Bumper towing
Bumper towing
- Thread starter Az84cj7
- Start date
I tow mine with an A frame tow bar behind my Tundra. First off, try to get the hitch reasonably level with the tow bar. Make sure the Transfer Case and tranny are in nuetral, the hubs are unlocked and the ignition key is not in steering lock position. It tows great, turns sharp and follows you around like a puppy dog, no tongue weight (no pun intended). Just don't try to back up!
mylittlecj5
RIP Mike, we'll all miss you
A Dana 300 doesn't like being flat towed for more than about 50 miles withour burning up the Transmission . What happens is the rear driveshaft rotates some of the gears in the Transfer Case , but others aren't getting the lubrication they need, so you end up with dry bearings.
There are a few cures for this.
1) trailer your Jeep off the ground
2) remove the rear driveshaft from the rear differential and tie it up. Takes about 10 minutes on each side of the trip.
3) Stop every few miles and start the engine. With the TC in neutral, start the engine and run the Transmission thru the gears for a while to lube everything up. This works good for short trips, but is a pain for long trips.
4) Tow on a dolly with the rear wheels on the dolly.
Other than that, The Chief has it pretty much down.
Just make a checklist of things and check them every time you stop for fuel or food.
Ignition switch in a lock-free, ignition off position
Front hubs unlocked
Hitch secured and locked with the proper size ball, and is as level as possible.
Bumper/tow bar attachment secured and tight
Safety chains secured. I like to chain between the tow rig, the tow bar, and the CJ, in case the tow bar slips off on either side.
Drivetrain in your preferred arrangement.
Air pressure checked in tow rig and CJ to be correct.
DON'T try to back up. you will cause damage to something.
HTH
There are a few cures for this.
1) trailer your Jeep off the ground
2) remove the rear driveshaft from the rear differential and tie it up. Takes about 10 minutes on each side of the trip.
3) Stop every few miles and start the engine. With the TC in neutral, start the engine and run the Transmission thru the gears for a while to lube everything up. This works good for short trips, but is a pain for long trips.
4) Tow on a dolly with the rear wheels on the dolly.
Other than that, The Chief has it pretty much down.
Just make a checklist of things and check them every time you stop for fuel or food.
Ignition switch in a lock-free, ignition off position
Front hubs unlocked
Hitch secured and locked with the proper size ball, and is as level as possible.
Bumper/tow bar attachment secured and tight
Safety chains secured. I like to chain between the tow rig, the tow bar, and the CJ, in case the tow bar slips off on either side.
Drivetrain in your preferred arrangement.
Air pressure checked in tow rig and CJ to be correct.
DON'T try to back up. you will cause damage to something.
HTH
Busted Knuckles
Senior Jeeper
Ive flat towed cross country several times, let me throw this in there, slow down before entering off ramps, Ive had the back tires on my pickup squealing as I exited the freeway, from the inertia of the towed jeep wanting to continue forward, while I was turning, so just slow down before you turn...fwiw....
Az84cj7
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Thanks for all the info. I am for sure going to tow with a towbar. So my best bet is to disconect the drive shaft in the rear. Is that what you do Busted Knuckles? Also, by the sounds of it I'll probably have to hit the exhaust brake on the diesel when I coming to a stop!!! Yikes!!!
Yikes!!!
mylittlecj5
RIP Mike, we'll all miss you
I towed my CJ5 2100 miles cross country a couple years ago with my '99 Durango. Hardly felt it till I hit some ice in NM. I just planned ahead for slowing/stopping distances. Both of them were way loaded with household stuff as well.Thanks for all the info. I am for sure going to tow with a towbar. So my best bet is to disconect the drive shaft in the rear. Is that what you do Busted Knuckles? Also, by the sounds of it I'll probably have to hit the exhaust brake on the diesel when I coming to a stop!!!
If your using your Dodge 3500 diesel truck, you won't even feel the CJ behind you. Just don't forget it's there
Busted Knuckles
Senior Jeeper
Thanks for all the info. I am for sure going to tow with a towbar. So my best bet is to disconect the drive shaft in the rear. Is that what you do Busted Knuckles? Also, by the sounds of it I'll probably have to hit the exhaust brake on the diesel when I coming to a stop!!!
If your pulling it with an 08 Dodge Cummins, you should have plenty-o-brakes without the exhaust brake.
Yes, disconect the driveshaft.. happy trails !
elwood blues
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I've flat towed mine up and down the East Coast. Everyone has already hit the big points, I just remove the drive shafts completely, it's a 15 minute job and it saves a lot of headaches in the long run.
The one thing I didn't see mentioned is tow lights. The magnetic kind that plug into your camper/trailer harness on your tow vehicle. $20 or so at any auto parts store, I'm sure every state is different for it's laws, but you'll probably want a set of these just to stay on the safe side.
The one thing I didn't see mentioned is tow lights. The magnetic kind that plug into your camper/trailer harness on your tow vehicle. $20 or so at any auto parts store, I'm sure every state is different for it's laws, but you'll probably want a set of these just to stay on the safe side.
The factory manual for my Jeep states to leave the front hubs in for extra lubrication in the Transfer Case . It also mentions starting the Jeep every 200 miles and letting the Transmission spin the Transfer Case input gear. I installed Warn full float rear axles, so I just unlock all four hubs!
Interesting, I've thought of doing that but was concerned about the gears in the Transfer Case spinning full time at 55 mph.
It would nice (much easier than disconnecting the drive shaft)
What year manual is this in?
CJ
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This thread has some valuable information. -->> http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f2/front-hubs-towing-3458/
Page 77 of a 1985 owners manual. For an automatic it's the same, only the Transmission will need to be in park.