My '95 Caprice Classic STW, "Sally"

[Dragonwagon]

The same hitch fits B-bodies all the way back to 1977. It fits D-bodies, too, but I don't know how far back.

There's an owner's manual reference to 7,000 lb trailers with tow package and a load leveling hitch, but I understand load levelers aren't legal in Europe. Fleetwoods with the 3.73 rear were rated @ 7,000 lbs, but nothing officially goes that high for the wagons.

The tow pack added gearing, extra coolers, and the mechanical fan. Your car already has the coolers. I think your car will be fine towing 4K if trailer brakes are used (I believe surge brakes are mandatory in EU and thus built into the trailer) and you take things easy going uphill.

[sly]

I've towed ~3400-3500 pounds with my 93 vic. It gets a little sketchy in sweeping curves. My 03 Expedition weighs another 1500 pounds and the tow rating is 6050 pounds. Same load with that is no issue except accelerating since it's pretty much the same engine as what's in the 93 (2-valve 4.6L). The 93 will pull "harder" since it weighs 1500 pounds less, but the brakes are a LOT better on the Expedition and it will stop way faster with a trailer. This trailer also has no brakes. It's the back half of a pickup truck (81 F150). I wouldn't wanna town anything more than 3500 pounds behind one of these land yachts though they will pull 5K... the stopping isn't fun if the trailer brakes aren't there. Of course, it's also illegal to not have trailer brakes over 4K in Texas (3K in some other states that I know of). And since I can't find an electric brake kit for a Ford 9-inch rear axle, if I'm ever required to get trailer brakes for it, it'll probably be axle swap time (if not scrap time since it's a rust bucket).

[Dragonwagon]

This trailer also has no brakes. It's the back half of a pickup truck (81 F150). I wouldn't wanna town anything more than 3500 pounds behind one of these land yachts though they will pull 5K... the stopping isn't fun if the trailer brakes aren't there. Of course, it's also illegal to not have trailer brakes over 4K in Texas (3K in some other states that I know of). And since I can't find an electric brake kit for a Ford 9-inch rear axle, if I'm ever required to get trailer brakes for it, it'll probably be axle swap time (if not scrap time since it's a rust bucket).

If the F150 brakes are still there, you could convert them to surge brakes by changing the trailer coupler to one with a hydraulic actuator. If you shop carefully, new lines, new wheel cylinders, new shoes, and new spring hardware, plus the actuator, and you'll probably be into the project for less than the cost of a new axle with electric brakes.

https://www.pmstorese.com/titan-dico-4339700-model-60-drum-brake-actuator

[sly]

If the F150 brakes are still there, you could convert them to surge brakes by changing the trailer coupler to one with a hydraulic actuator. If you shop carefully, new lines, new wheel cylinders, new shoes, and new spring hardware, plus the actuator, and you'll probably be into the project for less than the cost of a new axle with electric brakes.

https://www.pmstorese.com/titan-dico...brake-actuator

Yeah... I've priced all of that. Swapping to a 3500# trailer axle with electric brakes would still save about a grand. The surge masters are really spendy. The electric over hydraulic is even worse.

[Arquemann]

I got the ALDL cable and the Scan9495 working. Took her for a spin with the live data on but I don't know jack shit of what I'm supposed to look at.
Here's a screencap of the transmission tab:

Link so you can maybe see better: https://img.aijaa.com/b/00225/15078030.jpg

[Arquemann]

My summer job contract ended on Friday, the few weeks I got to commute with this brough it very close to the 350k KM mark.

I've fixed a couple nicknacks, the 3rd brake light (a couple more times), gas struts, headlight aiming, armrest. Changed the plugs today, previous owner recommended I'd do it. The old ones were Champions aswell, looked pretty good and not too too old.
Some dumbasses those GM engineers, takes a special kind of idiot to engineer all accessories, AC & trans cooler lines, EGR pipes and wiring harness ALL on the right side of the engine. Took me 15 minutes to change the driver side plugs, over an hour for the right side.

