Towing a jetski 7 hours in xj, am i ok?

[WaXJ_Skier]

According to Gojeep's spec sheet

with an AW4 .75:1 OD
RPM's at 65 MPH/105 KPH w/ 3.55:1 axle gears running 32's: 1,817 RPM

1817/.75 = 2422rpm in 3rd going 65 which is right about peak efficiency.

 

[MrSimon]

There are some really big and long hills coming across PA. GO SLOW up the hills ... watch your tranny temp guage ... and make sure you have a big tranny cooler on.

I was recently in a 98 XJ with 3.55s and 32" tires that had its tranny overheat going over a big hill - not towing anything. I think with a cooler and at slightly slower speeds, it would have been fine.

I just had my stock 97 overheat the tranny towing a small boat on the PA turnpike ... and I have a stock tranny cooler (its kind of small). I was pushing it too hard doing 65 up a two mile long hill. I might have been ok if I kept the speed down around 50 on the hill.

 

[squidd]

3rds not bad but its that second shift drop or the drone if you don't have a stock exhaust that will get to you. Drove from Everett to Mitchel Ore about 9 hours of that on a hunting trip and was about def when I got there.

 

[Sleeper]

lol, well i have a shitty mufffler right now and hopeful get it fixxed by then. I should be picking up a explorer tranny cooler this week and i might get some drop brackets so it is more comfortable and no bumpsteer on the highway as well.

 

[98stocker]

Leave it in 3rd as long as you can maintain 2200ish rpm up the hills, then drop into second. I have pulled lots of 3500 pound loads of green oak up 2000 foot hills with no problems. That is on 30 and 31's with aw4/3.55's over the past several years. No extra tranny coolers, although I should have added one by now. Just haven't gotten around to it, but if you have the time it would be great insurance.

 

[JohnX]

Leave it in third and you'll be fine. Computer knows when you shift to third to lock up the converter. Most of the heat in a trans comes from the converter being unlocked. Pay attention to your rpm and you can easily tell when it locks and unlocks. Third gear at 60 mph with your gears and tires should be able to maintain lockup almost all the time. Avoid letting the trans shift up and down on a long hill, this also generates heat. When the hill forces a downshift, you manually downshift and maintain speed until cresting the hill (or the grade decreases), then you can allow it back into third.

Not overheating a trans on the highway is easy...don't let it over shift, and don't let it unlock the converter.

 

[Big Red]

Like people are saying keep it in 3rd gear and don't use 4th/overdrive. You might want to get Brett's cool AW4 manual shift to control your TC and give you more control of your gears. The AW4 really hunts for the right gear and it can't decide. I never towed anything but have 5.43 gears & 37's on my 91' with the AW4 and 4.0L and its a lot better then my 35's and 4.56 gears going up the Sierra Nevada mountains when I lived in Cali.

Keep an eye on your temp guage, keep it out of OD, and don't be afraid to throw on your heat if you are really struggling, but it doesn't sound like you are towing that much you should be fine.

 

[99flexjay]

i have 3.55 ands 32's and two 2 jetskis (old school stand up BA ones) on my homemade steel snowmobile trailer, I go up the mountians to rangeley loaded with all my gear. I use mucho skinny pedal and get ~8mpg, but it does it. Tranny temp gauge would be a good addition.

 

[cjsxj87]

You will be fine just put a tranny cooler ona nd go.