Ok I have my hitch designed. I know how I am going to mount it. Having my side exit exhaust system leaves me with a huge open area back there.

My question is who does use there Fiero for towing.

How much have you hauled with your Fiero. Is the suspension stock.

I know I am better that stock, as I already have the poly cradle and control arm bushings, the heavier spring rate due to the lowering springs and the torque of the 4.9 is substantially more than the 2.8 especially at low rpms.

I have Grand Am rear brakes so that should also help.

I plan to have a trailer for the main purpose of hauling other Fiero parts around, as well as when FieroChick and I take off on vacation each year it would be nice to have someplace to store extra stuff. Trying to carry 2 weeks of cloths and supplies in the car can be interesting when it is packed all around you in the cabin.

Well I just want input from anyone that has a hitch on there Fiero and actually uses it.

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85GT 5spd MSD Everything,4.9 With Nitrous. www.captfiero.com

I can't find a picture right off, but Doug Kinney used to use a Fiero with a trailer to haul other Fieros back to the FieroWarehouse. He used to have a picture of it on his website but it's not there anymore. And I can't remember if the Fiero he used for the pulling was stock or not.

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3rd Annual California Coast Run, November 11-13, 2005

Theres a picture somewhere of one of the Dole IMSA Fieros pulling another Fiero IMSA car on a trailer, so it can be done I guess.

I know Ed Parks used a 3.4 / 4.10 4spd combo with GA brakes on all 4 corners to haul Fiero's all over the darn country side, but even he admited it was white knuckle running on more than one occasion.

Fieroguru tows a fiero with his SBC fiero. He has posted pics of it.

I got some funny looks cruising at 75mph through the mountains of western maryland - that was with my 3.4 pushrod fiero and an isuzu tranny

I also have a friend who towes a popup camper with his gt

[This message has been edited by Kohburn (edited 11-08-2005).]

quote Originally posted by Kohburn: I got some funny looks cruising at 75mph through the mountains of western maryland - that was with my 3.4 pushrod fiero and an isuzu tranny I also have a friend who towes a popup camper with his gt

I love it!

Here is my trailer and tow vehicle:

19 cubic feet of storage compared the the 5ish of a stock fiero. We took it on the Power tour to FL and back. I took my hydraulic floor jack, 2 jack stands, two tool boxes, luggage for 2 for 2 week, folding chairs, and some other odds and ends.

Pulled fully loaded with a SBC/getrag up to 3500 RPM (speedo broken at the time). Spec stage 3 clutch, 12" corvette rotors on all 4 corners, poly everything, stock 88 coupe springs in the rear with 1 coil removed. Trailer was built to have minimal tounge weight (even loaded) but still not bounce on the ball empty.

Empty I think it is in the 500 to 700 lb range, fully loaded might add another 300 - 500 lbs depending on what you put in it.

Here is the build thread:https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/057971.html

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 11-08-2005).]

quote Originally posted by Kohburn: I got some funny looks cruising at 75mph through the mountains of western maryland - that was with my 3.4 pushrod fiero and an isuzu tranny I also have a friend who towes a popup camper with his gt

That would be Awesome with a nice SBC, you could still outrun people, lol that would be embaressing. "man I got my ass handed to me by two Fiero's at ONCE!! one was towing the other!!"

http://rnew.lonestarfieros.org/cargo.html

texasfiero and his "ME TOOO" trailer (ME TOO plates were already taken).

[This message has been edited by Cheever3000 (edited 11-08-2005).]

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: Here is my trailer and tow vehicle: 19 cubic feet of storage compared the the 5ish of a stock fiero. Empty I think it is in the 500 to 700 lb range, fully loaded might add another 300 - 500 lbs depending on what you put in it. Here is the build thread:https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/057971.html

Great looking trailer. Care to share info on mating the front and rear together?

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Ron
Freedom isn't Free, it's always earned.
My imagination is the only limiting factor to my Fiero. Well, there is that money issue.

quote Originally posted by blackrams: Great looking trailer. Care to share info on mating the front and rear together?

Thanks for the compliment! The build thead below the pic covers the vast majority of the build. If you have any other questions, just PM me.

I pulled a 2 wheel Uhaul trailer behind the 3.1 auto from DC to Wisconsin. I think the load was ~1300 + trailer. Nothing I'd ever do again though. I have a picture of it. One of these days I'll scan and post it.

