MX83 for a tow car?

[Bananaman]

you shouldn't be putting enough weight on the ball to be inducing massive negative camber, the tow bar is rated in two ways, maximum load and maximum ball weight, the latter is only around the 100kg mark, if its on its arse then you should probably try to fix the load up to be better balanced..

[Shakotan_Aaron]

i ment that the heavier the load the more it will push the car along under brakes (even if the trailer is braked). kinda like a train...?

[takai]

I used to tow my race car (AE86) around with an MX83. Worked fairly well, although it did get the shakes a bit at higher speeds.

[PRIMRK]

I'm starting to think i should just save up the pennies for a few more months and get a LS400, they can tow up to 2,000kg (provided i can get a tow hitch rated that high). Plus they have the V8 in them to start so it will end up costing less but the time i buy a cressida and convert it into a V8, and re do the god awful colour matched plastics and velour seats.

The car overall weighs 1,800kg so is a fair bit bigger than a cressy so it will hod the road better when towing and be less effected by my sprinter. Also having the V8 from the get go means i wont be shitting myself that ill go to top up the coolant and find thickshake...

This sound like a better option?

[Shakotan_Aaron]

I'm starting to think i should just save up the pennies for a few more months and get a LS400, they can tow up to 2,000kg (provided i can get a tow hitch rated that high). Plus they have the V8 in them to start so it will end up costing less but the time i buy a cressida and convert it into a V8, and re do the god awful colour matched plastics and velour seats.

The car overall weighs 1,800kg so is a fair bit bigger than a cressy so it will hod the road better when towing and be less effected by my sprinter. Also having the V8 from the get go means i wont be shitting myself that ill go to top up the coolant and find thickshake...

This sound like a better option?

yes.

some cam with and some without airbags.

they are fairly cheap these days too. plus look a bit better. oh and have bigger brakes (not sure if ucf10 had 4 pots or if it was only the ucf20).

a real pimp bus, love em.

either one of these or maybe a aristo? these are 5>8k for a average used one aristos are 7.5>11k typically. not sure how the 1uz fairs with alot of kays on it.

[PRIMRK]

1UZ has got a good rep of lasting well over 300 provided its looked after, and for around the 5k mark i think it may be worth a look.

[Shakotan_Aaron]

if i was to get one id have to get a top model with all the pimp gear like leather interior, airbags (with aftermarket hight controller), rear massage seats etc etc. not to mention they are the OG of VIP so plenty of aftermarket parts if you desided you want to modifiy it.

[PRIMRK]

Was the top one adm or just in j land?

[Shakotan_Aaron]

hhmm, that im not sure. i think Aus got them with all the goodies. may of only sold them under the lexus ls400 name? dont see that many with leather interior.

[Bananaman]

Don't think ls400's got airbag susp or massage seats. Leather is an option though. I considered these too before getting cressida

[RT104GT]

just called toyota australia, tow cap is 1700kg but...i can only find towbars rated to 900kg.

Also what was the issue with the head on the 7m's? did they get the wrong torque settings from factory or something?

Hi,
I do heaps of towing very heavy cars: I have done for over 5 years long distances over mountains and along the HUME.

TOW RULES vary state to state.
And NSW IMO very savage and RTA guys know their shit.
I have seen they book gray ghosts and make them leave caravans on highway.
One they will measure downforce on your tow bar using a special jack and maybe book you if its 100kg and not 80 kg.
Thus accurate placement of car on trailer really important.
There are as I understand it, two tow weights specified on TOYOTAS and others.
TRAILERS with BRAKES electric or hydraulic/mechanical.
TRAILERS without brakes.
Typical unbraked values are 900-1000 TOTAL weight in KG
Braked 1000-1500 KG TOTAL.
1700 KG for a medium car like a Cressida seems very heavy weight it must mean a braked trailer.

I have RAV4 SXA10 and 11, and its MAX towbar tow weight in the operating handbook, is 1200KG on the SXA11 (4wd wagon) the Max TOWed weight SWB SXA10 is 900 KG.

The other day I towed a GT4 home on my tandem.
My tandem has a registered weight of 450KG taken on a weighbridge and recorded on the rego papers,
and it is a construction trailer (2000kg) with a triple draw bar and hydraulic brakes.
So I was at 1750KG and 250 KG over my legal weight based on the car up 250 under the trailer rating.
No problem towing but I think if I had an accident and trailer killed someone would probably go to jail.

I saw an horrific crash on Newell in 2007 where a trailer skipped off and plowed head on into oncoming car.
So attention to safety chains and you have to use two not one.

However I digress, Your race car sounds lighter than what I tow.
I suggest you go by the numbers if you intend to do it regular like especially conside towing on freeways and ring roads and in peak hour, make sure car is chained down and choked and cant move.

Think of worse case scenario.
If you are sure of the trailer and how it tows and sure that loaded properly it wont walk you head on into a collision or like on the Hume when you are going uphill at 80K or down at 100 and a B Double overtakes you and his bow wave pushes your car front out then sucks it back in.
If you are not loaded right you could really get in the shit.

I got really lucky in Main St of Albury near the silo, approaching yellow light I used brakes and it was wet and trailer started to jackknife.
Eased off and tried again, felt shdder as my fronts locked up so hit second and went through a red light.
Missed everyone, those in next lane and those coming from main street.
Shit my undies,
Did not tow with that combo ever again (Hi Lux and borrowed trailer).

So suggest you do all the sums and then go test the combo in wet and dry and on gravel and decide how safe you are. My suggestion based on many interstate trips and no accidents, but got lucky I guess.
Im not trying top push my opinion just share my long distance towing experience of heavy combinations over long distances in all weather.

2 cents.

[RT104GT]

Also what was the issue with the head on the 7m's? did they get the wrong torque settings from factory or something?

Dont know answer to that, does anyone?

At hamilton two very nice MX83's in the yard.
Both 7MGE engines.
Look cooked to death.
One only has 183000 KM on it and I could have both cars for $500.
Tempting but asked the wrecker guys about the engines and was told both blew head gaskets, both auto so not driven hard.
if I knew the answer and knew I would not buy engines that would shit themselves would like to keep one of these and run 5 sp W58, but I guess its too risky and costly to repair and engine and then have it go again?

[takai]

Yeah, everyone pretty much knows the answer to that question.

Some numpty printed N/m instead of ft/lbs in the assembly manual, but didnt change the number preceeding it. Hence everything got undertorqued.

Commonly accepted fix is a $150 set of ARP studs and a new head gasket, and torque to ARP specs. Ive only heard of 1 BHG after this, and that was due to a blocked cooling system.