Towing - 1990 Renix XJ (towed)

[BulletMaker]

So quick dumb question. I need to make a quick trip this weekend, and since I have an excess of family going who won't fit in the XJ we're going to take a bigger GMC crew cab, however since I want to try to sneak in a quick pig hunt, and maybe spend a few hours fishing, I wanted to take my XJ. Problem is, everyone wants me to drive the GMC.

So the question is, I was just going to either buy or rent a tow-bar and tow the jeep behind.

I have an NP242 transfer case, and was thinking about simply putting the TC in neutral, leaving a key in the ignition so the front wheels will still turn and calling it done. I was going to pull the battery connector so it's not running the fuel pump or anything else with the key in.

Is there anything I'm missing here? anything I should be aware of?

 

[zachandandy]

Tcase neutral, trans in park, and key to the first position(doesn't turn on the fuel pump). Putting the tranny back in park assures that the tcase shift lever doesn't get bumped into gear which will destroy the tranny(ask me how I know).

 

[BulletMaker]

Thanks! While I have some morbid curiosity, I will abstain.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

After the recent issues/mishaps that there have been, I would use a trailer. Most flat tow just fine, but unless it was out of pure necessity, I wouldn't.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

the main reason to put the trans in park and not neutral is if it is in neutral and the tcase is in gear it will spin the internals of the trans without spinning the pump via the input shaft. basically the trans will be spinning at highway speed with no fluid circulating in it. not good

 

[zachandandy]

Lets just say fortunately I saw the smoke and pulled over. You could her the fluid boiling in the trans. When I drained the fluid it was grey and smelled like ash. I was probably a few miles from one hell of a fire.

 

[WB9YZU]

When in doubt, the safest way of towing a 4WD, is to pull the front and rear shafts at the axle, tape up the u-joints so you don't loose the needle bearings, and fasten the shafts up and out of the way so they don't drag on the ground.
Put the straps in a baggie in the glove compartment any you are ready to go.

I used to do this with a Suzuki would flat tow to the trail. The only difference was that it had flanges. Bolts would go in the glove compartment.

Did that with a YJ I towed back from where I bought it.

In both cases it worked like a charm and nothing turned except the axles.

 

[kastein]

Agreed... I know on a vac disconnect era np231, the front and rear outputs are connected together when the tcase is in neutral. Reason being that the vac disconnect is supposed to make that a non issue.

I don't know how the 242 functions in neutral, but make sure it doesn't connect anything to anything else before towing, else you are going to end up with one hell of a bang and a blown-up transfer case or at the very least a stretched chain when it decides it doesn't want to put up with it anymore.

 

[GSequoia]

242 always ahd a true neutral.