-Rick

I'm fine with a buddy trailer or something similar to a motorcyle trailer, but just playing devil's advocate here, can we really consider pulling a trailer of any significant weight and without trailer brakes (especially the weight of another Fiero) safe? I will admit to doing some stupid stuff in my youth, pulling a home built trailer (converted 3/4 ton pickup bed with no brakes) loaded with firewood behind a Ford Ranger pickup (no hope of stopping in an emergency, but it can't be considered advisable.

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RickN
White 88GT 5spd
White 85GT Auto

The owner's manual says that a Fiero can tow 1,000lb.

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...Perfection....................................Lets go camping

Thank you "ALL"

That pretty much puts any concerns I have to rest about towing with the Fiero. I may even pick up a car dolley for emergency sake when a fellow club member is in need. (or I get offered that free Fiero for the cost of towing it out.) Which I have turned down for the cost of towing.

But mainly so I can keep the tranny's out of hte passanger seat, and wheels and tires from overflowing the trunk when I need to haul more than 2 at a time.

quote Originally posted by Capt Fiero: so I can keep the tranny's out of hte passanger seat.

That reminds me of the time I removed the passenger seat to go to ohio and bring back a ZF 6speed for my vette. There is quite a bit of room once the seat is gone, but then you can't take any passengers - well at least not any happy ones.

Been there as well, for refernce a complete GM Turbo 400 will fit in the passanger side with the seat removed it was for a 77 Trans-Am with 74 Running gear.

where can i get a trailer hitch for my fiero

quote Originally posted by fierosrule: where can i get a trailer hitch for my fiero

Any parts dealer..... Or any towing / rental places like Uhaul up in Canada here sell / install hitches... Now depending on how you want to run it, or how long you want it to be is another question....

Fiero Store use to sell a hitch for the Fiero, but for the cost vs designe I am having one built for me. The reciever is cheap, around 40 bucks, the raw steel for the hitch frame is around 50 bucks and then a couple of hours to set it up, drill some holes and get it welded under $200 CDN for a custom setup to work with my lowered Fiero. I will be happy.

I have towed this around the neighborhood a couple of times. Mostly just to say that I have done it. I mainly put on the hitch to use one of those hitch platform things. Helps a lot when moving back and forth from college. Everyone always laughs when they see this picture cause normally my car is on the trailer not towing hte trailer.

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Chris

3.4 TDC SWAP COMPLETED...this is going to be a fun car

lol. This is why I'm keeping my bronco, much better at towing THe guy that sold me mine has a notchie identical to mine. He always tows stuff with it. If anyone remembers that POS trailer I got mine home with, he towed his diablo body across country with his fiero on that. I dont see how a fiero could even pull that thing over a speed bump it sat so low lol, my bronco had to drag it across stuff usually heh

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thanks

Thanks for the mention Chuck. We go EVERYWHERE in our Fiero

http://rnew.lonestarfieros.org/images/astrogt.jpg

quote Originally posted by Cheever3000: http://rnew.lonestarfieros.org/cargo.html texasfiero and his "ME TOOO" trailer (ME TOO plates were already taken).

Bringing er back from the dead.

Well I installed my hitch today.

I was all set to build one, then I saw them at fierostore for cheap. Then I find that a club member has a hitch already on a Fiero and they really don't ever plan to use it. We offer them 100 bucks CDN, ($90 USD) for it, and they agree.

I am pretty sure this is the same hitch that the Fiero store sells.

Well I am happy that it is now installed. Now it is just a matter of getting trailer lights wired in. After that I can start looking for a trailer, and checking out what plates cost and insurance cost for a trailer up here. This is going to be so handy.

Please ignore the bad paint. It really looks worse in the pics than it does in person. LOL. I really need to get the car painted.

But here are the hitch pics.

I have the same hitch on my gtp, and I wouldnt put much of any tounge weight on it, maybe like 400lbs max. It says it is rated to tow up to 600lbs.

Isn't tongue weight the force being exerted down on the hitch not the pulling weight.

