Hello,this is my first time on this forum and I sure hope someone can help me. I have a 97 dakota club cab sport 3.9l v6(purchased new) that I hope to turn into a tow vehicle. I had an aftermarket hitch installed in '99 and towed my 70s marlin 19.6 ft boat with no problems except really steep inclines, I'm not sure of the weight of the boat. My problem is I'm getting different towing capacities every where I look, from 4900lbs to 6600 lbs. I know without the v8s I'm not on the highest side but can't seem to get a definitive answer. I even went to the dealer and they said 2200 lbs, which I think is a joke! I think I have the 3.55 ratio gears but not sure how to check. One question I have is looking at the v8s vs the v6, is the only difference between the two the hp and torque or are there other things as well. My thought is if I can increase my hp do I increase the tow capabilities? Or are there differences in the rear end like leaf springs etc.... if any one has any info I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks for your time, Mike

 

I forgot to mention the avg weight of the trailers I'm looking at is between 4500 and 5700 lbs.

 

Wes Garret and I found a table once upon a time, I forget where it came from. But all models were within the 45-57 range, only the R/T's were 2250 because of their different driveline and suspension.

Our race trailer is 2250 or so empty, and towing it wasn't a problem with my truck with the stock gears (V6/3.55) once I got moving. It was getting moving and stopping that I had problems. With the 4.10's I don't have the getting moving problem anymore, but stopping still isn't great.

With a proper weight distributing hitch, trailer brake controller, and all that jazz, I'd say 5,000 is doable, but it probably would not be very fun.

 

I don't know where you're located, but if you decide to switch to 4.10 gears, talk to me first.

For occasional heavy towing, you might want to install some add-on overload springs in the rear. If you're going to do it all the time, you might look into replacing your springs with some heavier-duty ones or adding 1-2 leaves (but not the ones designed for lift).

If your trailer has good brakes, stopping shouldn't really be a problem with the stock Dakota brakes.

 

Thanks for the info, I'm still doing the research on trailers so I'm hoping to get some good info from everyone. Thanks again!

 

getting going is only a third of the problem . staying going and stoping all play a factor. gears would help with the first two but not the third. you would need to address all three when using a mid size truck with a small engine and trans.