Tow in neutral???

Somebody right here in Colorado should know this: I need to tow an XJ with an auto, can I put the T-case in neutral and skip disconnecting the drive shaft?

It's traveling 5 miles at the most, no highway driving.

Hypoid said:

Somebody right here in Colorado should know this: I need to tow an XJ with an auto, can I put the T-case in neutral and skip disconnecting the drive shaft?

It's traveling 5 miles at the most, no highway driving.

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Yes. It may depend on the transfer case but I have done it in mine with a 231.

Thats all i heard you have to do... Had to do it once worked good...

Yep. Just don't forget to keep the steering un-locked.......

Good advice!

I'm working on the tow dolly tonight.

I just might get a wild hair and load the junker on backwards.

What year XJ and does it have an axle disconnect?

That is the determining factor with towing an XJ. If it had a disco they didn't have a "true neutral" tcase. It would lock the front and rear driveshafts together. You can still tow one but you have to make sure that the axle is disconnected. You do this by shutting the engine off before you pull it into N.

If there is no disco, you are fine. They changed the tcases after that so the front and rear were not locked together in neutral.

I flat tow an XJ behind my motorhome and have for thousands of miles. Four-wheel drive Cherokees are to be towed with transfer case in neutral and the transmission in Park. Make sure the ignition is off, but not locked if you need the front wheels to track. This procedure is described in the owners manual.

In my Renix era XJ, you can't tow on a tow dolly without dropping the rear driveshaft. I used to drop the shaft all the time until I got hubs. I hear rumors that the later NP231's don't connect the front and rear shafts in neutral, but I have never seen it in person. Everybody I have talked to that said it worked, hadn't done it themselves, so I am still skeptical.

I am installing a Tera2Lo in my NP231. It is supposed to make it a true neutral.

I didn't get if for that. I got lazy and tired of hopping out and changing the hub settings. I'm going to change over to slugs instead of the hubs. Anybody need a new set of MileMarker hubs? :gag:

97 Owners manual (AW4/NP231J) say's leave the tranny in Park and the T-case in Neutral.

I posted this a while back....direct from my owners manual.
Search "recreational towing"........ Post #26
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=953831&highlight=RECREATIONAL+TOWING

Remember he said he was using a tow dolly, not flat towing.

Good stuff to keep in mind when I need to tow another year. Thanks fellas!

old_man said:

Anybody need a new set of MileMarker hubs? :gag:

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Troy might be in need of a hub lock. We watched him snap something on the Truggy. I hope it's the all metal Warn that snapped.

old_man said:

Remember he said he was using a tow dolly, not flat towing.

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Missed that part.......
On a side note from owners manual as well (88 Cherokee):

Towing A Disabled Vehicle

If your vehicle is disabled and is to be towed with the front or rear wheels off the ground, towing speed should be limited to 30 mph (48 km/h) for a distance no greater than 15 miles (24 km).
CAUTION: Do not disconnect rear prop shaft because fluid will leak from the transfer case and damage internal parts.

Command-Trac with Ignition Key Available
*Manual Transmission
Turn the ignition key to the OFF position to unlock the steering column. Shift the transmission into gear and the transfer case to N (Neutral). The vehicle can now be towed with the front or rear wheels raised.
*Automatic Transmission
Turn the ignition key to the OFF position to unlock the steering column and gear shift linkage. Shift transmission into P (Park) and transfer case to N (Neutral). The vehicle can now be towed with the front or rear wheels raised.

Command-Trac with Ignition Key Not Available and Vehicle Unlocked
*Manual Transmission
Shift the transmission into gear and the transfer case to N (Neutral). The vehicle can now be towed with the front wheels raised.
*Automatic Transmission
Check that transmission is in P (Park), and shift transfer case to N (Neutral), The vehicle can now be towed with the front wheels raised.

Command-Trac with Ignition Key Not Available and Vehicle Locked
*Manual and Automatic Transmissions
Place a dolly under the rear wheels and tow with the front end raised.

Select-Trac with Ignition Key Available
Turn the ignition key to the OFF position to unlock the steering column and gear shift linkage. Shift transmission into P (Park) and transfer case to N (Neutral). The vehicle can now be towed with all four wheels on the ground or with front or rear wheels raised.

Select-Trac with Ignition Key Not Available and Vehicle Unlocked
Check that transmission is in P (Park), and shift transfer case to N (Neutral). The vehicle can now be towed with the front wheels raised.

Select-Trac with Ignition Key Not Available and Vehicle Locked
Place a dolly under the rear wheels and tow with the front end raised.

Emergency Towing--- Transfer Case Cannot be Shifted to Neutral
If the transfer case cannot be shifted into N (Neutral), place a dolly under the rear wheels and tow the vehicle with the front wheels raised.

CAUTION: If the vehicle must be towed with the wheels on the ground, the ignition key must be turned to the OFF position to unlock the steering column.
The steering column lock is not strong enough to withstand the shock transmitted from the front wheels while towing. Also, before towing the vehicle with the rear wheels lifted, secure the steering column with a steering wheel clamping device designed for towing service.

regardless of the 231 or 242 the neutral on the tcase should be that a neutral and not have the tcase locked in any way. if yours does this than you have an issue with your linkages and a way to test if your tcase neutral is in tact is have the tranny in gear and tcase in N position then try to drive if you move you need to fix your tcase or linkage for the correct position. almost all of the NP/NV cases with N position are meant for towing.

old_man said:

I am installing a Tera2Lo in my NP231. It is supposed to make it a true neutral.

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don't do it!!!

why?

old_man said:

why?

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All it does it add another tooth to the sector. Therefore the cavity that the pin drops into is not as deep. Causing the sector to be less stable. Dangerous when in 4LO and going down a huge downhill. One pop up and you're in true N...brakes only.