25" of travel...way more than any gabriel. SD Truck springs has some air-suspension bags for $28-$40 that you could replace your rear springs completely with. Good Luck!

[Duke George V]

I'm gonna revive this, since I might be doing some hauling soon. I'm looking at Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks for the rear, part number 58427. They have a 25 lb spring over them, and say they're made for vans that are used to tow or haul. Anyone have any experience with that particular shock?

No one knows anything about this? I'm mostly wondering if these shocks will negatively affect ride quality.

[Duke George V]

That was last year, but it was going to be a turbocharged 1987 Pontiac 6000 SE wagon. It's currently owned by a user here named turbosewgn. He doesn't post here anymore, sadly. I'm pretty interested in knowing if he ever got all the little things sorted out on it.

[Fer1973]

so sorry for you low tax return, what kind of car were you trying to buy? just curious.


Fer

[SexySilhouette]

If you were to go with air shocks, you could install a factory air compressor to fill them instead of paying a gas station.

[Duke George V]

I'm gonna revive this, since I might be doing some hauling soon. I'm looking at Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks for the rear, part number 58427. They have a 25 lb spring over them, and say they're made for vans that are used to tow or haul. Anyone have any experience with that particular shock?

[Duke George V]

Why is it showing you posted this just a couple days ago?

I wasn't clear about the time the Suburban/5th Ave thing happened in. Sorry.

[86euro]

Even though the plan went kaput, the flat-tow thing is not a good idea. While braking and turning, the vehicle in tow has more of a tendency to push the back end of the tow vehicle sideways.

[Jr's3800]

Sorry to hear that man... Thats a Bummer..

If you ever do decide to tow anything with the van... Consider doing this...




I actually have a larger cooler on there now.. This van came from the factory with 2 Trans cooler in the radiator, I run through both of them and then to the AUX cooler and back to the trans... Its kept the fluid nice and red through the abuse and all of the hauling I have done.. I have a Class 2 hitch... I wanted a class 3( overkill I know ) but they don't make one for it...

That L27 Tuned Port you have is a strong low end torquer... In 1991 GM rated it at 170 HP and 225 Ft Lbs... In 1993 the engine received newer pistons and better rings( less friction, they were pretty good to begin with, I think they went with a skinner set of rings and got a little closer to the top of the piston )... As well with the newer pistons they upped the compression from 8.5:1 to 9.0 : 1... Then the replaced the Pivots with Roller bearing pivots( a lot less valve train friction )... The numbers were never changed.. My guess is 180 HP and 235-240 Ft Lbs... And 1995 was the freak motor as it used the Series II crank and slightly lighter rods...

I have gotten way off topic... But your van should be pretty versatile and should do most of the things you want it to... Its the reason i like mine soo much and just can't let it go.. That and it looks like nothing on the road...

[Pontiac6ksteawd]

Why is it showing you posted this just a couple days ago?