I need advice..will a 4.7L stroker be ok for towing?
- Thread starter 88JeepXJ
- Start date
RebelofMetal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lakewood, CO
"find a local rental place or whatever with pickups and unlimited milage. Throw a hitch on it and go for it. The cost of frying you XJ would be much higher. Also if you get blown over and wreck both you'd be double screwed."
This is your best advice. My professional opinion is NO vehicle under 1 ton axle/brake/differential/suspension and transmission capacity, is suited to tow ANYTHING even a motorcycle trailer.
Unless a vehicle was specifically designed for towing, you will literally destroy components from A-Z. A cherokee is NOT a suitable vehicle for towing ANYTHING if you want it to last!!!
This is your best advice. My professional opinion is NO vehicle under 1 ton axle/brake/differential/suspension and transmission capacity, is suited to tow ANYTHING even a motorcycle trailer.
Unless a vehicle was specifically designed for towing, you will literally destroy components from A-Z. A cherokee is NOT a suitable vehicle for towing ANYTHING if you want it to last!!!
RebelofMetal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lakewood, CO
Rent an International 4300 (Don't get a GMC C7500, good god, don't, they are electrical nightmanres leaving you STRANDED - I adminster the warranty for them) from Budget TRUCK OR UHaul, and rent a car CARRIER, not a dolly. You will arrive safe n sound, and so will your car. You will have a big empty box in the back - invite some friends, bring a keg, and have a road party!!! (Soberest one drives!)
dizzymac
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- New Hampshire
I can't see towing a car that far with an XJ. We towed an XJ on a car hauler last week/ I was going to use one of our other XJ's, am I glad we didn't.
We used a '98 Chevy K1500 4WD, AT P/U and you could really feel the weight. I now there is a weight diff. between the XJ and your car, but I still don't think you should attempt this with an XJ. You won't be able to do the speed limit safely with the short wheelbase and as others have noted.....BRAKES. XJ brakes are marginal at best, nevermind 2300+ lbs. pushing it .
Don't ruin either XJ, or worse yourselve's. Just isn't worth it
We used a '98 Chevy K1500 4WD, AT P/U and you could really feel the weight. I now there is a weight diff. between the XJ and your car, but I still don't think you should attempt this with an XJ. You won't be able to do the speed limit safely with the short wheelbase and as others have noted.....BRAKES. XJ brakes are marginal at best, nevermind 2300+ lbs. pushing it .
Don't ruin either XJ, or worse yourselve's. Just isn't worth it
jmowens
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Huntsville, AL
I don't know if langer1 has had experience, but I have. You have to realize that the Cherokee is right at 3000# stock. You are talking about pulling at least 3100# pulling a dolly (really bad idea!) or 3400# (minimum) trailering. Plus you're going to carry a change of clothes, tools, etc, I would assume. All with a vehicle that was never designed to be a tow vehicle - yes, you could get a factory tow package - that's different from being a tow vehicle (ie, 1 ton, etc).langer1 said:
Now for my personal experience - I have an old runabout boat that on the trailer weighs about 2800#. It is a little light on the tongue (like the dolly will be) and it pushes my XJ wherever it wants to. I can handle it, becuase I am less than 20 miles to the water - and it is totally flat - and I allow a country mile for stopping!
You're going to have to cross the Appalacians somewhere (if I'm wrong correct me), and the XJ will be extremely dangerous going down.
I'm not saying that it can't be done, it's just not smart.
JM2CW
Evan463
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Rhode Island
I have a 98XJ with a basically stock engine, only a tranny cooler and intake. I pull a trailer semi reguraly my boat weighs a good 4000 to 4500 with gear and have found that it will pull it fine. Stopes alittle slower yet i dont speed around with a trailer thats just stupid. Longest trip ive taken it on was about a hour each way and it was fine the whole way. id say as long as you stop more often then never youd probly be fine with it. Just think safely rather then stupidly. however on another note id say if funds allow get a truck made to pull twice as much and your ride will be twice as enjoyable. my two cents.
OK how about this.
Since the car is registered and insured...we give it the old college try and tow the car on a dolly. If through the mountains it starts getting scary we can always pull the car off the trailer and my buddy will drive it behind me. Ten when we get to a good flat strech of open highway we throw it back on (ya I know it will be a PITA getting it on and off the dolly but...).
Since the car is registered and insured...we give it the old college try and tow the car on a dolly. If through the mountains it starts getting scary we can always pull the car off the trailer and my buddy will drive it behind me. Ten when we get to a good flat strech of open highway we throw it back on (ya I know it will be a PITA getting it on and off the dolly but...).
- Location
- Roanoke VA
Thats a good compromise but I still wouldnt do it. I've got 80k miles towing with a XJ under my belt with the rig shown below, the trailer has disc brakes and I still take it very slow. The boat/trailer shown weighs 3100# and has a 200# tongue weight. Thats as high as I care to go with a XJ. I never go above 55, and I've worked out all of the sway/swerving issues with the trailer.
If you just havta do it, use a car trailer with brakes.
Good luck and may God be with you!
If you just havta do it, use a car trailer with brakes.
Good luck and may God be with you!
jmowens
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Huntsville, AL
That makes me feel a little better - biggest concern is that a dolly is going to have a very low tongue weight (like my boat). This tends to pick up the back end of a tow vehicle as light as an XJ. Pulling is no problem - it will get squirrley at speeds, and you'll never get it stopped going down the mountain - driving the car down is a good compromise...
