600 Lbs in the trunk of my DTS?

[turbojimmy]

I need to bring an engine to a guy about 150 miles away. I was thinking of putting it in the trunk of the Caddy (it should fit - it's the V6 out of my Grand National....long story). You think the suspension can handle such a load? I'd put a piece of plywood down to distribute the weight so I don't crush the spare tire cover. 600 lbs. is about 3 adults in the back seat anyway (give or take). Or should I just take my van?

Jim

[submariner409]

Better safe than sorry: Take the van. That 650 pounds will be behind the rear wheel axle centerline, so it would act more like 3 bodies in your trunk...........

[turbojimmy]

Originally Posted by submariner409

Better safe than sorry: Take the van. That 650 pounds will be behind the rear wheel axle centerline, so it would act more like 3 bodies in your trunk...........

Yes, that's true. There aren't many anchor points in the van (it's a minivan and I'd remove the seats). If I wreck at highway speeds the engine will probably kill me and/or my brother and also be quite a puzzle for the police to figure out. I figure the back seat of the Caddy would at least slow it down.

It would certainly be easier for me to get the weight ahead of the rear axle in the van. I'll probably just do that.

Thanks,
Jim

[chubbyranger]

Not to mention that you will also beat the snot out of the rear suspension with a concentrated load aft of the axle. 600 lbs in the form of three adults will be distributed across three asses and six feet. A point load in the trunk will apply much more force to the suspension, much like using a cheater bar on a socket. Plus, would you be able to close the trunk? In the van you might be able to wrap it in a blue tarp to keep the floor clean and tie it off in the spare tire well or seat mounts like a parachute to keep it from coming forward.

[Ranger]

When I pick up salt for the water softener, I always get 10, 50# bags (500#). I don't even now it's there.

[CadillacSTS2003]

i hauled a tranny in the trunk of my ETC and it as just fine
i couldnt tell it was there power wise but when it came to handling it was slightly noticeable

[turbojimmy]

Originally Posted by CadillacSTS2003

i hauled a tranny in the trunk of my ETC and it as just fine
i couldnt tell it was there power wise but when it came to handling it was slightly noticeable

Oh I haul the trans around in the Caddy all the time. The GN transmission spends more time out of the car than in it. I even took it to a Mets game in the trunk of the Caddy once. We have a special bond, that transmission and I.

The engine, however, weighs as much as 3 transmissions and the way it sits the load is very concentrated. The trans sits flat on its pan. The engine would be on its side so the weight would pretty much be at 2 narrow points: the edge of the oil pan and the edge of one of the heads.

I decided I'm going to put it in the van, in the middle of it so that the weight is pretty much centered between the front and rear suspension. Last couple of times I did this I used an Explorer and a Blazer without any trouble so it should be fine.

Thanks,
Jim