Can the XJ pull the MJ ??

Big Hank

NAXJA member #435
NAXJA Member
Location
Columbus, IN
Just bought the XJ off the brother, Its a 1993 4.0 Auto, with 4.5 inch RE superflex kit on it that i installed for him. 32 inch all-terrains. and stock from there, but to anyone with xj haulin knowledge, Can the xj handle pullin an MJ on a dual axle trailer without trailer brakes. Its about a 150 mile flat tow from my house to the badlands mostly interstate, i can take highways with 55 mph roads but it has many more hills, but still not that bad. I have seen xj's haulin xj's but i never asked how well they pull. i have pulled a Ski Nautique boat, and it pulled o.k. but didn't stop to well, i really wish i new how heavy that boat is, it did have a 350, but i bet it still isn't that heavy.

Thanks, Gene MJ and XJ now!
 
yeah you can get it going althoug h Ibelieve a dual axle trailer + MJ will be at the extreme end of weight handling capability if not past it....

Also... no trailer brakes even at 150 miles is asking for trouble. Remember if you start moving you want to stop, and especially should any emergency arises!!! I towed around town about a 3000lb+ trailer to test the brake controller that I installed on my XJ and believe me when I turned it off to see what it feels like to tow without it, I turned it back on after the first stop light! (and I was on flat ground doing no more then 40mph)....

Anyways, look at the sticker (or registration) on the trailer and add that to the weight of the mj and see what the total is.... XJ is supposed to handle up to 5000lbs, and I don't remember the tongue weight.

Kejtar
 
I did the opposite, borrowed an all-aluminum dual axle trailer to pick up a dead XJ and towed it with my MJ. Both the MJ and I survived, but just barely. My trip was about 75 miles, and they were not happy or easy miles.

You can do it if you have no choice -- but I strongly advise you to pursue a choice.

As to the preceding comment about stopping distance -- HAH! "Stop" will not be an operative term. "Imperceptible reduction in forward velocity" is a more accurate description of what you will have. If the trailer has brakes that will interface with your XJ that will help immeasurably -- in my case, I wasn't wired to use the trailer brakes, so all I had was the MJ's brakes.

Oh, yeah -- I was running 31" tires with 3.73 gears. If you have 32" tires and stock 3.55 gearing you're going to kill the tranny, as well as overwork the engine.
 
Hunter-Lynchburg said:
ron stevik succesfully hauled his xj on trailer behind an mj on 35's for a while.

But... what did he have?? Did he have stock gears? was he wired for a brake controller? what kind of trailer did he have??? details.. come on... details :D

Kejtar
 
Towing another vehicle isn't so much can it pull it but the real question is can it STOP it. Most tow ratings have to do with braking power more so than HP to pull it.

mark
orgs mfg
 
Mark Hinkley said:
Towing another vehicle isn't so much can it pull it but the real question is can it STOP it. Most tow ratings have to do with braking power more so than HP to pull it.

mark
orgs mfg

True -- that plus ability to control the load. An MJ on a dual axle trailer will weigh significantly more than the XJ tow vehicle, so you'll be facing a lot of "tail wags the dog" phenomena. Everyone likes to say the XJ is rated to tow 5000 pounds, but they forget the fine print -- that's ONLY if equipped with a load-distributing hitch.
 
I dollied my MJ with my XJ....

I'll NEVER do that again

mjandxj.jpg
 
I was on a trip in Maine when my xj's motor mount broke and had to be towed back to PA like that. A friend of mine had rented a Ford Ranger so we used that to tow it. No problem getting it moving but stopping got a little hairy especially when it started to rain. I felt the ABS kick in a few times.

Lesson to be learned: Never buy a car that was rented.
 
"ron stevik succesfully hauled his xj on trailer behind an mj on 35's for a while."

Yes he did for several years. The MJ was a 4.0HO/AW4 with 8.25 and 4.56:1. I believe his 2 ax trailer did have brakes.

I recall him saying it wasn't the fastest rig up over the grade going into Asheville.

FWIW he now uses a 3/4t Dodge V10, lifted & on big tires, of course.
 
"Imperceptible reduction in forward velocity"

:laugh2: :laugh: :roflmao: :roll:

Done that with a 3/4 ton chevy with a loaded 42' two car hauler with a freshly burned out elec. trailer brake controler in the rain.
 
isn't it really dangerous to haul a truck with lockers using one of those front wheel style dollies. just wondering this in case i put it behind a full size truck.
 
save....

save your pennies and just buy a trailer, you'll never look back. that is the only safe way IMHO to tow your junk. i've flat towed, dolly towed and trailer towing with weight distribution and trailer brakes IS the only way I will ever tow my jeep or anything else.

mac 'if you get a trailer tho, everyone will want to borrow it' gyvr
 
Back
Top