Towing With The C34 Stagea - Our Experience

[C34S2STAG]

Hey guys thorought id post up a quick story on how our towing adventures have been using the RS4S C34 Stagea Manual as some people maybe interested.

I installed a 2500KG HD tow bar to our stagea which was fairly easy and was extreamly massive. After this we didnt really get much time to test it and got invited to the Top gear festival in sydney earlier in the year (with 1 day notice). So we packed out the car with tools and things for the trip over to sydney, picked up the trailer which was a big twin axle trailer and loaded the drift car on it (LS1 KE70) then added 4 people in the car.

The setup on the stagea at the time was very basic:

Stock suspension

R34 wheels with 595 EVO tyres

Very loud and droney exhaust

K&N panel filter

Hardrace castor rods

Little boost up

Steering lock spacers (we know how bad Stagea steering lock is)

At first it was going well but you had to rev the thing to get it going but once it was going it was easy to keep it at around 100KM/H. On the highways out of Adelaide it was a little floaty with the high profile tyres and stock suspension but nothing too bad.

On the way to Sydney in the Hay Plains we hit a massive kangaroo with the car fully loaded, damage was big but only cosmetic which was lucky for us being out so far at the early hours of the morning (3AM).

So we arived to sydney all safe and sound and did our thing at the Top gear festival and had a ball!

On our way home we decided to go through the Hay Plains during the day to avoid hitting kangaroos instead we got cows!

This was a good theroy but the fuel consumption during the day was about double of what we had at night and noticed the lack of power (hot weather).

All in all it made the trip and didnt over heat once only up a huge hill the needle started to rise (40 degree day) but went down really quick.

When we got back we got the damage repaired at a crash shop and then i noticed the radiator was leaking (not sure if it was from the crash or just the tanks cracking due to hot heat). So we put in an R33/R34 alloy radiator and all was good.

Our next trip was only a few weeks ago where we were invited to the Snowy Mountins 1000 which is a straight line run for fastest time and speed, proberly the most straight this car has ever been!

Prior to this event the Stagea got quite a bit of love with the following mods

Coilovers

Intercooler kit

Nistune

3 inch exhaust with a flap muffler (so much better!! My ears!)

Spitfire coilpacks

Rear camber arms

Wheel alighnment

R34 GTR wheels with Achilies ATR sport's

So the car has about 180KW at all 4 wheels now and handles A LOT better! We then put it to the test fow towing to the Snowy Mountins. This time it was only my wife and I who will be in the car along with a few tools, clothes, food etc. As soon as we took off we noticed the differance straight away from our last trip!

On the highways it was easy to get 110KM/H and it felt like there was no trailer at all on the back. No floatyness at all just felt great! Fuel consumtion was much better this trip with the nistune. We saved quite a lot of money but again noticed during the day it drank it fast so we tried for night time driving but had to be carefull due to wildlife having partys on the road.

Conclusion, its a great car to tow with and i cant belive how well it has done! I have checked out the chassis and bolts for the tow bar and nothing is bending or cracking which I am very happy about.

Anyone else tow with their Stagea?

[4bidn1]

Cool who did your tow bar in sa

Cheers jase

[Duncan]

plenty of people will tell you a Stagea can't tow.................people who have never towed with a stagea.

Like you I found it slow and low standard, but with some firmer rear springs and more power it has been great. The only issue I have is the poor fuel economy.

[C34S2STAG]

Jase I got the tow bar off someone via private sale but can't remember where he got it done.

Yea that's it I love this car even more now. It just keeps on delivering after the fridges, TV, dishwashers and washing machines it's had in the back haha

The fuel was so bad on the first trip at around $1700 but the 2nd time after the mods it was heaps better at around $1000 and mostly day driving. Best way to go is tow at night. So much more power with the cold air haha

[66yostagea]

It is true about the cold air. It is denser at night and has more moisture. In the "Good old days" there was a gismo called the Kenrich water injector or something similar. It was supposed to help give more power and better economy. I remember it was written up in Modern Motor magazine when it was tested in the now defunct Mobil Economy Run.

Is there anybody out there old enough, like me to remember all the add on bits available in the 60's?

Incidently I am a firm believer in "The good old days" starting tomorrow.

[Dobo]

Thanks for sharing your story, really interesting, shame about the roo though! I've towed twice with my stag, both time car and trailer were about 1800kgs.