(I still wouldn't do it though)
(I still wouldn't do it though)
crofoot
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- woodinville wa
OK.I put on 50,000 miles a year with a trailer behind me.there is a dolly out there that has a surge brake and a cable that runs back to the ebrake cable.attaches at the y.THE BEST CHOICE if you are intent on towing with XJ.I tow my trail rig 89 XJ with my dd 89 XJ using a tow bar that has this system and it works great,Please use due care and caution if you tow with the XJ.I would use the stock one or put the stock tires on the 4.7.good luck
langer1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Mineral City,Ohio
The bad thing is, often there is little or no warning before things go very wrong.
langer1 said:
You are QUITE the pessimist huh?! wow
We you and others not so thrilled about towing will be happy to hear that Uhaul informed me that there was a bolt they couldn't get out so they couldn't install the hitch. Yup, "a bolt". My father dropped it off there on his way to work so I don't have many details...but the jist of the story is that we are driving a 16 yo, quarter million mile car 2600 miles becasue I have the worst luck when it comes to finding a suitable towing option.
Just Fing awesome. WTF
- Location
- Roanoke VA
I think a higher power sent you a message, and thats a possitive thing.
xjtrailrider said:
I have to agree.
I have a 2000 with a 4.0 and AW4. My boat is a 1958 14ft fiberglass hull with a 45 horse Chrysler on it. It is very lightweight (so light you can move the boat around by hand with one person) and it can be scary enough to tow (and I have been towing trailers for 15 years), much less all the weight you were talking about hauling. Count your blessings....you are better off not towing it with the XJ.
UPDATE:
Well for the good or bad Uhaul did end up putting on a class III hitch, I installed a large-ish (18"x9") tranny cooler and changed the fluid, replaced my tired tranny mount, and checked out all the fluids and brakes. A 1999 XJ (4.0L AW4) towing Uhaul tow dolly made it ~2,700 miles without incident. I wouldn't highly recommend it though. Maybe it is just me but she feels tired. My rear springs have sagged a bit and overall it is just a long trip with an XJ. But it did it, brakes were OK (I'm very glad I just replaced everything in the front end), power was OK (chugged a bit uphills), and the cooling system was just fine. The trailer combo didn't push me around too much although wind and trucks can make it a bit floaty.
Again, it is highly possible in a pinch, but if you love your XJ and you have something bigger to tow do it.
Well for the good or bad Uhaul did end up putting on a class III hitch, I installed a large-ish (18"x9") tranny cooler and changed the fluid, replaced my tired tranny mount, and checked out all the fluids and brakes. A 1999 XJ (4.0L AW4) towing Uhaul tow dolly made it ~2,700 miles without incident. I wouldn't highly recommend it though. Maybe it is just me but she feels tired. My rear springs have sagged a bit and overall it is just a long trip with an XJ. But it did it, brakes were OK (I'm very glad I just replaced everything in the front end), power was OK (chugged a bit uphills), and the cooling system was just fine. The trailer combo didn't push me around too much although wind and trucks can make it a bit floaty.
Again, it is highly possible in a pinch, but if you love your XJ and you have something bigger to tow do it.
old_man
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Loveland, Colorado
I tow my XJ with a tow dolly with electric brakes that work from a simple 4 pin connector. It works great. It is wide and stable. Much more stable than a trailer.
As for using an XJ to tow, a stroker is the perfect engine to tow with since its power band is lower, down at highway speeds. Big fat tires make for a less stable tow, but not that bad if aired up. You said 29" tires were on the stroker. The stroker sounds perfect.
As for using an XJ to tow, a stroker is the perfect engine to tow with since its power band is lower, down at highway speeds. Big fat tires make for a less stable tow, but not that bad if aired up. You said 29" tires were on the stroker. The stroker sounds perfect.
shelbyluvv
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- 29 Palms, CA
I caught this thread a little too late to add my input. Here was my worst towing idea, but it worked.
Got orders from Camp Pendleton CA to Albany GA. I had 3 cars at the time, 1993 Dodge Intrepid, 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger, and a 1984 Dodge Rampage. I loved both of my 80's cars and could not part with them. Long story short. I took the Intrepid to U-Haul had a hitch installed, rented a dolly and my wife towed the Shelby with the Intrepid. It made it with no problem. If you take your time and be safe you can do it.
Got orders from Camp Pendleton CA to Albany GA. I had 3 cars at the time, 1993 Dodge Intrepid, 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger, and a 1984 Dodge Rampage. I loved both of my 80's cars and could not part with them. Long story short. I took the Intrepid to U-Haul had a hitch installed, rented a dolly and my wife towed the Shelby with the Intrepid. It made it with no problem. If you take your time and be safe you can do it.
jeepnuts311
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
88JeepXJ said:
glad you got back home safe. how did the bimmer do? didja win?
-Tim
I just don't get it. I know the big Auto makers want you to buy the biggest engine. (more money for them) With an auto trany and lots of extras. Just to pull a setting hen off the nest. But I have pulled trailers all my life with much less HP smaller brakes and one had a 3 speed stick. So have 1000s of others with no problems.
Why the fear of towing. ?????????????
Why the fear of towing. ?????????????
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