I need a few more HP

[BeJay1981]

Specs:

2001 2door 4.0/auto 4x4
3.55 gears with 31 inch tires

It drives around town and on the highway fine, i get about 15/19 mpg.

But frequently I tow a trailer (1000 lbs max) and on the interstate it sucks, it's constantly upshifting/downshifting. If theres a headwind, forget it, im always tucking behind semis just to maintain speed. I can drive in 3rd and that works but the mileage goes down the tubes. It's amazing how poweful these motors can be on the trail but so crappy at speed.

I really want to keep this Jeep and cant afford a tow vehicle. What are a few basic mods that will get a few more HP outa this thing? Re-gearing is out of the question.

I was thinking some type of cone/tube type intake, throttle body spacer, and maybe a better exhaust. I don't think I can put a header on in because if the cats in the ypipe thing? Any ideas to get a difference in power?

 

[jeepnuts311]

all the bolt ons available for your jeep put together will give you maybe 10 HP and a few more MPG. most of us on here have a handful of them and they help some, but not very much.

best bang for the buck is re-gearing and nobody will tell you otherwise. especially if you are towing. and get a tranny cooler.

-Tim

 

[ZomBrady]

All of the bolt on power mods won't do you a hill of beans. For the amount of money you will spend on intakes and the like, you could disconnect and remove the front drive shaft and re-gear the rear only. If you did it that way, you could bring the cost down around $500.

Intake +$100
Exhaust +$150
TB +$100
Header +$200
Total >$450
Regear ~= $500(the rear only)
It will just add up really quick, and you still won't be happy. But this is just my opinion.

 

[j99xj]

Bolt ons will help. But if you don't want to re gear I would suggest a stroker as the next best thing.

 

[Jimbo_1321]

check out www.rustysoffroad.com for gears.. I think the last I looked it was $399 for front and rear.... and taking out the front driveshaft won't help much... just my $0.02....

 

[ZomBrady]

check out www.rustysoffroad.com for gears.. I think the last I looked it was $399 for front and rear.... and taking out the front driveshaft won't help much... just my $0.02....

Allow me to explain. . . if you want to save a buck and don't care about having 4x4 for awhile, you can just regear the the rear axle. BUT you MUST disconnect and remove the front driveshaft or else you will do really nasty things to your drivetrain.

 

[cal]

I've been driving around for 7 months with misgeared axles and a front driveshaft?

I'm just very carefull not to shift into four wheel drive..

 

[ZomBrady]

I've been driving around for 7 months with misgeared axles and a front driveshaft?

I'm just very carefull not to shift into four wheel drive..

Now, see, I would be stupid enough to shift into 4 wheel drive, just because I would be curious to see what would happen and how it would happen.

 

[cal]

I did the math, and if I put 32's on the front, in theory i could shit into 4x without TOO much carnage.. front's 4.56 and the rear is 4.88, with 35's at the moment. New front is on the bench pending time.

 

[jeepnuts311]

Now, see, I would be stupid enough to shift into 4 wheel drive, just because I would be curious to see what would happen and how it would happen.

if you had a np242 you could do it for a short time in "full time", but not too long cuz it might overheat the center diff.

but you couldnt use it in "part time" or "4 lo"

-Tim

 

[cherokee steve]

I've never felt it was a good thing towing in OD anyway, check your owners manual and I beleive you'll find they want you to tow in 3rd. I almost fried my trans the first time I tow something more than a couple of miles, because I was using my OD.

 

[rstarch345]

I've never felt it was a good thing towing in OD anyway, check your owners manual and I beleive you'll find they want you to tow in 3rd. I almost fried my trans the first time I tow something more than a couple of miles, because I was using my OD.

I've been towing a 20' boat, dual horse trailer and utility trailer since my XJ was new in 2000. Origionally with stock gears and as of 2003 with 4.10s. Always in OD except when in the mountains, then in 3rd. I've got 115,000 miles, same transmission. No problems and I wheel my XJ heavily.

Guess it's all in the way a person thinks.

 

[Beej]

Regearing is your best option, since the problem you are experiencing is caused by the fact that you have larger tires on stock gears.

XJ's are already undergeared from the factory, putting on larger tires just adds to the problem. If you are very concerned about it, try going back to smaller tires. It should clear up pretty quickly.

Regearing will probably be comparable to a bunch of bolt on power adders as well, as was pointed out in an above post...

 

[BRADFORDXJ]

Regearing is your best option, since the problem you are experiencing is caused by the fact that you have larger tires on stock gears.

XJ's are already undergeared from the factory, putting on larger tires just adds to the problem. If you are very concerned about it, try going back to smaller tires. It should clear up pretty quickly.

Regearing will probably be comparable to a bunch of bolt on power adders as well, as was pointed out in an above post...

Not sure if I agree with that one.... I have trouble keeping traction on dry pavement with 31's and stock gears.... I could only imagine how fun it would be with steeper gears from the factory in the rain