Cargo/people don't put stress on the frame directly. Gear down for more torque, in a FWD vehicle that doesn't have alot of torque to offer for towing to begin with. Either way- the car is geared for commuting/gas mileage-ie longer gears, not for towing-ie shorter gears.

Removable hitches still leave a visible reciever. If your car ever has to be towed its something else to worry about clearance wise.

 

the maxima has enough power to pull anything, thing is you can neither get the traction, nor the structural strenght to do so.... if only power made things go, then we would have tricycles with hitches

 

Go for it. I towed an rx7 with my car, thats about 3000lbs and we didnt have any problems....except for some snapping tow cabels, hehe.

 

LOL, care to explain then *what does* transfer load from a hitch or car seat or trunk floor to the suspension? It ain't the gas tank or body panel

Dave

 

Ok guys, so its too long to ask on this thread, I didn't found a thread better than this one so my question goes....

I am moving from CT to TX and planning to tow my stuff with my 97 Max, stock, considering 500LB of passenger + cargo weight, how much should I tow maximum ( trailer weight + Cargo weight ) safely, and what it can be detrimental to my car for this one time hauling of around 2000 Miles....I simply checked U-haul option and one way is costing me 2 grands (U haul truck + trailer to tow my car), I baught Maxima in 2007 for $ 3700 , it already has 145K mile on it....will appreciate response...

 

Check the owners manual, it might have this info.

 

As much as the OP has already stated that he's changed his mind on this - a couple of things to consider.

FWD and boat ramp - honestly the front tires are on dry ground - load balance would be the only issue with traction. I still wouldn't recommend towing anything with your Maxima since it wasn't really designed for having a hitch...

Toyota Trucks are ok - but you should consider an UPGRADE to a Nissan Hardbody/Frontier truck for you towing needs.

and on that subject I've seen a Hardbody with a VG30DE swap - nice wide tires and a class 3 tow package... They had no problems towing a 16' Cobia with a 75hp Merc Outboard (can we say heavy boat, with heavy motor) -

 

u can tow a trailer no problem. the VQ got more than enough power

 

guys this is not a question of sufficient engine power. its about safety.
tires and brakes are the concern in this case.
I think its would be ok to tow ~700lbs

 

The OP was referring to a 3,000 lbs boat/trailer combo... which in my experience is a bad idea on a front drive car, especially one not designed to have more than a class 1 hitch (which isn't recommended either)

 

V10 Touareg TDI by VW. you can tow a 747 with it

 

First, I've seen a post around here where this guy has a sweet maxima, maybe even a swap engine and he tows a big @$$ boat. I dont have time to search for the thread but its here on the org.

Second, I have a hitch on my car for towing bikes on a rack. Three bikes to be exact at about 30lbs a bike, plus the rack is about 100lbs on the tounge. You can tow whatever you want, I'd just pay close attention to the tongue weight. Make sure it's about 200lbs or less. You may have to have the axels moved on the boat trailer to balance it better. My family and I have done a lot of boat towing, everything from my 14' Jon Boat to 26" twin engine beasts...

You will be fine towing with the max for short trips(roundtrip under 20miles). I wouldnt open highway tow for hours. The launch ramp as others said is a big consideration, you may need more weight on the front end(ie friends on the hood). As i've seen a bunch of times---the ramps get wet and slick as H&ll---YOU w/ FWD will be losing traction!

I would drive it gingerly to say the least. And btw, I plan on towing a Jon boat w/15hp yamaha on a trailer this summer when I can find a deal.

 

MAximas have marginal brakes, one reason they are not rated to tow, Nissans in general have marginal brakes (warping rotors etc)