Tow dolly behind my XJ

OK everyone. I did some searching as well on this.
Here is my question. 98 XJ 4.0 with the AW4 automatic trans. Factory Trans cooler.

I am looking for opinions on towing with this.
I may need to get a tow dolly and tow a VW Rabbit from NY to VA. Rabbit weighs just under 2000 LBS. Its a small and nimble vehicle to tow. Can anyone forsee any issues that need to be addressed prior to doing this?

Thanks.

Yes, get a tow dolly with surge brakes. I tow a heavy boat with mine and it is a 5 speed. When my surge brakes didn't work on the trailer I had some very life threatening moments, especially in the rain. Electric trailer brakes would be better but surge brakes will do.

BA

I say go for it, we drove from indy to albany new york in a 99 classic 4.0 aw4 8.25rear , with a dolly behind, got to albany and put my 98 sport 4.0 aw4 8.25 on it, it did fine and we were able to get decent times.

I tow a 18' holiday trailor (without any brakes) with my 89 XJ 4.0L Auto, and never had a problem.

Do it. It will be very easy as long as you take it light. I dragged an AMC from NJ to MI without any issues, just watch the speed.

You should be fine. I say do it.

be safe, get one with brakes...

Going south to VA definitely get something with brakes.
A trailer would be safer because it transfers weight and is more stable when the weight is close to equal.

Should I upgrade my tranny cooler for the trip? Or is the stock one adequate?

Tranny coolers are cheap insurance for the AW4. Unless there is an external cooler I would get one just because (stacked plate not tube/fin). The hills on 81 around Tully aren't so forgiving.:lecture:

I'm actually starting the trip from Binghamton, so Tully is an area I don't worry about. But the mountains in PA can be a killer. Especially in Hazelton at the I-81/I-80 exchange. That hill is enormous.

Not sure If I'm still going to have to make the trip. I just want to have all my information ready to go.

if you dont get a tranny cooler really watch your engine temp. it can over heat your tranny pretty quick if it gets hot.

txredxj said:

if you dont get a tranny cooler really watch your engine temp. it can over heat your tranny pretty quick if it gets hot.

Click to expand...

Can't second this enough. A DIY cooler runs around $100 or so, and is cheap protection when you figure the cost of replacing a blown transmission.

That aside, about once a month I end up towing a dead (usually) French car with my XJ and a U-Haul tow dolly. This typically adds up to somewhere between 2500 and 4000 pounds on the back. It does fine in terms of lugging the load, but as others have recommended I would strongly suggest using a trailer with either surge or electric brakes. Also be sure to check the state of your XJ's brakes before towing. The 9" discs and drums are not the greatest to begin with (they work, but that's about it) and it's possible to wear them out pretty rapidly if towing. Ask me how I cracked a pad *and* rotor last January...

Oh, and be prepared for the fact that the XJ's not the widest tow vehicle out there. Not really a problem, but there will be more tendency for trailer push to affect it than in other larger vehicles.

I agree with getting a dolly with the surge brakes. I tow a 3000# bass boat through the mountains of S.W. VA weekly and on a wet road you will thank yourself. Go ahead and pop the cash for the cooler, Biggest you can fit, mine is a 30,000 gvw Hayden, it keeps my AW4 below 170 on 90+ summer days towing. Its an addition that will help your jeep live a little longer even if you only really use it once.

OK great responses, now for the other part............where do I mount it?

Remove the grill and mount it in front of the radiator where it will catch the coolest air. If you buy a quality brand cooler it will have full instrucions. The AW4 return line is the one at the rear of the tranny, output is the one closest to the front. Mine is routed: tranny output to cooler to radiator(you need to keep this plumbed in so the tranny will warm up in the cold months)to the return line. I recommend using Gates transmission oil cooler hose and double clamp all fittings. I cut out all of my factory flex lines and ran Gates from the hard lines to the cooler/radiator and back. Just make sure that they don't rub anything and if they do shield the hose to protect it. I went one step further with mine and did a "halfway flare" (transmission techs call them "dog nuts")on the hard lines to keep the hose from slipping/leaking.

Or you could just take it to a tranny shop and have it installed.