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Mod | | Forums66 Topics126,777 Posts1,039,270 Members48,100 | Most Online2,175 Jul 21st, 2025 | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 289 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 289 | What is the towing capacity of my '57 Suburban, with a '75 Camaro front clip (power discs), '75 camaro rear end (drums and 2.73 ratio) and a stock '75 Camaro 250ci with TH350 trans? I guess another way of asking this would be to ask for the towing capacity of a '75 Camaro with 250ci engine! Thanks!
'57 Chevy Suburban; '70 Chevy Impala.
| | | | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,109 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,109 | First thing to ask what is the stopping capacity. are the brakes are in good shape. ron
Ron, The Computer Greek I love therefore I am.1954 3100 Chevy truckIn the Gallery 2017 Buick Encore See more pix1960 MGA Roadster Sold 7/18/2017
| | | | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 230 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 230 | i think if the brake's are in good shape you should be good for at least 5000 lb's . | | | | Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,317 Former Workshop Owner | Former Workshop Owner Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,317 | Your gear ratio sounds a little too high to me for towing.
John | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | I think if you wanted to tow with it you should have left it a truck. | | | | Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 707 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 707 | 1951 3800 Be the change you want to see. -hotshoe
| | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 . | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 | I think if you wanted to tow with it you should have left it a truck. I like that!  | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 | I presume you didn't mean front clip (fenders and grille) but instead that you have the complete drive train and brakes from a six cylinder camaro. as somebody else said you are going to be a little short on power but your stopping capabilities should be ok. I would think anything over 3-4 thousand pounds is going to be a struggle up hill. those 250 engines barely drug the cars around. | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 | i tow 6000 to 8000 with my 64 with a 250 in it all the time. i think more important than the engine is the gearing. if it has the front susp of the camero, i doubt it will ever be a heavy tower. good luck though. | | | | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 72 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 72 | I guess another way of asking this would be to ask for the towing capacity of a '75 Camaro with 250ci engine! That pretty much nailed it for me. No matter if it is a truck body and frame, you're still running Camaro running gear which limits what you can do with it. | | | | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 Cruising in the Passing Lane | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 | What is the towing capacity of a '75 Camaro with the same equipment, AND what does the truck weigh relative to the '75 Camaro. If the truck weighs more than the Camaro (it may not) I'd reduce the towing capacity by that weight.
My bet is it will be real slow with a load, and unless the trailer has its own brakes anything over a 1,000 pounds may be hard to stop.
My '55 1st GMC Suburban has a GMC 270, SM 420 4-speed, and 3.08 rear gears. The brakes at all four corners, and the rear axle, are from a '73 Chevelle. I've towed my tandem axle car trailer with it, but was not impressed by its ability to move the trailer empty, and could really feel the added load when it came time to stop. I was so impressed I cut the welded on received hitch off my Suburban shortly afterward.
1955 1st GMC Suburban | 1954 GMC 250 trailer puller project | 1954 GMC 250 Hydra-Matic | 1954 Chevy 3100 . 1947 Chevy COE | and more... It's true. I really don't do anything but browse the Internet looking for trouble... | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,859 Grumpy old guy playing with trucks, cars, and boats | Grumpy old guy playing with trucks, cars, and boats Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,859 | I'm with Steve, best you can bet with the 250 and a 2.73 rear is about 1000#.
The problems we face today can not be addressed at the same level of intelligence we were at when we created them - Albert Einstein Or with the same level of $ - Me
| | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 289 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 289 | Thanks guys for all the inputs! It is amazing the wide range of weights I am getting! I know my 2.73 rear end ratio is not good for towing, though, but probably still OK for a tear drop trailer... Maybe a th700r4 trans would help too, with its shorter first gear and lock up converter. I would like to (respectfully!) somewhat disagree with a couple of you guys: my Burb will never be (and never was!)a Kenworth, but I think that a Camaro front clip does not emasculate it, on the contrary: it does give me power disc brakes (which is better than stock...), the power steering and independent suspension give easier control and the 250ci engine has more power and torque than the original 235ci engine... So I think that, as far as driving experience is concerned, my Burb is "better" than stock. I understand some people prefer all original, but I really love cruising the freeway at 70mph all day long! I guess the 1-ton Burb with its 5.14 raer end ratio (I think) tows better, but we are now closer to a farm implement than a real highway vehicle! ;-)
Last edited by wave1957; 08/20/2009 12:50 AM.
'57 Chevy Suburban; '70 Chevy Impala.
| | | | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 Cruising in the Passing Lane | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 | A stock 1-ton panel with its low rear gears and brakes designed to stop 8,800 pounds could be safer towing a heavy trailer than your 1/2-ton 'burb either stock or with Camaro stuff. It may not go as fast and that would be part of the safety.
If you are pulling one of those tiny tear drop trailers I wouldn't expect much trouble, but you will have increased your capacity to load cargo, without having increased your stopping capacity.
The Camaro might have weighed 4,000 and was not rated to pull much of a trailer.
1955 1st GMC Suburban | 1954 GMC 250 trailer puller project | 1954 GMC 250 Hydra-Matic | 1954 Chevy 3100 . 1947 Chevy COE | and more... It's true. I really don't do anything but browse the Internet looking for trouble... | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 | if your happy with it that's all that matters. i am on board with you but if you alter it to have the highway cruzing speeds you take away the pulling/towing cap. if your main goal was highway speed don't worry about the towing. i also think car front end= bad for towing, not that there's anything nec wrong with that. i personally think people worrying about stopping and disc brakes are a little overrated, but i'm cool with drivin' SLOW- not very many are. | | |
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