Towing with a lifted Jeep

Hi all

i have a slightly modified jeep, 1994 xj limited with extra leaf in rear, good shocks, extraxtors and 2.5 inch exhaust and heavy duty hitch also up country pack. my question is if towing is a problem with raised suspension. i want to run 31 inch tires, 4.11 gears and 3 inch lift i currently tow a 4000lb boat about 3 or 4 times a year and i manage now ok (lots of care taken) but am concerned about any adverse effects of raising the vehicles centre of gravity, would it be wise to keep the 28 inch tyres and rims for when i tow

Thanks for any help given

Ewen

Ewenm said:

Hi all

my question is if towing is a problem with raised suspension. i want to run 31 inch tires, 4.11 gears and 3 inch lift i currently tow a 4000lb boat about 3 or 4 times a year and i manage now ok (lots of care taken) but am concerned about any adverse effects of raising the vehicles centre of gravity, would it be wise to keep the 28 inch tyres and rims for when i tow
Ewen

Click to expand...

I wouldn't be afraid to tow your XJ at all. My son has a 95 YJ with an over axle lift and 35 inch Super Swampers. I pulled it home last year when it dropped a fuel pump while we were camping. The challenge is to get the tow bar mounted so it's level with the hitch. A steep down angle on the tow bar can be dangerous.

To me the tow vehicle is more important. Can it safely pull and stop 4,000lbs? I bought an F-250 for this very reason.

I'm with you right now, man...

I have 6" lift, and 31" tires, and tow a 2880lb pop-up trailer. I have less than 3k of wheel time with this setup, but what I've learned so far:

1. Sway control; does your trailer/hitch have a sway brake attached? If not, then go BUY ONE NOW. You can adjust how much drag is on the hitch points, and it keeps the sway to a pretty manageable level. It's going to cost anywhere from $25-75 to buy the parts, and if you can drill and light wrench, the install would be free.

2. Electric brakes on the trailer? If not, then another worthwhile purchase. You'll find yourself tapping on the little manual brake slider, to straighten things out, like when you get passed by a big rig- the wake is more noticable, and seems to have a more pronounced effect when towing with a lifted XJ. Well, at least in MY case, it feels more "touchy".

I'm not sure how other lifted arrangements work or feel, but my 6" RE rear springs are "bouncy"; by that, I mean than when I'm on the brakes hard on the XJ WITHOUT the trailer, the back end sometimes does a "Kangaroo" sort of bounce, with smaller bounces as the Jeep finally stops. I usually have to do some minor adjustments to the brake controller once I'm out on the road, since when I hit the brakes, the Jeep wants to bounce, but the trailer tongue fights back.

It makes for a huge racket out back during braking, and sometimes freaks out the Mrs. Also, make sure your tongue height is correct- you'll want the tongue to be as level as possible, and with a lift you'll end up having a hitch that looks like a tailhook on a Navy jet. If you get a ball mount that's not dropped enough, your trailer tongue will be pointing "up", and that's not GOOD at all.

With a lift, towing will be a little more of a challenge, but only in that you'll have to pay more attention in urban/crowded areas- the highway ride will be about the same as you have now.

I hope that's what you were asking.

Thanks for your response, when done, like all things i guess its try it a little at a time and see how it goes. at least i only tow the boat a few times a year, i can pick the time and day and it not far

thanks again

Ewen

One thing I noticed was that I was able to see over and around the trailer better after I lifted the XJ. I have about 4" and run 31's and tow a 2000# pop-up camper. Towing is the only time I notice the lack of a front sway bar. I am installing disco's so I can reconnect the sway bar when towing. If you are towing I strongly suggest full leaf packs in the rear. The weight of the trailer will bow an aal pack fast.

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28 inch tyres and rims for when i tow
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If it's an auto transmission the 31 with 4.11 gears will do just fine. For the short or occasional tow. If you ever consider the long hail. A kill switch for the OD and transmission cooler is a must with a 4000 LB pull.
If your picking the gears your self on the stock AX15. For all but the shortest of tows I would definitely put the stock tires back on. Else you may fry the clutch with a lot of stop and go. If you still have them it a no cost upgrade for towing.
If you never towed. Just take your time get the hang of it all.
See you on the road. I will be in the green 01 pulling 4350 of trailer. Luck