What are you towing with?

94xjsport94 said:
I'm about to start towing with my grandpa's 2009 Dodge 1500 with the 5.7. Has the towing package and 4.10's with a LSD I believe... Should be fine. Anyone have some pictures on hand of how you secure Jeep with axle straps?
Click to expand...

I run front straps straight and cross the two rears. I would recommend picking up a weight distributing hitch. You can pick one up from amazon for not too much money. All the years I've towed a vehicle with a 1/2 ton I really should have had one, if not though it will drive well so long as the load is well balanced.


It took me a long time to figure out a 1/2 ton wouldnt stand up to my towing needs. Lots of hills in the south don't play well with automatics :explosion
 
I'm opposite.
rear straps straight
front straps crossed.
Easier for me to cross them from the front knuckles in the truck.

x2 on half tons don't last. Better get yourself a ginourmous cooler. WD hitch mandatory with a half ton tow rig.
 
87manche said:
I'm opposite.
rear straps straight
front straps crossed.
Easier for me to cross them from the front knuckles in the truck.

x2 on half tons don't last. Better get yourself a ginourmous cooler. WD hitch mandatory with a half ton tow rig.
Click to expand...

I cross the front and rear straps and then use safety chains.

I think the major issue with 1/2 tons is like you mentioned the trans. The power (unless you get one the base model engines) usually isn't a problem it is the fact the trans is screaming for life most of the time. More so if you live in a hilly area. Yet if you are only towing a handful of times a year and are not lead-footed off the line and going up hills you shouldn't have any issues with any of the 3 good major 1/2tons.
 
87manche said:
I'm opposite.
rear straps straight
front straps crossed.
Easier for me to cross them from the front knuckles in the truck.
Click to expand...

This is what I do but I use chains. After you figure out where the Jeep rides best at to give you a nice balance over the axles/tongue, back it up a bit on the trailer and chain the rear axle to the rear trailer D rings then let it drift forward to pull the chains taught but not too tight. On the front cross the chains and dog them down but do not over-tighten them, you can bend them it you go too tight.

94xjsport94 said:
Should I air down before time to keep the Jeep from bouncing or trying to move a lot? Should I bother with a strap to my bumpers or just the axles?
Click to expand...

What ever pressure you run on the trail will be fine. I do not strap the bumpers.
 
agybugus.jpg


mac '5.9' gyvr
 
RCman said:
I think the major issue with 1/2 tons is like you mentioned the trans. The power (unless you get one the base model engines) usually isn't a problem it is the fact the trans is screaming for life most of the time. More so if you live in a hilly area. Yet if you are only towing a handful of times a year and are not lead-footed off the line and going up hills you shouldn't have any issues with any of the 3 good major 1/2tons.
Click to expand...

I pushed my 5.3 pretty hard but it seemed to hold up well..... Damn cruise would let the truck do 70 in second, that shift would scare you awake if you were dozing off. The hills from here to Harlan killed it once a year, it's 2.5 hrs of back roads. Since I've been licensed to drive I have destroyed 4 4l60e transmissions.


Automatics don't seem to last in this house :D
 
shortxjdoug said:
I pushed my 5.3 pretty hard but it seemed to hold up well..... Damn cruise would let the truck do 70 in second, that shift would scare you awake if you were dozing off. The hills from here to Harlan killed it once a year, it's 2.5 hrs of back roads. Since I've been licensed to drive I have destroyed 4 4l60e transmissions.


Automatics don't seem to last in this house :D
Click to expand...

If you were running an allison, or the GM 6L80, they would hold up.
 
Some of the time I use my 2003 Ford F-350 4x4 Crew Cab Power Stroke if pulling my enclosed trailer (mountains) or the Motor Home if staying a while a diesel pusher also.

But if we are just going for the day and I use my small race car trailer this is my choice by far with the 4.7HO motor and 3.73 gear the Overland is hard to beat. Hopes this works.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd still like to get my hands on an 08 GC Diesel for DD duty and day trip towing. Seems like one of the off road mags had one and towed a yj on tones with it and said it worked well.
 
Got it all hooked up and rolling. Pulls pretty dang well. All the temps stayed good on the test drive through town, only thing is how hot the trailer brakes got... Work on that tomorrow. Getting new straps with axle loops soon.
me9esu9e.jpg

agumezam.jpg
2e9e8yze.jpg


Sorry for the bad pics, my iPhone hates tapatalk.
 
GoSlowGetStuck said:
This is probably the best way, but not the cheapest. Of course once you get it dialed in, you could sell it or maybe split the cost with your buddies:

http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherline/5780.html

The trick with a bathroom scale and mechanical advantage works too, but is probably a little harder to get accurate in my opinion:

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-determine-trailer-tongue-weight.aspx

I haven't measured mine though, just trial and error over the years. The last time I had issues was with my Tahoe, but moving the Jeep forward helped a ton:



I was really happy with the trailer set up like that, and that's pretty much how I load everything now. But, it made the steering really light in the Tahoe. A set of air bags in the back fixed that. A weight distributing hitch would have been another good solution.
Click to expand...


Right on, thanks for the links!
 
When I bought my small race car hauler I spec'd surge brakes on it. I can't remember the name of it but was a high end unit and the trailer came with #8000 axles with larger brakes. I wish every trailer I owned had them.
 
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Surge brakes bring the suck. Even the disc brake version. They work ok when every thing works but a little corrosion in the surge brake Master cylinder assembly.... DOne
 
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