Handled really well with the Koni's tightened all the way up. Slow up hills but no where near like my mates 1HZ 100 series cruiser. Haven't tried with my newer wider wheels yet. Cant wait to get a nistune after hearing your results. Do you use 5th when towing? I've heard its not a good idea to tow in over drive but cant seem to find a definitive answer.

[C34S2STAG]

Yeah we use 5th buy only when we are doing around 100km/h and there is no load light throttle. When going up hills back to 4th

[Duncan]

Great to see a datto on board

I have heard about not towing in 5th, but I am not sure why. I've always towed in 5th, don't need to downchange but the rb30 probably helps with mid range.

I think the real issue for fuel economy is short gearing....its doing about 2500revs in 5th at 110 which is sky high.

[poohkies]

don't think your supposed to tow in 5th in any car, I've got problems with 5th in the stagea after that last long drive, I would have had close to 500kg in the car it was like a boat poor thing, hilux's lots of cars navara's all arnt supposed to be towed in 5th as it's an over drive.

[SABBAi]

I've towed a little with my Stagea. I tow mostly greenwaste to the tip. It's been fine, except for the fact that she doesn't have enough low down torque for hauling lots of heavy stuff.

[SABBAi]

I've just noticed that all the pics of Stagea's towing are silver. Just need #@Duncan to post a pic of his. That's break up the silver wash.

[C34S2STAG]

Haha silver ones are the real work horses!

[hot_c210]

Like most nissan Gearboxes, the bearings for 5th gear arent built to deal with the stresses of towing a load, however a friend pointed out to me one day that an empty trailer is roughly equivalent to 5 adult males in the car so its up to you but personal experience with datsun 5 speed gearboxes, dont use 5th...

[C34S2STAG]

I think most people that have towed with a stagea will say it's impossible to do it without using 5th gear. Revs are too high in 4th at 110

[czeno]

I've towed a few loads with my S1 RS4 auto, it loves it, just tends to get a bit hot. O.k until switching off where I'd get bit of cooling system boil going. May need to have a good look at the radiator sometime, normal use seems fine.

[Rotaron]

My 2 cents worth

I tow my Mazda Rx3 race car with my Stagea all the time ( 1999 RS4S Manual). I specifically brought the stagea to do the job becasue of the following:

Towing capablity, easly tow's down to the Phillip Island every couple of months for race meeting from melbourne. Fulling loaded with race car, spare wheels, tools, race gear, jerry cans etc...

Station wagon so i can load it up with all sort of stuff when needed.

Great for family car when dropping kids of to school ( kids love the sun roof in the back).

Go's well when you boot it and you can easly just cruise along as well.

Looks better than a Commodore or Falcon anyday for a tow car !!!

PS: And yes i tow in 5th gear easly doing 110k's per/hr off boost and still get resonable towing ltr/ per klms but you have to realistic here and not expect to get 15ltr per/km when pulling 1.5 tonne on the back. When i want to overtake i pull out sink the boot .... she come's on boost and away we go easliy overtakes.

The Stagea is stable driving with the load but it still comes down to common sense when you load trailer on the back. You have to balance the weight on the trailer and not have it over hanging and wieghing down the back of the car. ( Again this is common sense no matter what car you are towing with when pulling large loads) !!!

See you at the island

[Simon-S14]

I used to tow with my stagea which was also silver. It was auto and towed quiet well on the open road. Even had it sitting on 160kph for a stretch with trailer and full load and it was dead stable.

However the fuel consumption was woeful. I then saw the light and bought a dedicated tow vehicle. Now have a turbo diesel hilux and gets 12lph with tray loaded. 4 adults and car on car trailer

[GH05T]

i think towing in 5th in an RS4S is different to the auto,

isnt it due to it being an overdrive not a final gear, something like that?

[Duncan]

Interesting that some are having trouble with temperature. my cooling setup is standard and even with the rb30 etc it never gets warm, let alone hot.

I wonder if all the hot cars are auto, and the heat is coming from the auto trans not the engine?

[KiwiRS4T]

Interesting that some are having trouble with temperature. my cooling setup is standard and even with the rb30 etc it never gets warm, let alone hot.

I wonder if all the hot cars are auto, and the heat is coming from the auto trans not the engine?

Quite likely. I would say if you regularly tow with the an auto you need a huge trans cooler and ideally an auto fluid temp gauge. My cooling system is stock - I replaced the old radiator with a new stock one and it never gets hot towing a heavy trailer and I always use 5th on the motorway....nor on the track for that matter (no I don't tow a trailer on the track).