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M1009 Towing

CUCVSRK

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I know these trucks can tow a lot but the previous owner put an M1008 bumper on it and I question the strength when towing with the pintle hitch. What do you guys think how much would you tow with it?
 

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doghead

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How much do you think you need to tow?
 

doghead

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I don't think I would tow that much ever with an M1009.

3-3.5 K max. They are just too short for towing, imho.
 

CUCVSRK

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Well I wanted to tow a Jeep so if I take out the trailer and just pull it with the Jeep in neutral it should be 3,000 maybe 3,500 how about that?
 

doghead

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I can't tell from the pics, to make a good call, sorry.
 

FMJ

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Looking at the pics, the attachments to the frame look pretty beefy to me. . . . Grade 8 bolts, It looks like the guy who had it did it right.
 

CUCVSRK

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The bumper is bolted to 1/4 inch steel with grade 8 bolts and then welded and bolted to the frame with the same size bolts
 

K9Vic

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The frame would have had to have been cut back as that is what I had to do to put that same bumper on my Suburban. I can see that has been done and real clean straight cut so it was likely a saw blade over a plasma or touch, but could have been cleaned up. Yes I see grade 8 bolts and they are really expensive, but you have to use them to be safe. From what I saw I agree with what CUCVSRK and FMJ have stated.
 

MarcusOReallyus

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My Cherokee is rated to pull 5000, and it's done it a few times. That's quite a bit smaller than your M1009. I can't comment on your hitch question, but I think the vehicle should be capable of towing that.
 

scottladdy

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Modified M1009 Towing Capacity

A couple of things to consider:

1) The frame of the M1009 is lighter duty than the K30 based trucks
2) Tow rating is dependent on a number of considerations, which include:
a. vehicle strength (which it appears you are most concerned with here, my response is below)
b. drive train capability (10 bolt diffs vs K30 D60 and 14ff)
c. brake capacity (you have to be able to stop, M1009 is lighter duty than K30)
d. engine and transmission (if you have stock you should be OK, 'J' code and TH400)
e. and cooling system capacity (check the -10 TM, section 2-13.1. Specifically mentions procedure to use the cabin heater to keep heat down)​
3) Tow rating for the M1009 is 1200 lbs.


As far as the bumper is concerned, I am with Doghead. I have no way to tell if the structure will handle the load's you are describing, especially from the pictures provided. As this is a hybridized system, there is even more to consider.

I do have a question however, how did you get those trees to grow upside down? :grin:
 

scottladdy

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CUCV Towing Capacities.

:shock:

Are you sure about that? That's not tongue weight?
Pretty sure:
From the -10 (I fixed some obvious OCR issues)
2-14. TOW A TRAILER/AIRCRAFT
a.Towing Capacities of CUCV Models.

1) M1009. Equipped to tow M416 Series 1/4 ton trailers with maximum towed load
of 1200 pounds for both cross-country and highway travel. Load on tongue should
not exceed 100 pounds.


2) M1008, M1008A1, M1028, M1028A1, M1028A2, and M1028A3, Equipped to tow
M101 Series 3/4 ton trailers with maximum towed load of 3100 lbs. Load on tongue
should not exceed 300 lbs


Now, if you want to tow more, read a little further down on how to tow aircraft that exceed that 1200 lb. limit. Of course, max. speed is limited to 5 MPH but hey, that may be OK for what you need to do. :-D
 
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doghead

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I would bet those ratings take into consideration which trailers they are towing. Just look at the front A frame of an M416 or M101 trailer and you may agree.
 

MarcusOReallyus

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Hmmm. The m101 is rated at almost a ton capacity, and its empty weigh t is more than the 1200 lbs the M1009 is rated to tow???


What is going on here?


My Jeep Cherokee is factory rated to tow 5,000 pounds, and has. No problem.

The M1009 is a larger and heavier vehicle with a bigger, diesel engine.

And it's rated to tow LESS than an M101 trailer weighs EMPTY???


Sumpin' aint' right!
 

scottladdy

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I would bet those ratings take into consideration which trailers they are towing. Just look at the front A frame of an M416 or M101 trailer and you may agree.
Agreed.

