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What are you towing with?

98 Chevy C3500
454 zz502 cam injectors custom tune MSD 6AL etc etc
NV4500 luk clutch
FF14 bolt locked
18 empty 14 with the jeep on the back@ 80+

i didnt think the 454 could get that good of mileage. we have the same 454 vortec in our 96 suburban and get like 13 highway, stock, and empty. easily in single digits towing. but we also have used a hypertech power programmer on it to get a little more power.
 
Just a question to those of you that tow with an s10, Dakota, Durango, and other similar sized small SUVs that weighs about the same as a XJ on a flatbed trailer. WTH are you thinking? The XJ+trailer combo does out weigh your tow rig. In the towing world that = bad things in stopping and handling an emergency maneuver. Flat towing on the other hand is okish IMO with an equal or grater than vehicle.
/rant off

I tow with a '95 F250 XLT 7.3L turbo diesel. sorry no pics from work :(

I'm with you. Towing a car hauler with less than a 1/2 ton just doesn't sit well with me. I know plenty of people get away with 1/4 tons (and sometimes unibody ones nonetheless) but even with my 1/2 ton I still wanted the overkill and that's when I got my 7.3. To each his own, but more than the engine the short wheelbase of my Tahoe is what made me nervous (along with the brakes, but plenty of 1/2 tons have great brakes now). But to recommend flat towing? Particularly with off-road vehicles with large and probably abused tires, I'd rather tack on the 1500-2000# of a car hauler than risk having a tire blow out on the rig being flat towed. I wouldn't even recommend someone use a tow dolly. For an off-road rig, it's trailer or nothing.

warwagon98xj is right though, at some point your load outweighs your truck, and that's fine as long as it's capable of pulling it. Look at a F-250 where curb weight is 6000-6500# but gross combined weight is 20k.
 
how does that work with a big rig the tractors are lighter than the trailers i have a fifth wheel i tow with my 03 powerstroke weighs 9900 gvwr= more than the truck
The difference is that bigrigs and 3/4 ton+ trucks a specifically designed to pull loads. They get upgrades such as axle, springs, brakes, engines, tires etc. to manage these loads. A 1/4 ton truck is designed to be light utility not a tow rig. Same principles as our XJs they are designed to handle fireroads and some decent trails but you aren't going to take a stock XJ and wheel every trail at Moab.

Point is: your 1/4t might pull it and might be able to pull it fast but it doesn't have the back-up systems for the whole task.
 
New: '09 F150
12012009.jpg


Old: '02 F150
Aiken002.jpg


I need a new trailer.
 
i dont have any new pics, but its current state is 6+3, 37's, 5.3L, 5.13's, pcm tune, and the xj is running 4.5", 34 ltb's, 4.88's truetrac in th 30, and a spool in the 44,
old pics from at least a year ago...
SANY0392.jpg

SANY0395.jpg

IMGP0481.jpg
 
Just a question to those of you that tow with an s10, Dakota, Durango, and other similar sized small SUVs that weighs about the same as a XJ on a flatbed trailer. WTH are you thinking? The XJ+trailer combo does out weigh your tow rig. In the towing world that = bad things in stopping and handling an emergency maneuver. Flat towing on the other hand is okish IMO with an equal or grater than vehicle.
/rant off

I tow with a '95 F250 XLT 7.3L turbo diesel. sorry no pics from work :(

The dakotas are rated at 6100 towing capacity. Your XJ on a trailer is about that or maybe little less or a little more...its not grossly over loading it. Use a weight distribution hitch and I think its safe. In fact I think its way safer than flat towing...

mac 'out the door with the f450 towing to the badlands' gyvr
 
aaf4wj.jpg


On the way home from 25th anniv. event in Moab. Set the cruise at 75mph (once we left CA) and got over 15mpg. Scaled her the day we left at over 17k lbs.

I can run circle around almost anyones mileage. Power to spare also (intake, exhaust, bigger injectors, fuel plate, bigger turbo, etc.)

Too bad the plates covered in snow, it says BOMBED
 
The dakotas are rated at 6100 towing capacity. Your XJ on a trailer is about that or maybe little less or a little more...its not grossly over loading it. Use a weight distribution hitch and I think its safe. In fact I think its way safer than flat towing...

mac 'out the door with the f450 towing to the badlands' gyvr


the S-series (blazers, jimmys, s-10, s-15, envoy, etc) are rated at or around 5,000. the XJ weight at around 3000 give or take, plus trailer so I'd say right at 5,000 and its not at bad if i dont go too fast. actually my dads stock blazer's handling is way better than my blazer because the smaller tires, HOWEVER my modded blazer have a ton more power than his does (can pull up hills without redlining the engine)
 
aaf4wj.jpg


On the way home from 25th anniv. event in Moab. Set the cruise at 75mph (once we left CA) and got over 15mpg. Scaled her the day we left at over 17k lbs.

I can run circle around almost anyones mileage. Power to spare also (intake, exhaust, bigger injectors, fuel plate, bigger turbo, etc.)

