I need advice..will a 4.7L stroker be ok for towing?

OK I've asked this basic question a couple of ways before. I have even found older posts of mine but I have a very specific question now, not just hypothetical.

We have a race in Gainesville Florida next week. We are leaving from MA so it is about 1300 miles one way. Our race car is a '90 325is basically stripped but still around 2600 lbs. We originally were going to get a Chevy van and trailer to tow the car but the kid with the van backed out on us (actually he forgot he was going to loan us the van and he took it all apart)

So we are basically screwed. An RV is $1300 plus gas (7-10 mpg!), a Uhaul truck is $1200 one way, and everything else is miles based, so a lot of $$.

We have two affordable options:

Drive the car. It has 251k miles and although we have completely gone through it, it is still old and we have to race it once we get there, so if we break we are screwed. Insurance and gas will cost us around $500.

OR tow it with one of our XJs. I have a 99 Classic bone stock. I just went through it and replaced all the brakes, front wheel bearings, fluids, etc. and she only has 96k miles. It is a auto with basic rear end and no tow package. My buddy has an '88 with a rebuilt 4.7L stroker motor and several other mods including 29" tires, addco front and rear sway bars, and stripped interior (no rear seats or carpet or anything else basically).

We would add a tranny cooler, rear disk brakes, and a 2" hitch to whichever one we picked. Even with those mods is this a bad idea? We would likely get a tow dolly, but is that safe? Is either XJ better than the other?

Thanks
__________________

My 01 tow rating was 3000 lbs. Not sure where an 88 tops out at. But with a 2600 lb car, dolly, 2 guys and gear for a road trip, you'd be over that.
Down side is the wear and tear on all the parts, Brakes especially. The BIGGEST drawback is the wheel base of the XJ. Short wheelbase tow vehicles just aren't stable enough, and make the tow experience scarry at best.
Look into renting a pickup. F150/GM1500 series would be ALOT safer, cost in the 500 dollar range for a week, and give you a much more comfortable ride.

First hand experience, Last year a club member used a 98 grand Cherokee to tow his 97 TJ to an offroad trip. With TJ, Trailer and 4 guys in the Grand, the poor thing was over loaded beyond belief. He was able to make 50MPH MAX, and was weaving allover the place down the highway. It was only a 200 mile one way trip, and the other three of us in caravan talked the other guys into riding with us just to reduce the load on the grand, still it was a scarry trip.

I'd rent a real tow vehicle.
My $.02.

Well the lifted xj is out for sure, the 99 has marginal power but is to light and short.
Isn't there a Amtrak or Conrail service on the east coast that hauls cars.
Put it on the train and use the 99 to tow it to the track.

I would be fool hearty to try it over the Smokey Mountains with any XJ.

Auto Train is an 855-mile-(1376-km-)long scheduled train service for passengers and their automobiles, operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Florida (near Orlando). Although there are similar services around the world, the Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States. Specialized equipment enables customers to take along their automobile, van, sport utility vehicle, motorcycle, small trailer, and/or jet-ski as they travel up or down the East Coast. Passengers ride in either wide coach seats or private sleeping car rooms while their vehicles are safely carried in enclosed automobile-carrying freight cars, called autoracks. The train also includes lounge cars and dining cars. The Auto Train service offers its passengers dual benefits: they avoid the long drive on busy Interstate 95 in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and instead of the expense and unfamiliarity of a rental car they have the convenience of the use of their own vehicle upon arrival.
The service operates as train 53 southbound and 52 northbound, making no station stops between its terminals at Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida.

langer1 said:

Well the lifted xj is out for sure

Click to expand...

Which one is the lifted one? 1 is bone stock, and the other has 29" tires, so I'm assuming its not lifted either.

Blue XJ said:

Which one is the lifted one? 1 is bone stock, and the other has 29" tires, so I'm assuming its not lifted either.

Click to expand...

I don't just guessing when he said it had other mods. Still enough power but to short and light to go far.

find a local rental place or whatever with pickups and unlimited milage. Throw a hitch on it and go for it. The cost of frying you XJ would be much higher. Also if you get blown over and wreck both you'd be double screwed.

I tow alot with my XJ's, I think that you are pushing your luck towing that much weight with a Cherokee. My bass boat weighs 3000# and is a handfull with my 96' that has been modified for towing, so going another 1500# would be a disaster waiting to happen. Trailer brakes help but its the panic stops on wet pavement etc. that will get you everytime. Find another friend with a large SUV or pickup and pay them some money for letting you borrow it for the trip and then get it detailed for them when you get back.

xjtrailrider said:

I tow alot with my XJ's, I think that you are pushing your luck towing that much weight with a Cherokee. My bass boat weighs 3000# and is a handfull with my 96' that has been modified for towing, so going another 1500# would be a disaster waiting to happen. Trailer brakes help but its the panic stops on wet pavement etc. that will get you everytime. Find another friend with a large SUV or pickup and pay them some money for letting you borrow it for the trip and then get it detailed for them when you get back.

Click to expand...

Why another 1500# over 3000#? The car is only 2600 and tow dolly can't weigh much more then 500# right?

88JeepXJ said:

Why another 1500# over 3000#? The car is only 2600 and tow dolly can't weigh much more then 500# right?

Click to expand...

