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Towing a trailer with a Second Gen T/A - SUCCESSFUL!

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kboehringer:
Hello Firebird Friends,
It has been a very long time (several years) since I was active on this board.  I apologize for the absence.  At one time, I was quite active here when in the midst of restoration & resto-MOD of my '79 T/A.    In the years since my last activity I have gone off the deep end into my motorcycling hobby acquiring and restoring Vintage Yamaha Motorcycles.

Recently, I was planning to attend the Annual Vintage Yamaha Rally in Stecoah, North Carolina.   Typically, over the last several years,  I've rented a large cargo van to carry my bikes to the rally.  Unfortunately, the cost of the rental has gotten out-of-hand.   Last year's expense for one week was well in excess of $1000!   I decided something different was required.

Although I own multiple vehicles, I own no trucks and only small sedans incapable of towing multiple motorcycles.  HOWEVER, the 455 equipped T/A has more than enough POWER to drag a trailer with a couple bikes!

Having found absolutely NOTHING ANYWHERE to point me toward a towing package for this ole' girl. I MADE MY OWN!







In addition to dragging the bikes to the rally, I had the opportunity to run "The Dragon" Rt 129 in North Carolina/Tennessee with the Ole' Girl!   What a heck of a lot of fun it was to drive this ole' machine through those twisties!   ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE I stopped with this machine I received significant looks, thumbs-ups, comments, and even folks taking photos of the machine.   People with significantly better quality (and higher value) machines were snubbed in favor of the Ole' T/A.   These machines sure do hold a place of love in the hearts of everyone.   Although several inquired, this T/A will NEVER be sold only transferred to children or grandchildren when I'm eventually too old to drive or maintain it.





The only PROBLEM I experienced during towing of the trailer was the quality of the OEM rear brakes.   My fronts have been upgraded to slightly better than stock with SS lines, drilled/slot rotors, new calipers, and higher quality pads.  However, the rear drums were not really up to the task of draggin' a trailer through the up/down mountains and twisites of the North Carolina mountains.   I'm looking to upgrade the rear to a higher quality disc set-up ASAP.   I'll be looking for some advice as I have multiple questions and concerns about some of the aftermarket offerings.

If anyone is truly interested in the hitch set-up I fabricated I'll post the photos and details.  However, I'd rather not waste the time if no one else is interested.

I'll be asking for some advice on those rear brakes.  I'm hopeful you'll be willing to provide some guidance?

Sincerely,
Kurt

FormTA:
Hey, welcome back! I love the look of your car. Never owned a blue one before. Before the crash, I had a thread on trailer hitches for these cars as I wanted to tow a micro camper at one point.  There were aftermarket hitches available back in the day and I actually found one at one point.  They bolted to the rear crash bar but their towing capacity was limited. I have seen old adds showing these cars towing boats so there had to be other options out there.

As for the brakes, if you have the 17" snowflakes you can run the 4th gen rear disks. That is what I have on my LS swapped TA. They are awesome and stop the car on a dime. The feel is great too, just like a modern car. If you have stock size rims you can run the later S10 rear disks.  I am currently working on S10 axle and I will verify this for myself but many have said they fit.

Thanks for the pictures!

kboehringer:

--- Quote from: FormTA on October 08, 2023, 07:49:00 AM ---....SNIP .....  If you have stock size rims you can run the later S10 rear disks.  I am currently working on S10 axle and I will verify this for myself but many have said they fit.   >>>SNIP

--- End quote ---

Hi FormTA,
Thanks for the welcome back.   My T/A has the OEM 15' flakes so the 4th set-up is apparently out of the question.  I might try to find an S10 in the local pull-a-part to see how hard they are to find.

Does anyone have some input on STOCK WS6 Second Gen Rear Disc?  Is it worth chasing a used set-up?   OR, are the aftermarket kits superior?

My BIGGEST concern with the aftermarket set-up (Right Stuff Detailing RSD-AFXRD07S w/provision for parking/e-brake ~$700) is being stuck buying pads and rotors from this company in the future.  Being able to go to AutoZone, O'Reillys, or anywhere else for a set of pads may make the OEM 2nd Gen Set-up worth chasing?

Kurt

5th T/A:
Beautiful Martinique Blue 78 TA, one of my favorites. The tail of the dragon sounds like a lot of fun. Something I have wanted to do for years.

Regarding your brake questions. Back in 1975 when I owned a 75 TA I installed a trailer hitch and would go camping with my friends StarCraft pop up camper. The camper weighed roughly 2100 pounds and I had no problems pulling or stopping the camper. But the camper was equipped with hydraulic surge brakes. My suggestion is no matter how you improve the braking performance of your car, consider adding brakes to your trailer (assuming it doesn’t already have them). It will give you an extra margin of safety. Especially during a pandemic stop,  helping you stop straighter and shorter.

Wallington:
Good to see you back, Kurt.
Ben in Aus.

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