What is the 91's towing capacity? I know its not much but I was wondering what size trailer I could use. I need to move a couch and 2 dressers (empty) and some small boxes.

 

dude why not find you a truck to use/barrow . does your max have a hitch.

 

You can even rent trucks from Home Depot (around here anyways) it is very reasonable like $29.00 for the first 90 minutes or something like that. enterprise chrages like $70.00 per day plus tax and blah blah blah. I don't imagine there is any solid point in the back of the max to attach a hitch anyways. Someone with a new BMW 3 series came to the shop to have a hitch installed. It was aftermarket for a BMW. It attached by drilling holes into the sparetire well and bolting through that thin sheet metal. Liiks like one good gudt of wind against the trailer and it is shearing the hitch out.

 

http://www.hitchsource.com/docs/cu/11253.pdf

 

I've seen a few Max's locally and on the forums that have hitches. The most I've seen anyone tow was a jet ski. I'd have to double check to see if the Max is actually given a tow rating, I think it does. I'll see if I can find it.

 

the only thing i haul with my max is ***.

 

According to the owners amnual, gross trailer weight is 1000lbs.

 

Thanks, was in the middle of downloading Adobe so I could open your link Wayne.

 

i would say it would depend on which trans you have if auto how far are you towing it if short distance 1000lb sounds fine but i wouldnt do much more unless you have a big cooler if manual as much as the hitch can handle proboly up to 2-3k

manufactures tow rating are basicaly sugestions but they mean very little to what the vihicle is cabable of towing

 

Subs: I'd disagree. Although the drive train may be able to pull, this is more an issue about the ability of the car's metal and suspension to handle the weight/load.

Personal experience, I had passengers and load in the trunk exceeding 1k lbs and I hit a dip in the road and busted my spring. Broke in two.

I trailer simply sitting on a hitch is not the only estimate of weight that has to be considered. You have to look at subsequent increased weight which occurs due to dips in the road, added weight and strain when acclerating and stopping, etc.

 

what did you have that wieghed 1k in trunk

i understand but personally if my max had a hitch and i didnt have a choice but to use it i would trust it with that much wieght no problem i would not worry about my springs braking i could see them bottoming out but because ive never heard of another max braking one yours was proboly a fluke but you have to be smart while towing go slower give yourself more braking distance and whatnot

 

do you know how much this all weighs yet? uhaul rents for $20 a day or something like that don't they? http://reservations.uhaul.com/Reserv...b/Default.aspx

 

at least that one mounts to some portion of frame or reinforced metal. I shoed the guy the hitch on HIS BMW and he still insisted on having it. After installing it per the directions and adding extra reinforcement where I could, I shoed him you could move the hitch around since it just flexed the sheet metal.

 

Subs: I simply had a huge box built too thick and with the wrong wood, battery, capacitor, two 12" subs, loaded toolbox. But, I also had a full load of passengers which should be taken into consideration. I'm 330lbs and had two other adults about 200lbs each as well as two kids. I think I also had a full tank of gas. Before this, I never really gave much thought to passenger weight, but Nissan does provide that information. I think I exceeded it!

Ninja: You just have to make a determination on two factors. First, is installing a trailor hitch the most cost effective way of doing what you need? Second, safety; what is the weight of what you're trying to haul? Not all furniture is created equal. If this is heavy stuff, I recommend against using your car to tow it. If not that heavy, then you determine whether your brakes, engine, tranny, suspension, and sheet metal can handle it. Ultimately, you know your car better than us. Your question has been answered about towing capacity as well as the need to consider whether you have additional stuff loaded in your trunk and back seat as well (weight). Good luck.

 

Do you have an automatic transmission?

I would suggest you not tow anything with it.

 

Hi - I have a 90 maxima - someone put a tow hitch and electrical plug on it so obviously it has done some towing but....and here's the big question. I am planning on driving it from WA state to Arkansas and would like to tow a small trailer behind me (automatic tranny) but think I should not do it. If I was to try and haul anything, it would only be some boxes of kitchen stuff and keeper type things, computer and tv, etc. I'd love to stick a mattress in there but then we're going up in size so probably not a good idea.

First reason - it's a 'new' car for me and altho it runs nicely/strongly it does have some age type problems -- electrical issues and needs brakes - all fixable but not knowing how good the care has been in it's past - well, how good the tranny and engine would be on the long haul, it just doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Second reason - weight vs size vs long distance etc.

