towing w/ xj?

[safn1949]

I'm thinking of towing a popup trailer all over the US and Canada this summer.I had an 88 but didn't tow with it,anyone haul a camper on a regular basis?:sunshine:

 

[XJoshua]

Towed a popup trailer with the 98 4.0 ZJ and Id say its comparable to that of a old RENIX XJ, seeing everything except body weight and the ZJ having a Puegot tranny(big hunk of crap) it did fine, and popups are really light anyways.

 

[Zoro]

I tow a travel trailer with mine in the summer, a pop-up trailer will be WELL within you're capabilities.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/spf150/100_5639.jpg

That's with the torsion bars discoed on the weight distributing hitch, had to get a brake controller for the XJ. Tows pretty nice

 

[Fantobacon]

Third gear do use overdrive,......... like a half gear between 3 & 4. I use it all the time in the city when the speed is too slow for 4+ overdrive. It shifts to overdrive when the speed is 3 to 4 miles slower. Also useful on hills to prevent gear hunting especially with large tires.

so you should tow in 3rd gear even on the open highway?

this is my setup:
i have a class 3 hitch with a 6 inch drop.
9 ft X 6ft trailer, 31 inch tires on the jeep, auto trans, 4.0 HO, BFG AT and 3 1/2" RE lift.

 

[autocrossxj]

if the highway is flat with no noticeable hills then its ok to put it in od as long as the motor doesn't seem to be struggling at all, If it starts downshifting at all or loses speed alot just leave it in 3rd.

 

[Fantobacon]

if the highway is flat with no noticeable hills then its ok to put it in od as long as the motor doesn't seem to be struggling at all, If it starts downshifting at all or loses speed alot just leave it in 3rd.

that's what i was thinking too.

cheers.

 

[ihscoutlover]

I was told and now just saw the contradiction to flat towing an XJ. Check this out, if the transmission is in park, and the transfer case in neutral, how is the transfer case being lubricated? I was told on this forum that you would need to disconnect the rear driveshaft to prevent burnup of the transfer case. Whats the deal??

Jeff

 

[Ray H]

I was told and now just saw the contradiction to flat towing an XJ. Check this out, if the transmission is in park, and the transfer case in neutral, how is the transfer case being lubricated? I was told on this forum that you would need to disconnect the rear driveshaft to prevent burnup of the transfer case. Whats the deal??

Jeff

The pump in the t-case is located on the rear of the mainshaft. As long as the rear driveshaft is turning, the mainshaft is turning, the pump is circulating fluid. Its fine, and correct, to leave the rear DS on and the t-case in N. As a matter of fact, you could do damage by flat towing with the rear DS off and the front DS connected, the mainshaft in the t-case will not spin and circulate fluid as it should to lubricate the parts that are moving due to the front DS spinning..

 

[Blaine B.]

So basically only pull the driveshaft if the front is supported and the rear is wheeling, unless you can put the transmission in neutral and not the transfercase?

 

[Ray H]

So basically only pull the driveshaft if the front is supported and the rear is wheeling, unless you can put the transmission in neutral and not the transfercase?

Ahhhmmm! Im confused!

Ok, just leave both driveshafts on and put the t-case in N and leave the transmission in P.
The tranny should be in P to keep it from freewheeling. It is not lubricated unless the engine is running so it should not be allowed to spin at all. The t-case goes in N whenever either driveshaft is connected. If you are flat towing and you remove the rear DS, you should remove the front DS, then it doesnt matter what you do with the t-case or tranny. If you are dolly towing, you can remove the rear DS or put the t-case in N.

 

[xjtrailrider]

I tow with my XJ's(4 of them) all the time, all have been modified with large tranny coolers and tranny temp guages to keep up with the tranny. My bass boat wieghs 3100# and you will have no problems as long as you have trailer brakes on anything over 2500#.

 

[Blaine B.]

Didn't someone say though if you put the tcase in neutral, it will lock all 4 wheels into neutral so therefore your front wheels will be trying to turn as well?

Not sure if that makes sense......but perhaps even though it is "disconnected" from the transmission by being in neutral, all 4 wheels become connected together in "neutral" mode?

 

[Ray H]

Didn't someone say though if you put the tcase in neutral, it will lock all 4 wheels into neutral so therefore your front wheels will be trying to turn as well?

Not sure if that makes sense......but perhaps even though it is "disconnected" from the transmission by being in neutral, all 4 wheels become connected together in "neutral" mode?

In N the front and rear are not mechanically connected to each other or to the tranny so everything is seperate. What happens though is that the friction of the fluid will still try to spin the tranny if its left in N as opposed to P and the two shafts and the chain in the transfer case still spin. Thats why its important to keep the rear driveshaft on if the front is on and turning. So the pump will work and help lubricate the bearings and seals for the front output shaft and chain.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

I tow with my XJ's(4 of them) all the time, all have been modified with large tranny coolers and tranny temp guages to keep up with the tranny. My bass boat wieghs 3100# and you will have no problems as long as you have trailer brakes on anything over 2500#.

Do you know what transmission temperatures you get without the cooler? With the cooler?
I do light towing in cool weather and am trying to determine the effectiveness of the stock cooler in my fairly new radiator.
I'll get a cooler if I have to, but most cars pull 2000 lbs. without an additional cooler; won't my !996 w/AW4?

 

[xjtrailrider]

Do you know what transmission temperatures you get without the cooler? With the cooler?
I do light towing in cool weather and am trying to determine the effectiveness of the stock cooler in my fairly new radiator.
I'll get a cooler if I have to, but most cars pull 2000 lbs. without an additional cooler; won't my !996 w/AW4?

A cooler is cheap insurance, yea it would probably be o.k., but why not eliminate any chance of a problem. A small cooler is much better than no cooler.

My XJ's run around 160 normal driving and I've had them run as high as 200 on a hot/humid 90+ day towing 3k+ here in the Blue Ridge mountains. Thats with the Hayden 30,000 gvw rated cooler and a 3 row radiator. I haven't run them without a cooler and with a temp gauge, so I can't answer that question.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

A cooler is cheap insurance.....

Based on your experience towing with an XJ, I checked prices. Sure enough, it looks like $50 will get me a suitable cooler (and fittings etc.). That is cheap insurance.

I have 27 years experience in the car business, you know what I learned from it?
Ask questions and listen to the answers.

Thank you.

 

[badron]

The D300 transfer and others needed the shafts pulled for flat towing.
Often when you ask the EXPERTS they will always give one pat answer, to pull the shafts. Face it no one can knows what is right in every case. So the safe answer they give is just pull the shaft.
THAY SAY! Some would weld paddles on the output shaft of the d 300 and splash lub the internals. There by permitting long flat toeing of same.

Setting Parking Brake on towed car: Very old school. But will help for very short hills. On long hills P-brake will soon over heat.
This dates back to when brakes wouldn't even HOLD one car on a bad hill much less two. Really not needed on anything made after say 1930s or so. (IMO)