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Flat Towing and car lights question

XJ Eric

XJ Eric

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Warren, Pa
Ok I've done a search on this and came up empty so here goes...

I've asked elsewhere and people tell me to just buy the magnetic lights so this isn't what I want to hear.

I want to tap into the lights of my XJ and have them running while its flat towing. (Just the running lights no headlights)

Now both my XJ and 06 Dodge ram have the flat 4 wire connectors. If I were to connect the two together while flat towing what would happen? Would I have tail/turn/brake lights?
If not how could I make it work?
 
i think if you plug the 4 wire into the xj 4 wire itll backfeed and light up your brakes...but id test it just to be sure
 
i flat tow my xj all the time. yah you would need a diode or a switch for the brake lights. without them, if you were to have your left signal on for the tow rig, both brake lights would flash on the xj. the diode would keep this from happening. i got some cheapo diodes from radio shack and they were crap. so in their place i put a toggle switch on each tail light so that i can isolate each from the other. then they work independently like a trailer would. i have the tail lights for the "trailer" wired up to the tail light wire on the jeep so when i turn my trucks lights on it comes on for the jeep as well- both the tail+ red side marker and the amber front and side markers.

xjs after some year (i forget what year) had only one light socket for the tail and brake lights but there is a spot for two on the brake light housing. that is the case with my 95. i pulled an extra tail lamp harness at the junkyard and will remove the toggle switches on my rig and put the extra socket in wired for the turn/brake lights while flat towing.

another thing to consider while flat towing is the brakes on your tow rig. its very important and often overlooked.
 
stewie said:
i flat tow my xj all the time. yah you would need a diode or a switch for the brake lights. without them, if you were to have your left signal on for the tow rig, both brake lights would flash on the xj. the diode would keep this from happening. i got some cheapo diodes from radio shack and they were crap. so in their place i put a toggle switch on each tail light so that i can isolate each from the other. then they work independently like a trailer would. i have the tail lights for the "trailer" wired up to the tail light wire on the jeep so when i turn my trucks lights on it comes on for the jeep as well- both the tail+ red side marker and the amber front and side markers.

xjs after some year (i forget what year) had only one light socket for the tail and brake lights but there is a spot for two on the brake light housing. that is the case with my 95. i pulled an extra tail lamp harness at the junkyard and will remove the toggle switches on my rig and put the extra socket in wired for the turn/brake lights while flat towing.

another thing to consider while flat towing is the brakes on your tow rig. its very important and often overlooked.
Click to expand...

Other than proper operating condition, is there anything else to consider? I have an 08 Dodge 1500 w/four wheel discs, that I would like to use to flat tow my XJ, but wasn't sure if it was up to the task.
 
I'm thinking I'm going to mount some trailer brake lights up on the cargo rack should make things less complicated and remove the necessity of splicing into my wire loom.
Maybe when its not in tow I'll hook it up to the Jeep's light's hookup when its not in tow.

I've got a lot of wiring in my future, have some rock lights to hook up too!
 
If you look at the tail light housing and specifically the center lights, I run a standard 4 wire trailer harness direct to them and by-passed the oem wiring completely. I found it was only a running light anyway. I ran the harness through the frame and at the front is the other end of the harness which I plug direct into my tow vehicle. I also added the LED bulbs in just the one spot in the taillight housing. Works great and was easy to do. One other thing I did was to remove the pin in the steering column that sets the lock when you remove the key. By doing this I no longer need to have the key in the on position. Since the harness is not connected to any other part of the Jeep wiring you have no need for any other mods. Looks stock and you don't have to use those magnetic ones either.

Now I just hook up the tow bar and plug in the harness lock the doors and go!!!
 
revmeup said:
If you look at the tail light housing and specifically the center lights, I run a standard 4 wire trailer harness direct to them and by-passed the oem wiring completely. I found it was only a running light anyway. I ran the harness through the frame and at the front is the other end of the harness which I plug direct into my tow vehicle. I also added the LED bulbs in just the one spot in the taillight housing. Works great and was easy to do. One other thing I did was to remove the pin in the steering column that sets the lock when you remove the key. By doing this I no longer need to have the key in the on position. Since the harness is not connected to any other part of the Jeep wiring you have no need for any other mods. Looks stock and you don't have to use those magnetic ones either.

Now I just hook up the tow bar and plug in the harness lock the doors and go!!!
Click to expand...

Sounds great on the wiring side of it, but you know; that first key position isn't on. Its for towing. At least on mine and thats how my manual says to do it. Maybe different on yours, I don't know the year your's is and I don't know much about anything other than 98s.
 
I use lights that are separate. It uses a flat four and goes to stop/turn lights. I just drilled 1" holes in my housings and RTVd the light sockets into them. I use the Readybrute towbar system sold by Midnight Auto. They also sell the lights.
 
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