Towing with m998 a

[Skrilex]

So I’m planning on selling my F350 and using the hmmwv as my primary heavy ute. But today I picked up a forklift using a drop deck trailer and the combo was about 9k and it had me thinking about the capacity of the hmmwv for towing. Now I’ve read about blah blah this and that with hp and everything and most all of it was nonsense when talking about the scope of use that the people were asking so I want to preface this conversation by saying this:

The towing jobs I will be asking of the hmmwv will be for short trips, very occasionally, so like 1x per year maybe, and if it can’t go over 40mph I don’t really care. Basically for renting a bobcat or towing a car on trailer home etc.

My trans and engine package are not stock, so disregard any concerns about that, which ultimately shouldn’t be part of a towing discussion anyway. Towing safety is more about frames and brakes and hardware etc.

I will be maintaining the use of the factory NP242 Tcase so the differentials and driveshafts will be sharing the load across 4 corners.

So, can hmmwv pintle hitch be used for the very occasional 10k tow job? Are there different versions of tow pintle hardware?

 

[diluted]

Brakes are not enough, suspension is way too soft.

 

[ken]

Yes there is a upgraded pindle mount for towing. It is straight across and is square tubing. It was a MWO upgrade. The cheesy one is kinda recessed under the tail gate. It is a C channel shaped part across the frame rails. If you have the airlift bumper you should be good. Something you might think about is the geared hubs and spindles. The spindle nut has been known to come loose and leave the truck. Moving that kinda of weight may increase the risk of separation. You might think about upgrading to the 12K parts for safety's sake.

 

[mkcoen]

Don't. The vehicle was not designed, engineered, nor meant to tow that kind of weight. You're asking for an accident, at any speed, and a lawsuit that will ruin your life, not to mention the possibility of ending someone else's. I could tow 10k with a Subaru but that doesn't mean it could be done safely or that, more importantly, it could stop when needed.

 

[Skrilex]

I was under the impression that heavy trailers provided their own braking. And to towing vehicles length and weight are a few other big factors, again not bad with hmmwv. As far as design, they came from the factory with pintle hitches and they use them on public highways so, not to sound dismissive but your response of “don’t” sounds a little off to me. We can agree
, I hope, that there’s some level of safe towing capacity for these rigs. So let’s find out where that number is.
I see reference to civy units rated to 8600lbs, but the various pintle hooks seem rated up to only 4400lbs

I think I may have towed way too heavy with cars in the past lol.

btw point of reference the H1s appear to have come with a rated tow cap of 7800+lbs which is about the most I’d want to ever tow anyway. So I guess I’m good as long as the hitch part is solid enough. I don’t have the airlift bumper, I have no bumper.

 

[SETOYOTA]

Sounds like you have made your decision. The HMMWV is not a tow rig. Keep your f350 for that

 

[Skrilex]

Sounds like you have made your decision. The HMMWV is not a tow rig. Keep your f350 for that

i might but I just don’t want so many cars gah! I currently have the hmmwv, the sprinter van, a convertible, a DD Ute, and the f350 which sits for months at a time doing nothing. I tend to get vehicular guilt when I don’t use them legitimately, and since I work mostly from home it gets even harder. So I was hoping the hmmwv could do all my truck duties for me, which would include occasional light and medium towing. Heck I tow with my DD (Suzuki) every week doing something or other.

 

[warcow105]

You aren't wrong, it should be capable of whatever they marketed the H1 as. Like every older vehicle, just make sure everything is mechanically sound. It would also be prudent to use a trailer with electric or surge brakes when towing heavier loads.


Mike

 

[Skrilex]

You aren't wrong, it should be capable of whatever they marketed the H1 as. Like every older vehicle, just make sure everything is mechanically sound. It would also be prudent to use a trailer with electric or surge brakes when towing heavier loads.


Mike

Roger that thx

 

[springer1981]

If I'm not mistaken the tow capacity of the HMMWV was around 3400 lbs. I have a curb weight in the 5500 pound range and a payload weight of 3200. The tongue weight should not exceed the payload weight.

With that said, the HMMWV was not used to tow tanks around, they would more likely have smaller trailers with supplies, munitions, generators etc. Doubtful that any of them towed even 3400 lbs.

I think the inboard brake rotors would be detrimental to towing larger weights. In a conventional truck the wheels are bolted directly to the brake rotors. When applying the brakes you are acting with direct force on the wheel and no other parts. In the HMMWV with the inboard brakes the CV joints on both ends of the half shafts, the splines into the geared hub, then gear teeth, and the splines to the hub ALL have braking forces applied before it applies any force to the wheel. Add to that large wheels that weigh a lot and you have a significant rotating mass that has to be slowed or stopped.

I know that when I apply my brakes at a slower speed and come to a stop I can feel the entire vehicle move a bit front to rear. This is all the play in the above mentioned parts, CV joints, gears etc. Conventional brakes on trucks don't do this at all.

A Pintle hitch has a higher rated towing capability but just because something has a Pintle hitch doesn't mean it was rated to tow at that capacity.

My personal opinion is you would be far exceeding the intended purpose of the vehicle and it towing capacity and it would likely break expensive parts as well as be very unsafe.

 

[Dock Rocker]

The hmmwv is rated for 4,500 lbs IF you have the A2 bumper and the bumper reinforcement kit. If you don’t it’s 3,400 lbs.

You are barking up the wrong tree trying to tow heavy with a hmmwv.




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[TOBASH]

btw point of reference the H1s appear to have come with a rated tow cap of 7800+lbs which is about the most I’d want to ever tow anyway. So I guess I’m good as long as the hitch part is solid enough. I don’t have the airlift bumper, I have no bumper.

An H1 is an H1 and a M998 is a M998. Things like towing capacity, rollover strength and braking don't necessarily carry over.

Keep the F350, or purchase a LMTV.

 

[Suprman]

Imagine if all that weight didn’t want to stop when you braked hard and all 4 axle shafts just snapped. Just the inertia of a free spinning wheel can easily snap a half shaft if you brake too hard.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

I’m sure everyone is aware that there is a TM for the truck and it’s ratings?

 

[Suprman]

And with heavy weight like that the transfer case will get chain bind you will have to drive backwards to unbind it.

 

[springer1981]

Imagine if all that weight didn’t want to stop when you braked hard and all 4 axle shafts just snapped. Just the inertia of a free spinning wheel can easily snap a half shaft if you brake too hard.

The likelihood of all 4 breaking at the same time is low HOWEVER if 1 breaks all the breaking force that wheel was applying is now transferred to the remaining 3 brakes. That is an increase in workload of 33% which is likely to break another half shaft. Then you are down to just 2 doing the work of 4. It would get bad really fast. If all 4 are broken then there is Zero stopping power since all the wheels would be freewheeling. Best case scenario is you only kill yourself and no one else. I just can't see it being worth risk under any circumstances.

 

[warcow105]

In other words, they are saying don't exceed the vehicles tow rating...


Mike

 

[Milcommoguy]

Here's a good place to find the TM's. https://www.hmmwvinscale.com/technicalmanuals.htm

Both the Trailer Manual, Tow Manual and the Take it apart Manuals.

TM's for everything and everybody.

CAMO

 

[98G]

The hmmwv is rated for 4,500 lbs IF you have the A2 bumper and the bumper reinforcement kit. If you don’t it’s 3,400 lbs.

You are barking up the wrong tree trying to tow heavy with a hmmwv.




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Emphatically this.

Exceed this, break things, crash, kill people. Badness....

 

[86humv]

...Take the body off, and put in on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck frame assy.....Good to go.