I think I remember from a Fiero racing list thread that optimal tongue weight was about 60lbs. This hitch is bolted to the frame rails on the Fiero with 4x 1/2 bolts. (19mm heads) Basically 4 wheel studs with nuts on them. Then 1/8" plate re-enforcements behind the heads of the bolts where it goes through the frame rails.

I can't see how this hitch would work on anything but a Fiero.

It is very close to the one that the Fiero store sells. However my question is, how do you tell the size of the receiver. Do you measure across or diagonally.

[This message has been edited by Capt Fiero (edited 05-18-2006).]

just straight across the width of the hole..
yours should be a 1-1/4"

Here's a pic of my 84SE and the trailer we use, works great when the two of us are on the road as the trunk just doesn't cut it.


We have the Fiero Store hitch, it works well with the trailer but it's more visible with the coupe facia as apposed to the aero facia.

quote Originally posted by Capt Fiero: Isn't tongue weight the force being exerted down on the hitch not the pulling weight. I think I remember from a Fiero racing list thread that optimal tongue weight was about 60lbs. I can't see how this hitch would work on anything but a Fiero. However my question is, how do you tell the size of the receiver.

The receiver is 1 1/4".

Yes, tounge weight is the force down, not the pulling force. Stand on the hitch and yoour weight is now the tounge weight.

It is just my preference, but I prefer to run as little tounge weight as needed to keep the trailer fully seated on the hitch. The trailer should not rock up and down on the ball, but you don't have to put hundreds of lbs on the tounge to keep it from doing it. My fiero trailer when fully loads has close to 20lbs toung weight and about 10lbs when it is empty. I have had it up to 90 mph loaded and empty without any bouncing of the ball on the hitch and my car does not look like a power boat when it is being pulled. Fiero rear spings will not support much weight without squatting real bad.

The best part of having a trailer hitch is the easy jacking point.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 05-18-2006).]

Thanks for the heads up and a plus to you.

As for my car, I do have higher rate rear springs, poly cradle and poly control arm bushings. So that should be help. I wish there was more info stated on some page about the ratings for this hitch. I guess it is a class one. But should be fine for anything I want to haul. Wheels, Tires, Engine, yadda yadda yadda.

What ya think about this?

That is a nice setup, someone posted a link to that installed on a car with a hitch mounted behind it. Kinda cool. But it would put the reciever going through the trunk wall. I kinda like my trunk the way it is.

I also modified the trailer hitch. It doesnt go through the trunk. With the rear facia on and the plate down and the rear deck open, you cannot tell there is a hitch on the car.

Here is a earlier version with the hitch on the car.

quote Originally posted by cire36: What ya think about this?

That is way cool!!! I wanted to to a hidden hitch first, but time got the best of me. Any info on this one will be appreciated!

I had bought a hitch made for a Fiero back in '89. The Fiero I had then was a '85 SE with non-GT rear bumper. I totaled that car (I still get teary eyed thinking about it). I kept the hitch because I knew I would have another. The second one had the same type of bumper. I picked up a GT bumper but did not want to cut it for the hitch.

The hitch had that flat 1/2 in thick part that the ball attached to. I got to think'in and tool my hitch to a hitch / trailer shop to have them modify it. It now fits conpletely under the GT rear facia completely hidden. I wanted to try and produce hitches for sale but I cant weld. I will taks pictures and post them tomorrow (its in storage). It is so simple, it aint funny.

The lisance plate mount is completly my creation. All hand built. I am in the process of making CAD drawings of the parts so I can see if I can afford to get that produced. The few times I have posted pics of it, folks have expressed an interest in getting one.

I've seen electric versions that look the same in car mags but the only one I can find right now is RetractAPlate but folds the wrong way and is vacuum powered.

[This message has been edited by Gokart Mozart (edited 05-19-2006).]

We set this one up in '95. At the time I was running stock eveeryting.

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Frank


1986 GT - & - 1987 5 Speed Lowered with 3800 s/cSigniture By Reality

1988 GT - T-Top
87 Coupe - Tilt Front End in Progress

[This message has been edited by Dragon (edited 05-19-2006).]

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: The best part of having a trailer hitch is the easy jacking point.

jacking from the center of the hitch FAR exceeds its tongue weight - granted its in the opposite direction.. but it starts to flex severely before the tires even get close to coming off the ground.. maybe jacking on it just long enough to get another jack farther under the car to the frame.