towing a car with the XJ for the first time tomorrow.no choice..advice?

I have a bone stock 01 XJ 4.0L AW4 ABS with tow package,trans cooler
(but 3.55 gearing)
180,000 kilometers
fresh oil change
fresh diff lubes (syn in rear d35 trac lok axle)
new brakes all around (new drums and rotors also)
Fresh trans flush new ATF
new rad and coolant

i have to use a U haul trailer that i have here, it claims to be 2000LBS
tandem axle with surge brakes

the car thats being towed is a off road race buggy that weighs roughly 1500LBS at the moment

i have a bit of a drive ahead, it usually takes 3 hours with just me and the XJ, im taking the long road this time just because it has less sharp turns and nasty hill sections. not sure how long its going to take but but im guessing i will be on the road 5 hours.

i know on paper it can be done, its not an ideal setup by any means
i have hauled this buggy on the same trailer with larger pickups and you would not even know you were towing..but this XJ is smaller and lighter,
i have read somewere that i could run into problems with the factory ABS??

im making the run either way, race day on saturday morning..i had a line on a f350 crew diesel but that JUST fell though,

anyone here tried something like im doing? im sure i will be OK if i take it easy but i dont actually KNOW that it will be OK.

anything i should look out for on the jeep?

another problem is that the buggy can only fit on the trailer if it goes front end first.. the motor and trans is in the back.. kinda does not go along well with the 60/65% of the weight being on the front half of the trailer.
but there is no way i can get it on rear end first (83" wide in the rear 75" in front)

will the jeep make it?!?! there will be some hill climbs and highway.
thanks
Cale

It should be fine. Make sure your tires are aired up and even. Slow down and if all else fails, drop the tranny down a gear. Don't try to go too fast and give yourself plenty of braking room.

I might think about getting a tow dolly and putting the buggy on backwards.

i looked into the dolly, the car is over width to fit on a U haul dolly, and i cant insure the buggy, and AFAIK the vehicle on the dolly needs to have insurance?

im pretty much stuck with this trailer, tires are all at 33PSI..maybe i will throw an extra few pounds in the rears..fill the tank with some 94 octane and light foot it.

Back in the day with dune buggies, we used to take the rear wheels off and install them backwards because of the backspacing and it allowed the buggy to be narrow enough to put on the trailer.

I could do that on a swing axle buggy, but my car has A arms in the rear and between that and the Rotor/hub setup in the rear..my wheels cant be installed backwards without binding against the suspension.
good idea, i tried to do that, but it wont work on my car.

i have most of the goods to build a custom XJ friendly dune buggy hauler that will weigh minimal and be able to haul only this race car (Pad spacing for the tires) but its not built yet.

thanks for the help
Cale

If those tires on your trailer are true ST rated trailer tires, they should be up closer to 50 psi if I'm not mistaken.

If you can't get around 200 lbs tongue weight on the hitch just with buggy position, then I would get some sand bags and strap them down. That will help your avoid trailer sway.

Other than that, I don't see anything to be worried about. I pulled 4000+ lbs. for 4 hours before with my old '00. Was over eastern shore of MD so it was pretty flat though...

the xj made the tow, i went from the okanagan to the vancouver bc area through the mountains and it took 4 hours, 3rd gear, slow hill climbs. i would get some good sway if i was going over 95kmh, 90kmh pretty much was it unless i was going uphill..

the truck never heated up, no ABS lights no problems whatsoever
sucked back 3/4 tank of 94 octane

BUT i dont want to do it again, lighter trailer or a bigger truck.
the jeep will do fine for around tow/get to the track kinda stuff but the longer hauls would be much more comfortable in something a little "larger"

Not an ideal setup.. But i've done it.. I've towed 8000lb loads many of times with my ZJ, and 6400lb load with my old XJ.. never fun.. You have to be 100% alert and concentrated, Or you WILL kill someone.

100% concentration is a must for sure :thumbup:

Just for future reference, the 94 octane is was a waste of money and if anything cost you power. An engine will make the most power on the lowest possible octane without pinging. And for a stock or lightly modified 4.0 (stock timing) 87 is plenty. Not much detonation on our whopping 8.8:1 CR :cheers:

i dont fully agree, intake air temps, under hood temps, timing, plug health, altitude. load.. all play a factor, not just static CR ratio, 87 octane is plenty fine when the jeep is just trying to pull itself around, but even the factory owners manual says to run premium unleaded when towing.

i drive a 8.8:1 CR jeep (87), my 10.2:1 CR scirocco (94), and a 11.6:1 CR race buggy(100) all static CR specs, i CAN run the the 11.6:1 buggy on 94 octane if im just messing around and its not getting hot, but when its getting abused it requires just under 100 octane to be happy.

im sure i could have used 91 and had the same results as 94, but in my old grand cherokee V8 (mind you it did have some issues) it NEEDED premium when towing otherwise it sounded like marbles in the cylinders.

the jeep is runnin around on 87 octane happy as a pig in shit now though. Thanks for the heads up though, and honestly, i have never tried to tow with this 4.0L xj on 87 octane, it very well could be all that is required
however i did get one rattle out of the motor even on 94 when i pushed a little too hard on the pedal climbing up a 10% mile long grade. it could have been something else, but it souded like ping to me,
thanks again