Towing with a Tahoe?
 

Any info good or bad? I will be towing a 944 on a trailex so not too much weight. Does it need beefier rear springs?

Thanks for any help!

Works fine. I tow with one (Escalade - same thing) with a steel trailer and LOTS of tools and parts. You are at least 500+ lbs lighter so ...

Mine has no problems. 1996 yukon

Late model (2004) 2WD Tahoe towing capacity is listed at 7700 lbs.

3000 for the 944 + 1000 for the trailer and you should still have plenty left for tools and spares.

I would just make sure the brakes are serviced. The mid 90's Tahoes/Suburbans are not known for good brake performance. Newer model is better but not great.

Thanks guys. All of my experience is with pickups with long wheelbases. The tahoe does not have as long a wheelbase so I want to make sure there are no "tail wagging the dog issues" although I realize that that can be a tongue weight issue. I am looking at a 97 4WD so the tow cap is around 6600 which will be fine.

My trail ex has no wagging with my 96. The trailers brakes help stopping,you should be fine .
On a do over I would have purchsed a newr body style suburban.

Towed with a 99 with an 18" steel trailer and never and sway or problems with torque. I use a weight distributing hitch. Now I tow a 20" enclosed Haulmark with it and its a brick so I do get a little sway when passing or being passed by tractor trailers but it still pulls the trailer, car and all the tools ect in the trailer just fine.

I'm also towing a 20' enclosed Haulmark with a Denali (Tahoe with more bling)and at close to 6500 lbs loaded - I get very little sway - and a decent 11 mpg.

I tow with a '96 Tahoe. Trailex. Agree with Greg, the brakes are really poor on the Tahoe. I have the smaller V8, and it's fine trailering on the flat, but somewhat challenged climbing a long upgrade ... like Route 15 (or whatever it is) through north central Pennsylvania going up to WG.

Ah, well there is that. We have to make sure to get enough tongue weight and with the soft springing (wonder if the Escalade is softer?) I had to either beef up the rates or get a distributing hitch. I replaced the rear shocks with Monroe air shocks (about $100 for 2) and that beefed it up enough to work better. This year I'm going to use a distributing hitch in hopes that the load placement won't be so critical.

Mine is a 99 so I have the same crappy brakes (rear drums!) as, I think, your 97. Got some Hawk front pads from WestonMotorsports which REALLY helped.

I had an 02 Tahoe, I third the terrible terrible brakes. I towed my 996 on an open steel trailer with it. Unless the tongue weight was perfect, it was sway like crazy. The truck is too short. If the tongue weight was good, then I could go my normal 80mph tow speed.

Going back I would put on a load balancing and sway kit. Sounds silly I know with an open trailer, but I was in some very very scary tail-wag-the-dog situations. Most notably going down hill on the PA turnpike, truck on one side, going 80 mph and accellerating....what do you do? ride it out or brake?

On the last of the old body style (thru '99) Tahoe/Yukon the brakes ARE terrible...the front calipers reportedly suffer from a lot of flex, giving poor brake pedal feel. In addition to better pads, check the rear drum self-adjusters--they often don't, because they corrode and freeze up.

As for trailer sway, 1) increase your tongue weight 2) use a weight distributing hitch (factory spec says required for trailer over 5000#) and 3) slow down. IMO towing @ 80mph is insane. You aren't driving your Porsche!

You should see me with my dually and my 2 car open trailer.....

That's a far cry from an '02 Tahoe!