Towing with a Jeep, am I going to die??

When you have a 3,000 pound trailer you can overcome the front brakes because the trailer is pushing you. If you lock the axles together by way of the driveshafts you have a better chance of stopping.

Neat idea, I will file that away for future reference!
Personally, I'm going to hydroboost in my XJ.

md21722 said:

When you have a 3,000 pound trailer you can overcome the front brakes because the trailer is pushing you. If you lock the axles together by way of the driveshafts you have a better chance of stopping.

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Well, you will overcome ALL the brakes.......unless you are pulling nose high, which is unsafe in the first place.

When braking hard towing, the trailer weight will lift the rear axle, making the front brakes work even harder, and the rears slide.


Like I said, it helps some.......................

Thanks for all the help guys,
Looks like the plan is a tow dolly with the car loaded on forwards(everyone on the 914 forum has MAJOR issues loading it backwards), with a bunch of weight in the bed to offset it (a few hundred pounds of sand or something just for extra weight). It'll be a bit but I'll definitely take pictures before-hand and post them. Thanks again for the advice!

Bear in mind you're going to be something like 5000 pounds total weight. I'd take it very easy and slow, give lots of runoff room. I'd inspect your brakes on the MJ first, as well.

BTW, completely jealous of you having an MJ.

I have towed all kinds of stuff behind my XJ. The heaviest being a boat that weighed 5,000 pounds, which i towed over Donner pass on hwy 80. Trailer had surge brakes, my Jeep has and LS motor as well as frame stiffening, brakes are all upgraded and the rear axle is an 8.8. Accelerating and stopping arent the issue, its the weight behind you telling you who is in charge. Honestly, anything over 3,500 is pushing it in an XJ, and MJ would probably be the same. At 4,000 pounds with yours would be a tad bit on the unsafe side but doable for one trip.

I regularly tow a 2,000 pound trailer long distances and that seems to be a safe load for the XJ, so if you dolly it (which is tough on a 914) you should be close to that weight.

You're 100% fine. Just go slow. However, you'd be better off with a tow dolly and the 914 facing backwards, or the trans disconnected facing forward. Dollies are ~1000 lbs lighter.

My last XJ towed 3k all the time. Last couple years, I've been towing the same trailer/car combo with a Volvo XC70 wagon.

clydefrog said:

I have towed all kinds of stuff behind my XJ. The heaviest being a boat that weighed 5,000 pounds, which i towed over Donner pass on hwy 80. Trailer had surge brakes, my Jeep has and LS motor as well as frame stiffening, brakes are all upgraded and the rear axle is an 8.8. Accelerating and stopping arent the issue, its the weight behind you telling you who is in charge. Honestly, anything over 3,500 is pushing it in an XJ, and MJ would probably be the same. At 4,000 pounds with yours would be a tad bit on the unsafe side but doable for one trip.

I regularly tow a 2,000 pound trailer long distances and that seems to be a safe load for the XJ, so if you dolly it (which is tough on a 914) you should be close to that weight.

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Don't mean to threadjack, but that's a beautiful boat, and I love the color of your Jeep, Clyde. Got a build thread?

EDIT: I found his build thread. You should consider putting it in your sig!

burntkat said:

Don't mean to threadjack, but that's a beautiful boat, and I love the color of your Jeep, Clyde. Got a build thread?

EDIT: I found his build thread. You should consider putting it in your sig!

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Thanks man. I will put it in my sig, never considered it.

My Jeep is rattle canned Rustoleum Forest Green (semi gloss).

clydefrog said:

(semi gloss).

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Ah yes, pre-faded. I use Simi gloss on my bumpers, sliders, etc. Touch up doesn't really show much.