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04 SS AWD for towing


Darral

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Title says it. I bought a TBSS AWD and soon after while looking for a tow rig found a 04 SS AWD.

I know that the silverado is not the perfectly ideal tow rig. It's a beautiful truck though. It has true duals and tons of upgrades including an edelbrock supercharger.

I'm thinking right now swap the supercharger and components to my tbss and put coil over shocks on the back along with a transmission fluid cooler.

Any major flaws in my plan?

 

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Using the Silvy SS as a tow vehicle for the TBSS?

 

Power-wise it's surely up to it, but the suspension and brakes will be lacking. I mean, it will absolutely tow it, no doubt, but steering and stopping will be the issues.

 

Firming up the rear will help with tongue weight, maybe look at helper bags...but you'll want to at minimum throw a brake controller on there and only pull that TBSS on a trailer with brakes.

 

My opinion anyway. Others might say hey it's no problem I do it all the time. But in a panic stop situation (think about how many stupid bad drivers there are these days) do you really wanna trust all that weight to just the brakes on your truck?

 

Richard

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Trailer brakes/controller MANDATORY! Would be advisable to beef-up the rear suspension (bags?) for tongue weight (weight distributing hitch highly recommended). Air tires rear tires up to max PSI (I have load Range 117, 51 PSI tires). Mine tows GREAT pulling my '65 Malibu SS/scooter/junk at about 6,000# total trailer weight, it just bottoms out the factory G60 (dropped) suspension on bumps.

 

I haven't hooked it up to my 28" enclosed yet, but it's gonna happen! About 8,500#..... She's a "pretty" WORK TRUCK!

Edited by FASTDIESEL (see edit history)
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Hydroboost Swap the brake system will solve braking issues my stock transmission seemed better for towing then my built one with 3200 stall converter Ive only towed with 2 trailers one being a snowmobile trailer with 2 Sleds was never a problem another years ago when transmission was stock still was an open trailer with my 1971 3/4 chevy pickup I got a lot of sway side to side when I got anywhere near 70mph and had to punch it to straighten it out and then brake back down to speed just my experience I never really towed much with it so I never did much to the suspension to help it I only towed the old chevy Home and never did that again.

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I'm expecting to do some beefing up of the rear end.

I picked up the truck yesterday. At first I loaded the truck up to tow with the Trailblazer but that just didn't work out well.

I swapped em around and did pretty good. The only real issue was with the rear end squated a bit and being an AWD truck acceleration was a bit lacking and steering felt a bit less responsive than it should have been.

 

I was hauling a dual axle 20' hauler with dovetail and electric brakes.

 

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  • 5 months later...

Just got back from a 750 mile trip with 1,700# in the back of the SSS. THIS TRUCK IS A WIMP! :angry:

 

On the rear suspension bumpers. Every bump smashed the bumpers. After

about 100 miles, there was no "thump" on bumps, but a "bang" (no more rubber left). Braking was downright dangerous.

 

I'm replacing the jounce bumpers today, and noticed a shock leaking (blew it out!). Rear shocks have overload springs built on them. Is this stock on the SSS with towing package?

 

Any shock recommendations?

 

I'm afraid my "trophy" truck will have to have a new owner if it can't earn it's keep, hauling a load every once in a while. Towing the open trailer and race car, put it on the jounce bumpers on every bump, with only 500# tongue weight. I was hoping (based on factory published specs) this truck would do menial labor, but I am assuming I have a "snowflake"!

 

Be on the look-out for a for sale ad...

Edited by FASTDIESEL (see edit history)
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