X2, but it's still borderline. I'd stick it on a dolly and drive around a bit, if it was hard to handle AT ALL, I'd rent an SUV for a week.

BTW, pulling with a dolly sucks. It pulls (and backs up) like a double trailer, you can forget about backing up unless you had some experience with doubles. they aren't really steady and smooth pulling forward either, full trailer is a lot better.

88JeepXJ said:

OK I've asked this basic question a couple of ways before. I have even found older posts of mine but I have a very specific question now, not just hypothetical.

We have a race in Gainesville Florida next week. We are leaving from MA so it is about 1300 miles one way.

Click to expand...

Okay, I gotta be brutally frank here.

I own a 2000 Cherokee (since new)... and have always had my "primary car" as well. The Cherokee's only been on one long highway ride (~400 miles) and it SUCKED. The Cherokee just isn't a real good highway vehicle... in terms of high-speed stability, braking, fuel economy, etc. Plus it's kinda noisy, cramped, and uncomfortable.

For what I bought it for (winter commute vehicle) it's great. But it NEVER goes on road trips.

I'm with the "rent something" camp. Preferably a full-size pickup, or SUV.
Still get lousy mileage... but much more comfort, and much more stability.

Den

When towing with a short light vehicle you don't want a tow dolly anyway.
A trailer with brakes and a load transfer hitch is a must.
A tow dolly should only be use when the tow vehicle is at least twice the weight of the vehicle being towed.
Snap an axle at the race your going to need a trailer anyway.

A 3000# tow capacity breaks down to 1/3 that weight on the tongue tow dollies don't add weight to the tongue and will just push you where ever it wants to go.

I understood the post to say that he was using a car trailer, which could weigh 800+#'s. And like others have stated its just not wise to do this anyway for thier safety or anyone else's. The XJ's engine will get it going with no problems but with the XJ its the lack of brakes, and the light weight of the tow vehicle that could spell disaster if a panic situation arises. The trailer brakes just aren't going to be enough to keep it straight and under control.

I refuse to give out irresponsible advice when it comes to possible life threatening situations.

I just recently went on a 9 hour road trip in my 86 XJ 2.5L full of everything I own on my way back to college (500 miles) and it sucked. I have made the same trip in a 98 F150 way more comfortable and a lot more power for the hills (duh, 2.5L). This being said I say train or rent.

I can understand the 2.5 liter.

But most of us forget how powerful a stock 4.0 is to begin with. I think you will be fine pulling with your stock 99. Just drive in "3". Not overdrive. And if your really have issues put it in the "1-2" selection and hammer down, and you will be just fine.

Your buds stroker will have an easier time pulling the trailer, but will have a harder time stopping it.

I'd take the 99 because it still has all the interior in it, greatly reducing road noise giving a more pleasant drive.

I believe my 98 has a ~#5000 pulling limit if properly equiped, load equalizing bars, trailer brakes, auto, tranny cooler, etc. Its how you hitch the dolly up. If you can't find a friend with a 1/2 ton or better, if you throw a tranny cooler and 2" hitch on the 88 with the 4.7, then find a dolly with load equalizing bars and brakes, you would probably be alright as long as you didn't push it and took your time, leaving plenty of space for braking.


But then again, I am only a web-puller

Both would do. It would be slow going but both would do fine.
Save the money on disks. Just make sure the stockers are up to snuff.
Disks can have better fade resistance true. But you should not be pushing you Jeep that hard anyway. Keep your speed down on the longer down hills to start with and the stocker will be just fine.
Get a good trany cooler. Change the trany fluid before you leave and on a long pull like yours when you return. Trany fluid WILL wear out if it get over heated. Over 250 deg. F. and the life expectancy of T fluid goes down hill real fast. On a hot day and pulling long hills it's not hard to hit that temp with any auto trany on any car.
Oil: On my 01 it calls for the oil to be changed every 3500 when towing. I use Syn when towing long and heavy and any name brand filter.
Coolant system: A large rad is useful here. A FRESH mix of at least a 50/50 mix in that rad is fine in most cases. I run the new stuff in the 01 at about 80/20. Flush well and refill before departing. Large capacity water pumps and high flow T-stat housing ??? I have never needed or used one. In the 12 years of towing with one or an other Cherokee. But the vains on very old water pumps do go away sometimes so a fresh stocker may help. The Rad cap should be of the 16 LB type and tested. Many cheep ones have popped new at 12 lb.
On a long hard pull. If you do start to over heat over 240 to 250 F pull over take it out of gear but let the engine idle. Do NOT turn off the engine.
The engine itself should be in good shape. A tired engine will overheat a lot faster then a fresh one. It should not have a problem with blowby or burn a lot of oil.
Springs: air shocks are hard to beat for towing, sucks for offing.
In general drive slower. Take a lot longer to stop. Use your head and your Cherokee will pull a train to he$$ and back no problem.

Well I have an appointment at Uhaul tomorrow morning ($250 for class III hitch installed with wiring). I'll install the cooler this weekend. Then I'll cross my fingers.

We still have the option of driving the car but just not a good idea. We drove it around last night and it is pretty good actually, but it wasn't 2600 miles.

Thank for your help guys, I'll drive like I have a car towing behind me, don't worry.

Keep it under 60 mph and you'll be OK.
Don't forget to post a report (post mortem?) when you get back.