TJ Towing Capacity

[KrazyJeeper]

Ok TJ owners, how much have you towed with your TJ. I believe the limit according to the manual is 2,000 but that seems a little low. I have a Center Console and am wondering if I can tow it. With motor, trailer and all I would guess the whole rig weighs about 3,500. The TJ is 4.0 auto stock for right now. Thanks, KJ

 

[Utah_jeepster]

250/2500

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

From the owner's manuals I've seen I was under the impression the autos were rated to tow less than the manual trannies. Pretty sure the YJ was 1000lb for the auto and 2000lb for the manual.

I wouldn't go over the rating, it's really not a matter of 'if' you have enough power but a matter of 'if' you have enough brakes and enough weight and wheelbase to keep the trailer under control, to keep the trailer from passing you up and taking you over on your lid.

 

[kd5uwg]

Being a boat mechanic, I have to tow boats daily with mine. One thing id suggest is to put it 4 high even on the highway if you dont you will notice when you go to stop you will slide. With my 02 tj with auto transmission and 4 liter if I dont I slide while stopping, Also while backing down the ramp definitely 4 high or low. First time I backed down the ramp with it in 2 wheel drive I thought I was gonna lose the jeep because it started slideing down ramp but stopped that by pulling it into 4 high. Ive towed boats up to 5000 pounds but I dont back anything over about 3500 to 4000 down the ramp.


Sincerely,
Calvin
02 tj 4.0 auto

 

[jfrabat]

I remember some years back (20?) my dad had a CJ (I do not remember which model or which engine, as it was a ways back!), and he used to tow his Mako 19 footer from the house to the ramp without any problems (the ramp to the sea was about 20 miles away, but the ramp to the lake was about 50 miles away). To be honest, I dont remember if he drove it around in 4H or not, but I do remember that when he got to the ramp, he put it down to 4L to take it down. But that boat must have been at least 3,000 lbs in my opinion...

Felipe

 

[almostcj7]

If you get too heavy, the tail wags the dog!:lol:

 

[Nadamamasboy]

Has anyone used a Reese type weight distribution hitch for towing? I know they are for towing heavy loads with larger trucks but that would put the weight on the Jeeps' front wheels as well. You adjust the balance with the chain/spring tension.

My father used one to tow a huge camper trailer with a Jimmy when I was younger and we never had a stopping or steering issue, and the short wheelbase was great for maneuverability.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

The short wheelbase is also great for being pushed by the trailer. You're asking for trouble if you tow over the ratings, even with a weight-distributing hitch.

 

[JPNinPA]

Towed a 5X8 u-haul with my jeep and only had a few things in the back: daybed, Futon desk and coffee table. It threw me all over the road in crosswinds and when passed by a truck. Tires got hot and the rubber was rubbing off like a pencil eraser. I have a LJ with a 2.5 in lift and 33's. Tow cap is 3500lb. My advice, if you have off road tires and a lift be cautious. Slow and give a lot of stopping room. Never go over limits.

 

[Crazy4diesels]

The most I've moved with my TJ is 2000 pounds. The trailer weighs around 500 (maybe 700) pounds and I bring home 2000 pounds of wood pellets at a time with it. BUT... I only put 1500 pounds on the trailer, loading it so that I have a couple hundred pounds on the pintle hitch (I load it forward until I can just about lift the hitch up by hand) . Then I put the remaining 500 pounds of pellets in the back of the Jeep for ballast. That's about all the weight I'd want to pull on a public roadway. The Jeep handles fine and is stable. The brakes are OK but I drive in "M37" mode (slow, steady and anticipate stops) - you can feel the load. There are a couple of good hills to go over - the 4.0 makes the "straight six sound" going up and I use a lower gear going down to avoid heating up the brakes. This is about the safe limit for the Jeep. Off road? Yeah, I've pulled a fair amount of heavy things around the yard but they usually drag on the ground, have frozen wheels, or otherwise control their own speed. -John

 

[phall92139]

Jeep Wrangler with the 4.0L towing capacity is 200lbs. tongue weight/2000lb. trailer weight. There is no factory recommendation for using any kind of weight distributing hitch. As indicated in other posts, the weight restriction is not only a matter of engine/powertrain combo but wheelbase as well. The geometry of the short-wheelbase Wrangler just isn't conducive to towing large loads.

 

[Nadamamasboy]

Well, of course there is no recommendation. The LJ is basically a longer TJ, maybe a tad heavier. They have the same brakes etc, so it's only because of the extra wheelbase it has a higher towing capacity. This is where the weight distributing hitch comes into play, eliminating the tongue dive effect of the load. The average person won't buy one because they are expensive just to increase the towing capacity to 3500 lbs; although it's totally feasible. I was just fishing to see if anyone had done it.

It's not something I would 'recommend' to anyone unless, like myself, they have a lot of towing experience. If I needed to move something with my Jeep (when I get one) this is exactly what I would do. Like Crazyfordiesels pointed out, I would also add ballast to the jeep, and I wouldn't be speeding. I'm mainly looking to pull a small boat and was curious what others had done.

 

[phall92139]

Usually the reason there is no recommendation is because it is not recommended. Totally vehicle specification dependant, has nothing to do with operator towing experience.

Example: While my 2010 Nissan Xterra is specifically excluded, a weight distributing hitch is allowed for Armada, Pathfinder, and even the Frontier, which shares the same platform as the Xterra.

 

[54cj3b]

I will tow a jeep But not tow with a jeep