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One final comment to the resident imbecile who simply cannot shut his ignorant cake hole.
Regarding the huge old wagons...
1. Are they built on heavy full-length steel frames, like a 2WD 1/2 ton pickup? Yes.
2. Are those heavy full-length steel frames IDENTICAL to those of a 2WD 1/2 ton pickup? No, and I never said they were.
3. Do they have similar - and in some cases identical - drivetrains to the 2WD 1/2 ton pickup? Were their engines often bigger, and more powerful than those in the 2WD 1/2 ton pickups Yes.
4. Do many of the parts interchange with those on 2WD 1/2 ton pickups? Yes.
But yeah, you're right. They're NOTHING alike.
Did the huge old wagons have stiff rear suspensions to handle the trailer tongue weight?
Could you get a 4.10 rear axle ratio for towing in the old station wagons?
Well about all of those only got around 10 mpg, I have a '73 Grand Ville that gets around that, lol. Sounds like you either had a LeMans, but probably was the really big one, either a Catalina Safari or Grand Safari (based on the Grand Ville). Either could be had with or without the woodgrain option.
Hmmmm.......
"Catalina" sounds vaguely familiar but it was a long time ago.
It didn't have woodgrain - it was a maroon color, and if I remember correctly, so was the interior.
The Chevy might have had woodgrain - I at least remember it was two tone something.
Big, solid cars that I always felt safe in and that had plenty of room for all my kids.
Except for the mpg, I actually wouldn't mind having another one - to be the mommy to my little '90 Chevy Cavalier wagon I have now.
Did the huge old wagons have stiff rear suspensions to handle the trailer tongue weight?
Could you get a 4.10 rear axle ratio for towing in the old station wagons?
Do any of you guys actually remember these wagons? Seriously? Do you know what parts went into them, and what people did with them - and what they towed with them?
But yeah, you're probably all correct. The 28' Sovereign Airstream didn't weigh 6,200 lbs (empty) or anything. No sir.
Last edited by GarageLogic; 04-11-2013 at 11:34 AM..
They were big cars that used the chassis from smaller cars,( with rear frame extensions)
adding this extra weight lowered the towing capabilities.
I still have no prof they used rear diff from a truck...
and even if some did, this does not mean it is as roustabout as a truck or that it can handle the same load a truck can.
Do any of you guys actually remember these wagons? Seriously? Do you know what parts went into them, and what people did with them - and what they towed with them?
Do you always answer legitimate questions with other questions?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ram2
Did the huge old wagons have stiff rear suspensions to handle the trailer tongue weight?
The big wagons all had coil springs as far as I know, and I believe all the domestic full-size trucks ran leaf springs after 1972. If you put a trailer with much tongue weight behind a wagon you had to have air shocks or you were sure to ruin a tire.
Quote:
Could you get a 4.10 rear axle ratio for towing in the old station wagons?
Back in the COPO days you could get darn near anything you wanted. But as a rule, no. Mid-3's was probably as close as you could get off the showroom floor.
That being said, although a low (or high numeric) gear ratio is optimal for towing heavy loads, it's certainly not essential. Most of the trucks I've used to tow have been mid-2's to low-3's.
The 28' Sovereign Airstream didn't weigh 6,200 lbs (empty) or anything. No sir.
You're right. It didn't. In fact, I don't believe it ever existed. The earlier Sovereigns were 30', later ones were 31'. The 28' Airstream model was the Ambassador.
Oh, and the weight? Maxed out at 5000 gross (fully loaded) in 1977, after the era of behemoth wagons had passed.
You're right. It didn't. In fact, I don't believe it ever existed. The earlier Sovereigns were 30', later ones were 31'. The 28' Airstream model was the Ambassador.
Oh, and the weight? Maxed out at 5000 gross (fully loaded) in 1977, after the era of behemoth wagons had passed.
My uncle had a '73 or '74 Caprice Estate wagon for over 30 yrs and while he relegated the cruiser to weekend hauler when gas prices skyrocketed & rationing & shortages gripped the country, he said he averaged about 8 or 9 mpg when he was commuting. He bought the huge wagon because he & his friends were part-time fixer-upper/flippers and they needed a vehicle that could carry 4x8 sheets. He had a truck before that but back in the 70's crime in LA was so bad that you couldn't leave any tools or materials out in your bed in plain sight without it getting jacked.
Do you always answer legitimate questions with other questions? Sometimes the answer to a crazy question is another question. Do YOU remember load levelers? Do you remember how individuals - and even some companies - modified the suspension under those old wagons?
The big wagons all had coil springs as far as I know, and I believe all the domestic full-size trucks ran leaf springs after 1972. If you put a trailer with much tongue weight behind a wagon you had to have air shocks or you were sure to ruin a tire. The guys that towed heavy trailers with those wagons almost always beefed up the rear suspension - much the same was that I've done on vehicles over the years.
Back in the COPO days you could get darn near anything you wanted. But as a rule, no. Mid-3's was probably as close as you could get off the showroom floor. That being said, although a low (or high numeric) gear ratio is optimal for towing heavy loads, it's certainly not essential. Most of the trucks I've used to tow have been mid-2's to low-3's. The guts of those differentials were the same. Same spider gears, same ring gears, same pinion gears, same bearings. Most of the differential housing were the same, though they had different suspension mounts welded to them depending on the vehicle they went under. It was when you got into the heavier trucks that things changed.
The bottom line is that people towed the hell out of those old wagons, and they stood up to it.
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