towing

i have a 97 xj 4.0 l and a 5 speed
the owners man. says no towing over 2000lbs with a 5 speed however with auto its 5000 lbs.
why such a difference? is the clutch not srong enough or the tranny?
also has any one ever pulled a trailer over 2000 lbs with a 5 speed?
just wondering because i got a 3500 lb boat

It isn't that the clutch isn't "strong" enough, it's that they only equipped the 5-speed 4.0L models with 3.07:1 gears, and trying to pull any weight with gearing like that is going to require a lot of clutch slipping. I believe the factory simply didn't want to deal with complaints about burned out clutches, so instead of offering a tow package with realistic gearing they just said "don't."

If you're at all decent with a clutch you can pull a 3500 pound boat trailer. Be sure to limit yourself to the first 4 gears -- even with the auto they tell you to lock out OD when towing.

What i saw-

A good friend of mine had a mid 90's 4.0 5-spd. Regularly pulled a boat that i am sure the combination was at least 5k lbs. The only thing that it ever suffered with was a broken trans mount. Never had a problem with the clutch or anything else. I think that if you are careful your rig will do just fine. I too think it is the clutch that's the weak link. And give it plenty of time to brake!!

I have a 94 XJ with a 5 spd, 31x10.50 tires, and 4.10 gears.

I've towed a 1 ton pop-up from Chicago to Moab and back twice now (5200+ miles on those alone.) And a couple of trips to MI.

I replaced the clutch last month (long story) with 70,000 plus miles on it. Almost no perceptible wear on the clutch disc, and the flywheel still had all of the tool marks except for the outer 3/4" or so where the clutch rode.

One other note that I see Eagle and Judd DIDN'T mention. Get trailer brakes, either surge or electric.

Ditto on the trailer brakes, the XJ doesn't have enough A$$ to stop a 3,500 lb load by itself. I'd also suggest a Weight Distributing Hitch otherwise the tail will be wagging the dog everytime a tractor trailer passes you or you get hit by a strong cross wind.
Mike B.

thanks for the help, one more question though-
i changed the gear oil in the tranny last month and used a 75-90w GL5 gear oil, this is what it said to use in the owners manual.
since then i have been told by a fellow at my work that this is the wrong gear oil to use. he said you have to use the factory oil that is a GL3. and if i dint change i can tear up my 5sp.
is any of this true ? i would not think the owners manual is wrong

There's a lot of controversy on this, especially regarding the AX-15 tranny (which you have). MJR, a Jeep tech who is one of our members, was researching this. He posted some initial results that you can find with a search (go back 2 to 3 months), but perhaps if you drop him a PM he'll update us with any new revelations.

my xj also has 31x10.5 on it, will this decrease its towing capacity a lot, i still have stock 3.07 gears

jamnxj said:

my xj also has 31x10.5 on it, will this decrease its towing capacity a lot, i still have stock 3.07 gears

Click to expand...

You probably have the effective equivalent of 2.50 axle gearing. I would not try to town with that setup, other than perhaps a VERY light triler.

if i were to regear what gearing to you think i should go with in order to be able to tow and still cruise down the highway at a decent rpm. or is it one or the other?

With a 5spd and 31's I'd say 4.10's at least.

At least 4.10s.

31x10.50/15s with 3.73 gears works out to exactly the same overall final drive ratio (MPH/1000 RPM) as stock tires with 3.54 gears -- which is the stock ratio with the automatic tranny. So unless you go to 4.10s you're not gaining anything over stock.

jamnxj said:

thanks for the help, one more question though-
i changed the gear oil in the tranny last month and used a 75-90w GL5 gear oil, this is what it said to use in the owners manual.
since then i have been told by a fellow at my work that this is the wrong gear oil to use. he said you have to use the factory oil that is a GL3. and if i dint change i can tear up my 5sp.
is any of this true ? i would not think the owners manual is wrong

Click to expand...

I sent you a PM as well. Ok the 1997 XJ factory service manual states "Recommended lubricant for AX15 transmissions is Mopar® 75W - 90, API Grade GL - 3 gear lubricant, or equivalent."

The GL-5 was used from 91-96. The basic difference I think is in shear properties. GL-5 is typically used in rear axles. There was a syncro part number change in 97. I don't think you caused any damage but I would change it to the GL-3 specified in the service manual.

And for Eagle. I do not think the engineers care much since they no longer use the AX so it would seem from my failure to get a clear answer. I got one reply with information on oil ratings. This is the only section that says anything.

"Numerous performance specifications can be used to identify the level of protection that will be provided by an automotive gear lubricant. In the past, API Category GL-4 was commonly used to describe the type of lubricants that would provide acceptable performance in manual transmissions and lightly loaded final drive axles. API Category GL-5 described lubricants that were generally used in final drive axles operatingin moderate to severe service. However, several new performance specifications are becoming the benchmark for describing lubricant quality."

Some of the described specifications are MT-1 (non syncro), MIL-PRF-2105E, SAE J2360, and a future one with the temporary designation PM-1.

Lost yet ?.

My uneducated 2 cents

I'm sure I've probably got a completly different experience, but I've got 4" lift, 31x10.5, stock gears, 5-speed. Up until last year, I was towing my brothers 19' alumaweld duck hunting boat over the Cascades 2-3 times per season. Total weight on the trailer & gear was 4400 pounds. Plus I'd haul it various places in Western Wash since his k-5 was always broken down (POS GM).

At the time, I had about 150k miles, bone stock drivetrain (except the lift), original factory clutch (so says the dealer I bought it from, even then the clutch had at least 80k miles on ). And it was in the winter, patchy snow and ice, 4wd the entire 300 mile trip. I will admit it's a PIA when it's windy, since the trailer/boat combo weighs almost as much as the Jeep, but I adjust my driving habits to make sure I've got plenty of time to stop/control (except for the deer, but that's another story).

I replaced the u-joint once, and never any problems. I had to drive in 3rd or 4th gear to get up the pass, but could maintain 50 mph in 3rd gear, long as the road was ok. The clutch has lasted me another 30k miles, and it's only now finally time to replace it.

Anyway, that's my experiences - probably not typical...

oops

btw, I'm a bit of a fluid fanatic & changed the fluids before every hunting season and at the end of each season. That might explain the durability...

jamnxj said:

my xj also has 31x10.5 on it, will this decrease its towing capacity a lot, i still have stock 3.07 gears

Click to expand...

Just to reinforce what the others have said, YES!

I figured it out after I put 4.10s in mine. Leaving in 2nd gear now was like launching in 1st gear with 3.07s and 31x10.50s. It ain't pretty, with 31s and 3.07 gears it could barely get out of it's own way.

I like my 4.10s with 31x10.50s.

ChiXJeff

thanks for the help and advise everyone i really appericate it
jamnxj