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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2008 21:02:40 GMT -5
Last year I tried to flat tow the TJ behind the Exploder with a tow bar. I really didn't have good luck, and trying to figure out why and if I can fix it. Now before I get any smarty pants in here that want to shout "Get a trailer", I can't. I tried that before, and it is too much for Cheryl's poor little X. Seriously, it was. The frame is now tweaked a little bit and I had to replace the rear struts twice. Doing that was well over it's GVWR. Independent rears do not make good tow vehicles, FYI.
So to the problem. Flat towing went pretty good until I hit the mountains. On the downhill side though, the TJ would get pretty squirelly and start swaying side to side, a couple times I really thought the tail was going to wag the dog off the road. So bad that I had to stop and unhook and drive it the rest of the way. I know I've hooked it up correctly, I tried the tow bar at level, and slightly at an up angle toward the Explorer. Someone suggested trying it a down angle, but I have only heard that to be very dangerous, and in a quick stop can cause the 'toad' to push up and go into the back of the tow vehicle. Just checking to see if I'm missing anything here, or to see if you all have had better success than me. Weird thing is the TJ drives perfect, I could drive 80 with one finger on the wheel if I wanted to...can't figure out why it won't tow.
It sucks have to put gas in the Exploder and the TJ for these winter trips (Cheryl likes to go skiing while I go wheeling, so she needs her own veh).
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Post by 87B2XLT on Jan 30, 2008 21:24:10 GMT -5
Keith, my first question would be, what speed you're towing the TJ at with the tow bar. I have noticed that said set-up at anything much greater than 60 mph seems to tend to cause a little wag of the dog. I'm guessing you don't have manual front hubs and are also towing with the transmission and t-case in neutral with the rear driveline installed as well. If not, that could be part of it... not enough 'drag' to keep it in-line. Luckily, I can tow the BII with everything in neutral without removing the driveline, just not any faster than 55-60 (and even that is technically pushing it). I believe my set-up is a slight down-angle to tow vehicle, and since I usually don't drive very fast while towing, I usually don't have much issues -- I also try to anticipate slow-downs so I don't break the hitch loose or anything. Just some food for thought and what my experiences have been. Hope this helps.
Dave G
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Post by LILREDCJ6 on Jan 30, 2008 21:32:17 GMT -5
Keith i have towed that thing i call a jeep with out much fuss. I usually had the bar at a slight up. Now i had the cheap walmart tow bar. they don't sell it anymore for obvious reasons. The only time i would have a problem was on deceleration, down hill that type of thing. Now what i had figured out was that even on a deceleration if you feel the jeep start to move around just give it a little gas and it will pull right out of it. I drug mine all the way to WV and had no problems and there are some big mountains on I 68.
Trust me it does make you stomach a little queasy sometimes. I would feel stuff that Shelli wouldn't. So as long as i could relax a little it was fine. Keith if you want and if you have that thing ready to hook up tomorrow night we can take it for a spin and you can show me what it is doing?
Tony
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Post by N2Rocks on Jan 30, 2008 21:36:28 GMT -5
I think your dead-on that you don't want the tow bar angled down. I believe it should be between parallel to ground to no more than 4 inches higher on the explorer. The towed vehicle will push-up the back of the towing vehicle. I've seen the towed vehicle PIT the towing vehicle while slowing for a curve. I'd hate to imaging how the explorer would have handled (or not handle) if you had to emergency brake. I'd suggest ensuring the towbar is no more than a couple inches above level and you could use one of the brake buddy systems. A little pricey, but not compare to vehicle damage or injuries from an incident. Cheaper than a trailer and would give you a lot more braking. If the rubi got unstable you could use the rubicon brake to straighten it right up. www.bigdiscountrv.com/towbrakes.htm?gclid=CMa3yoGzn5ECFR8UlgodGWZgPA |
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Post by toynrnd on Jan 30, 2008 21:52:30 GMT -5
Is the tow bar mounted as wide as possible on the bumper?
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Post by jeeepxj on Jan 30, 2008 21:53:20 GMT -5
Just curious.. Why wouldn't one of these work, to help the wagging issue?  |
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Post by LILREDCJ6 on Jan 30, 2008 21:53:40 GMT -5
Keith they sell those up at Dixie RV off of Jefferson. The other idea is to get a dolly. That way no weight on the vehicle and it is safer than flat towing.
Easy to store also.