Third and most important reason - I'd like to get to AR without breaking down. Why am I asking you all? Because people keep telling me because it's a 6 cyl it can haul things! I'm not dumb enough to think that's the only thing to consider - so I'm asking you experts - anyone ever did any long distance hauling and if so - how did it go? Thanks!!

 

the motor itself is good for towing, heck, the V6 Nissan Pickup used the same engine.

But... the auto tranny used with the SOHC motor (which all 89-91 maximas had) was not really made all that well... even on flat land and and well-maintained, the trannys still fail quicker than you might expect. Add towing and a good bit of mountain driving from WA to CO... it's gonna be REAL hard on that tranny.

It's just an achilles heel of the 3rd gen max.. it would suck to break down somewhere in utah and have to either pay to get your car fixed on the spot, or get a truck and tow your car behind it (tho you may as well just do that from the get-go) and then get it fixed once you reach Arkansas. Sorry this wasn't the answer you were hoping for.

 

i would personally say dont go for it. the cars 18 years old and IMO its not really good to give it a workload like a trailer. if its just a couple of couches and dressers, i would just rent a small U-haul for $19.95

 

You say the car is new to you. how many miles? has the tranny been rebuilt? if 100k+ and no to rebuild. I'd say hell no.

pretty much no to everything unless u plan on getting a new car / tranny rebuild that much sooner.

 

if the above has not convinced you against towing with it, then at the very least add a heavy duty plate style trans cooler, and drain the trans fluid and replace it with a high quality synthetic trans fluid and Lubegard Red additive.

 

I have a tow hitch mounting under my max. was there when I bought it.

Since you guys don't recommend towing with it, I would be better off taking it off the max and reduce some unneeded weight then?

 

that would be my suggestion. then you aren't tempted to use it

edit: it may not be too bad if it is a VE or a 5-speed, but I still don't think it's a great idea to try to haul stuff with our cars.

 

if youre never going to use it i say take it off. like you said its excess wait, plus its kinda ugly

 

yea.. there's only one person i know that doesn't tow but likes their hitch- cuz their car is lowered a LOT and the hitch keeps the back end from bottoming out on the bumper.. it hits the hitch instead. but other than that, might as well remove it.

 

I DO NOT OWN THIS PHOTO IT BELONGS TO MAXUS09.COM AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE INTENT OF THE PHOTO ABOVE WAS JUST TO SHOW THAT THE CAR CAN HANDLE A SMALL LOAD OF TOWING CAPACITY, ONCE TURBO'ED

 

the issue isn't the engines, it's the drivelines.. the VG30E can tow a small trailer just fine in the Hardbody pickup, heck, you can tow a small trailer with a 4cyl Tacoma with just 2.4L!

 

But even more important than the drive train is the brakes! Stopping is just as important as going

 

troof! just do what i did and you'll be good to go in the braking department. my brakes (5.5gen maxima in front, "z31 upgrade" in the rear) can go noticeably longer than stock brakes with no fade.. fronts are 2mm thicker and .6" bigger diameter.. rears are 2mm thicker and 1.1" bigger diameter than stock. o and always use good quality pads. Autozone pads are a good way to get yourself or someone else killed.

 

i know i know..i was only throwing in a little joke in there for laughs

 

I appreciated it....

on a side note - do the 5.5 brakes clear stock rims?

 

almost entirely certain that they won't.. i have some stock rims (both GXE and SE) laying around that i can try out tomorrow cuz i'm gonna rotate my tires tomorrow anyhow.

 

+1 on everything discussed soo far.
Owner's manual says about 1/2 - 3/4 of a tonne, but I've towed a bit more.
Points are drilled in the back for a "hitch" or "towball" or whatever people want to call them, I've got one for sale, want it? haha
Rent a truck for a day.
Keep in mind that pushing your weight "limit" will still have your max's *** sagging on the ground like an old ladies rack....and you don't want that. Rent a heavier vehicle, do the job right the first time, and in one go (not 50).
If towing with an auto, use lower gear ratio's and keep overdrive OFF until you've unloaded (no kids, O/D is NOT 4th gear, its your drive-train's second ratio)

 