Too bad the plates covered in snow, it says BOMBED

That's a BIG bumper on the front of that Ram.
 
i didnt think the 454 could get that good of mileage. we have the same 454 vortec in our 96 suburban and get like 13 highway, stock, and empty. easily in single digits towing. but we also have used a hypertech power programmer on it to get a little more power.

do injectors and a wait4me or lackbear tune...hypertech is JUNK!
 
Just a question to those of you that tow with an s10, Dakota, Durango, and other similar sized small SUVs that weighs about the same as a XJ on a flatbed trailer. WTH are you thinking? The XJ+trailer combo does out weigh your tow rig. In the towing world that = bad things in stopping and handling an emergency maneuver. Flat towing on the other hand is okish IMO with an equal or grater than vehicle.
/rant off

I tow with a '95 F250 XLT 7.3L turbo diesel. sorry no pics from work :(
My Durango towed just fine. It was more than capable of pulling the weight, equipped with aux brakes & fully loaded. A level head and ego in check make for a good combination. Any vehicle towing a trailer w/ another vehicle has a lot to worry about in an emergency situation.

So wonderful that you have an F-250.
 
I'm with you. Towing a car hauler with less than a 1/2 ton just doesn't sit well with me. I know plenty of people get away with 1/4 tons (and sometimes unibody ones nonetheless) but even with my 1/2 ton I still wanted the overkill and that's when I got my 7.3. To each his own, but more than the engine the short wheelbase of my Tahoe is what made me nervous (along with the brakes, but plenty of 1/2 tons have great brakes now). But to recommend flat towing? Particularly with off-road vehicles with large and probably abused tires, I'd rather tack on the 1500-2000# of a car hauler than risk having a tire blow out on the rig being flat towed. I wouldn't even recommend someone use a tow dolly. For an off-road rig, it's trailer or nothing.

warwagon98xj is right though, at some point your load outweighs your truck, and that's fine as long as it's capable of pulling it. Look at a F-250 where curb weight is 6000-6500# but gross combined weight is 20k.

The difference is that bigrigs and 3/4 ton+ trucks a specifically designed to pull loads. They get upgrades such as axle, springs, brakes, engines, tires etc. to manage these loads. A 1/4 ton truck is designed to be light utility not a tow rig. Same principles as our XJs they are designed to handle fireroads and some decent trails but you aren't going to take a stock XJ and wheel every trail at Moab.

Point is: your 1/4t might pull it and might be able to pull it fast but it doesn't have the back-up systems for the whole task.

My Durango towed just fine. It was more than capable of pulling the weight, equipped with aux brakes & fully loaded. A level head and ego in check make for a good combination. Any vehicle towing a trailer w/ another vehicle has a lot to worry about in an emergency situation.

So wonderful that you have an F-250. Thanks i love my F250. It makes me feel better than everybody else. I'm far supperior to everybody. /sarcasum off

First, I didn't say that you weren’t' able to pull what you pull with your S-10 blazers, Durangos, XJs, or w/e other 1/4 ton type rig. My point is as mentioned above about the rig you pull with is built to tow vs. a rig that can pull light loads. I'm just saying that getting your rig+ trailer moving is only half of towing, the other is stopping and controlling the rig+trailer on curvy roads and long down hills that'll cause your brakes to burn up. I do agree that a rig on a trailer is defiantly better than a flat tow or tow dolly.

In my opinion if you decide to build a rig that can't drive on the road safely you should have a tow rig (3/4 ton or some of the newer 1/2 tons 2005+) and trailer. If not then it is just irresponsible to bet the safety of others on the road with you along with your self.

Please don't take this as me putting any of you down for what you do. I just don't want any of you to get into a situation that can be avoided by getting the right stuff to do the job before anything bad happens. I E: killing your self or others.

 
This is usually where any towing discussion ends up, especially those that start out "Is it a good idea to tow with...". If you have to ask, you need a bigger truck.

I've towed with a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton and I feel way more comfortable controlling the vehicle and the load in an emergency situation with the bigger truck. My 1/2 ton would usually put me on edge any time I had to slow down in a hurry. And yes, I had trailer brakes on all four wheels.

Very early in my time on NAXJA I asked if I could pull my 89 XJ with my 98 ZJ (4.0L). After just a few posts shooting down the idea, I sold it and bought my 1/2 ton. Looking back I know it would have been irresponsible to pull that much weight, being under-equipped and having no prior experience towing.

I'm not accusing anyone else of being irresponsible, just saying that due to my own experience and skill level, I will never tow a vehicle with less than a 1/2 ton.

So wonderful that you have an F-250.

Nobody is putting you down because of the vehicle you tow with, but towing with a 1/4 ton IS far riskier than towing with a 3/4 ton, plain and simple. Both can be done, but there is no disputing that the bigger truck is better for sway control, and braking and handling in emergencies such as sudden stops or blowing out a tire. If you have any friends or family with a 3/4+ truck, and they'll let you hook up your trailer and drive around a bit, I'd say take that opportunity and see how you feel.
 
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