View attachment 411530View attachment 411531

The -10 definitely intends to utilize the pintle vs. a frame mounted receiver. I believe the OP wanted to know if the pintle from the M1008 rear bumper mounted to the M1009 could handle the loads he mentioned. I am not of the opinion that the bumper is the primary limiter to towing capacity for his '09 configuration. It is a consideration though.

The closest I can come to approximating his situation is the ratings defined for the M1009's pintle in the -10. Brakes, axles, springs, frame strength and cooling capacity are the obvious limiting factors, in addition to wheel base which I believe you implied Eric. In addition to the trailer being towed, I believe these are also considered when establishing the ratings. Cooling being a significant concern, in my opinion, due to the specific procedures outlined in the -10 clearly intended to prevent overheating in the '09. Using the heater core as an additional radiator and opening the floor vents to keep personnel "comfy".

Just my $.02, but I wouldn't exceed 2000 with the frame mounted receiver I have on my M1009. Due to the limits outlined in the -10, I don't even consider the pintle to be a useful option for me on my '09. Heck, my wife's CR-V has a max towing capacity of 1500 lbs. :shock:

Not sure I would change that opinion if I had an '08 bumper on the '09.

Here's towing info for an '88 Civy K5 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2768966&postcount=5. This states that > 2000 requires load distributing frame mounted hitch.
And a link to the original glossy brochure that says total load can be 11,000 if properly equipped. But, that total includes vehicle weight, passengers, etc. http://coloradok5.com/brochures/1984/blazer5.jpg

Using this last piece of info., 11000 - 5200 puts the total load at 5800 or so for the '09, minus driver, minus this, minus that, ...
You can see where this is going. Of course, the Civy's had the 700R4 and the '09 has the TH400. Does this increase the rated load?
 

MarcusOReallyus

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Okay, found out a little more. The Cherokee is rated to 5,000 with a weight-distributing hitch, 3500 without. So.... allowing for an overly generous rating for the Jeep (probably thanks to a marketing department?) and an overly restrictive rating for the M1009 (due to usual military under-rating things) and you maybe have something in the same ballpark.

Still doesn't make sense.
 

Tplane37

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I have personally towed a K-5 with a K-5 on my trailer several times (my trailer is 1,681 lbs empty). I never trust a "bumper hitch" to tow anything, period. Personally, I would put a 2" receiver style, frame-mounted hitch on the M1009, a well-balanced car trailer, and tow the Jeep without giving it a second thought. However, note that I said "well-balanced" trailer, what I mean by this is that when the trailer is loaded, your main spring pack should not be down on the overloads, you want some tongue weight, but not excessive, the trailer should be holding most of the weight. If you have the option, ensure your trailer has brakes on it.

Basically, as far as "structural integrity" of the M1009, which doesn't appear to be rusted out, I wouldn't sweat it. As far as the overheating issue when towing, I wouldn't concern myself as much with this unless you are planning to tow something larger than the M1009 up hill through a Rocky Mountain pass (in that case, I would not do it). The biggest thing I would consider when towing with your M1009 is stopping. You need to ensure you can stop whatever you are towing, because that truck can PULL more than you could ever dream of stopping with it, and further more, because of how short the M1009 is, you need to ensure that you are not going to end up with "the cart in front of the horse" if you have to lock down on the brakes in an emergency.

As a general rule of thumb, I try not to tow anything that is more than 150% of the overall length of my tow vehicle, and I try to keep my load to the equivalent of whatever I am towing with + my trailer (e.g. if pulling with an M1009, then nothing larger than the M1009 on my trailer... if I am pulling with my dually, then nothing much larger than my dually on the trailer... usually). And this is all contingent on several other factors that are unique to every situation, such as how far are you towing? What are the conditions of the road, your equipment, the weather? Is there an alternative? How many hills are on the route? Can you re-route? What does your insurance company say, are you covered with the load you intend to pull? Have you made intentional, quality upgrades to your truck for the specific purpose of aiding in carrying a load? Do you have brakes on the trailer? Is your vehicle licensed to carry the load you intend to pull, weight-wise? Etc. This is just my input, ultimately you are responsible for your own actions in the end. And just because I have done something in the past just demonstrates that it CAN be done, not that is SHOULD be done again.
 
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