Tony
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Post by jeeepxj on Jan 30, 2008 21:54:27 GMT -5
Keith they sell those up at Dixie RV off of Jefferson. The other idea is to get a dolly. That way no weight on the vehicle and it is safer than flat towing. Easy to store also. Tony And you can get them with brakes. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2008 22:15:06 GMT -5
The dolly is a great idea. You could get one with surge or electric brakes. I flat towed for years and learned a few things....I always made sure the bar was as level as it could be. It did point down on the Suburban and just level on the F150. I think the most important thing for handling was the weight difference between the vehicles. The towing one must weigh much more. The worst time I had getting it home was towing the CJ with another CJ. It had 400 horses, but no brakes.
Think long term, Keith, When her Explorer is ready to be replaced, buy her more vehicle. I recommend a nice crew cab F150.
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Post by jeeepxj on Jan 30, 2008 22:18:39 GMT -5
Think long term, Keith, When her Explorer is ready to be replaced, buy her more vehicle. I recommend a nice crew cab F150. Or even an Expedition, if you wanted to stay SUV. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2008 22:37:44 GMT -5
Dang, that was fast you guys! I don't know how to multi-quote, but those are great ideas.
- Dave G. I was going about 60-65 on Rt 460 and I-64. T-case in neutral, trans in park.
- Tony, I just couldn't feel safe enough with the wife and child and having that feeling. I am already breaking the law (ya I'm not afraid to fall on my sword) by not having a brake buddy system with it. Now that I have a different bumper, I don't have those mounts bolted on anymore. I am toying with bolting them on again, this time more outboard as Chris B eluded too. They also make these neato adapters that use the shackle mounts to hook the bar too, but again, my shackles mounts aren't very far outboard. I never considered having the bar spread apart.
Maybe tomorrow morning I will try mounting the brackets farther apart and we'll try it out. Worst case it still doesn't work and I have brackets on my bumper. Could be usefull if I need a tow in the future I guess.
- Don, you are right on, maybe I need to consider a brake buddy's price isn't very much compared to wrecking two vehicles. I do like the dolly idea too, I didn't know they came with brakes. Still not sure if even a tow dolly would prevent the back end of the Jeep from swaying on the downhill rides though. It's fine as long as there's a 'load', but as soon as we go over the hillcrest, that back end unloads and starts moving around.
- Craig I don't think that will work, because the swaying isn't like a trailer would sway. The front tires are staying put, it's the back end of the Jeep that's moving around. That leverage back there is what's moving the back end of the Explorer around.
- Norm, it's gonna be a while. She's going to drive that till the wheels fall off. And no way even then will she want to drive an F-250. And I just get my way so much, that I'm not going to push that on her. I could sell the Rustang, but don't want to badly enough I guess.
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Post by LILREDCJ6 on Jan 30, 2008 23:01:23 GMT -5
Keith the rear wont sway quite as much because the steering wheel will be locked on the dolly. That will help keep the rear from moving around and with the front on the dolly more weight will be transfered to the back of the jeep. I have Physical therapy at 1330 and will stop by on my way back though.
I will give you a call on my way from P-town.
Tony
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Post by toynrnd on Jan 30, 2008 23:17:21 GMT -5
Dang, if we only knew somebody with a tow dolly for rent for a trial run.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2008 23:30:06 GMT -5
Ya, that would be sweet! Anyone? Bueller?
Oh, and if it helps, those tow bar brackets were mounted the width of the frame. Maybe just a hair outboard of the frame rails. Should have been enough I'd have thought, but the bar will go wider.
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Post by 87B2XLT on Jan 31, 2008 4:23:27 GMT -5
Keith, gotcha. My mounts are mounted centered on the frame rails on the front bumper, and it's parallel to a slight down-to-tow-vehicle angle, if much of one at all. I guess I don't notice much drift or something.... then again, my tow vehicle is a little longer than an Explorer. Most tow bars are recommended to be mounted either centered on the frame rails to as wide as possible -- but you also have to consider how sturdy your bumper is. I put my mounts where they are because I didn't want to bend the @#$%^&*! out of my bumper and the frame rails were wide enough that it didn't seem to affect it much. I'm not a big fan of tow dollies.... because they put more weight on the rear of the towed vehicle. You're always supposed to load your 'trailer' with more weight forward, I thought.... *shrug* All very good input, for sure!
Dave G
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