On the VG a/t, the VE a/t, and every other modern a/t i've ever read about, O/D is 4th gear.... not some sort of hi/lo selector like 4wd trucks have. http://boredmder.com/FSM/Nissan/Maxima/1994/at.pdf pg at-330 you see the gear ratios, and where it says "OD switch position" ON (D4 meaning you CAN use 4th gear) and OFF (D3 meaning you can't go past 3rd). It's the only gear on the tranny that is under 1:1 hence being 'overdriven'. Gears 1-3 are totally unaffected by the o/d switch.. putting o/d enabled just simply lets you also go into 4th gear. Of course any position on the gear selector is just a 'gear range' ie, 2 means 1-2, D w/o O/D is 1-2-3, and D regular means 1-2-3-4. Sorry to bust your *****, cuz i know you know your ish 99% of the time but everyone makes mistakes.

I agree with your suggestion to leave OD off if you want to tow with an auto tho.

 

I can see how O/D is in regards to D3 and D4,
My point was in general, what O/D is.
My work vehicle, 5 speed, has O/D...and like my Maxima...the computer controls it without triggering the light...it'll turn it on and off as it see's fit
There's a big misconception on this forum in particular, that O/D is an auto only thing, and that in ANY auto, it means the final input ratio.
Turning O/D on/off in 1 / 2 / 3 makes a noticable RPM difference.
Anyway, yeah O/D off for towing, otherwise the poor thing would struggle in low gears / low RPMS / heavy weight. O/D should really only be turned on once your at a 'cruisin' speed. I sometimes turn it off in stop-and-go traffic

 

Nope - you are wrong!................ not if your vehicle performs as per design specs in the 3rd gen AT FSM ............... On the 3rd gen OD is exactly a single gear (4th gear) that can be selected only once conditions are right and you are in 3rd gear traveling at the right speed - there is no overdrive facility in any other gear but 3rd gear on the 3rd gen autobox.

See the band and clutch application/actuation chart on eg AT16

If your OD switch affect revs in any gear other than 3rd you need to investigate what is going imo...............

 

In every Maxima I've driven, infact every auto I've driven, I've noticed RPM difference in sub-final gear ratios from the O/D switch....every auto I've ever driven has had some kind of problem with its transmission eh?
Off topic - back to chit chat about towing now!

 

No - don't run away.

Be active, participate, make us all better informed and post the differences in revs you experience in each gear with and without OD on a 3rd gen .................. for either you have a screwed-up auto or I do.

Don't go and generalize about ALL autos or even ANY OD design on ANY other vehicle either manual or auto - stick to the 3rd gen's auto box and the OD design limitations.

 

OK, I've driven 4 3rd gens....they ALL make an RPM difference in ANY input gear ratio, even when restricted to 1 or 2....maybe this is another Australian specification thing as well? God only knows why that is....or maybe Nissan only knows why that is.
Higher on the RPM band, it feels like a shift, and fair call, but why would that be the case?...why wouldnt Nissan just make a box with 1 - 2 - 3 - D - N - R - P setup? (I've seen that setup, with O/D on aussie vehicles, but not oversea's produced vehicles).
Explain how you can feel O/D engaging / disengaging at the command of the computer, between shifts, while accelerating....?
Maybe this needs its own thread for friendly debate....

 

Perhaps a dedicated thread is the answer but it still doesn't detract from the basic design of the 3rd gen auto box with OD:

There is not a single place in the AT manual where you can show the operation of the box to follow anything other than a basic 4 speed auto box with lockup - given temp and speed governing factors.

I don't have to explain such behavior because on a 3rd gen it simply doesn't exist - on my 3rd gen I have 3 shift points and a lockup I can feel when going from 1 to OD in "D" mode and the box at normal operating temps - thats all. If, in your case you indeed have an OD feature on all gears, you will be able to find at least 2 (while in 1st and 2nd gear) and perhaps 3 (while in 3rd gear including "TC lockup") rev values for any given road speed within the rev limits of the engine that you can post when using the OD button in the off and on position.

Its you that are saying you can feel and experience more - notwithstanding the design parameters of the box.

The OD button on the stick serves exactly that purpose in a working box - it manages the working/activation of OD very well........................... as I already said - either you have a screw-up box or I do ........... no 2 ways about it.

 

Personally I would not put any tow weight on my car simply because the Maxima is a sports sedan and was not really designed to tow anything. Rent a truck dude, its just not worth the risk.