The 3rd brake light has proved to be a total PITA, constant contact issues. The light is mounted on the rear glass, and the tailgate has spring loaded contacts which get pressed against the contacts on the brake light assembly thats fixed to the glass. A shit design, way too many loose contact points. I might jerry rig a different solution altogether, I'm thinking an LED housing attached to the rear headliner with zero moving connector points.

[friskyfrankie]

Any way to get an old Ford 3rd light and wire/mount that?

[Arquemann]

Any way to get an old Ford 3rd light and wire/mount that?

Doesn't really matter what it is, might get some cheapo from a industrial shop or go to the junkyard. Haven't put any though into this yet.

[gadget73]

don't suppose you could eliminate the spring contact crap and just use flexible wire ?

[Arquemann]

don't suppose you could eliminate the spring contact crap and just use flexible wire ?

It's a clamshell type tailgate, if you didn't know. I dunno how you'd do what you said. The spring contact crap is in the middle on top of the metal tailgate, and the glass contacts it there.
Like this:

[sly]

Yeah... that's not an easy fix to try to run that up to the top and install a light from the ceiling. Might be worth putting some silver (conductive) epoxy on the contacts on the glass. Obviously let it cure before closing the glass again. If that's not a good option (can't park in a garage), you can try using some packing tape over the contacts on the tailgate to keep the epoxy from curing to them and close the glass. If the contacts can be removed from the door during the curing period, that would be better.

The conductive epoxy is typically used for repairing the wire contacts to rear defroster grids. There's several varieties out there. The one I prefer is MG Chemicals 8331-14g. It's the one I used on the tab on my Expedition's rear glass defroster. Works very well.

[gadget73]

Ah, I was thinking the third light was up at the top near the hinge, not in the middle.

[Arquemann]

I have found the problem and the cause. There's poor contact because the spring contacts don't reach their counterparts properly.
That's all because the rear glass doesn't shut all the way! It latches but it's too far out. Weatherstripping tells the same story, barely touches the glass on the bottom edge.

I'll dismantle the tailgate tomorrow and see if the latch is adjustable/shimmable.


Today I got a gnarly stone chip on the windshield and went to get it fixed, there I noticed that the shock from the stone made a previous chip repair crack even larger. Glass guy found 6 big chips, 2 of which were repaired. I had them fix just the new one since it started cracking. The windshield is a piece of shit anyways, atleast 18 years old, probably original. Tons of small chips, scratches and one crack thats a couple inches long. And I don't want to replace it because it's crap. With my luck a new windshield would eat shit within a week, also getting new glass for a Caprice in Finland isn't the easiest or cheapest thing.

Since a couple weights have yeeted themselves, I got the summer tires rebalanced, old BFGs from 2011, guy at the tire shop chuckled: "you've got tread but they're hard as rocks and a couple aren't exactly round..." Good enough for this summer!

[sly]

Yeah... that would cause the bad contact for sure. Not making the contact at all does tend to not conduct electricity.

[Dragonwagon]

I have found the problem and the cause. There's poor contact because the spring contacts don't reach their counterparts properly.
That's all because the rear glass doesn't shut all the way! It latches but it's too far out. Weatherstripping tells the same story, barely touches the glass on the bottom edge.

I'll dismantle the tailgate tomorrow and see if the latch is adjustable/shimmable.


Today I got a gnarly stone chip on the windshield and went to get it fixed, there I noticed that the shock from the stone made a previous chip repair crack even larger. Glass guy found 6 big chips, 2 of which were repaired. I had them fix just the new one since it started cracking. The windshield is a piece of shit anyways, atleast 18 years old, probably original. Tons of small chips, scratches and one crack thats a couple inches long. And I don't want to replace it because it's crap. With my luck a new windshield would eat shit within a week, also getting new glass for a Caprice in Finland isn't the easiest or cheapest thing.

Is the tailgate completely up, or just at the first click? That would be a simple explanation for the misalignment. Note that unless it's completely latched, it probably won't let you use it as a side-hinged door.

PPG part number for the replacement windshield is DW1275 for the solar glass, or DW1274 for non-solar. The fit should be the same for both part numbers. A lot of the Chinese replacements use the 1275 part number for the non-solar glass. If you find a new windshield over there, it probably will be the regular glass unless it's used.