87mjdriver Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 When I moved last year I had 1300 lbs in the back of my long bed, it squated nicely , the steering was really light. and the distance to stop was increased of course but it didn't seem dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmj_tj Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 i had plans to tow with my longbed. the brakes on it work really well and the gearing is good. I have an extremely light eight trailer with tandom trailer brakes. I feel that it would tow my tj good enough going down the interstate. But would utterly suck towing up the mountain to Tellico. Its towing duties have changed since i just bought a totalled out 92 cummins with a good drivetrain. Now all i need to find a good longbed J truck. talk about a jeep tow rig.. I will deffiently post some pics of the final project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Well I have sat back and read all of these posts. I once tow dollied a CJ with Pong, when pong was riding around on 30's :eek: it wasnt the smartest thing I ever did. :nuts: it was only for 30 miles, and that was way to far in my opinon :brows: . The money you save by towing your own rig is really small in comparison to what it could cost you if something breaks or you have an accident. Or you can do like some of us have, and buy a truck that is capable of towing what you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonkatruck Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Well, i'm just looking into the possibilities and i figure the first step would be to ask the people that know better than i do, so thanks for the input. So... we've vittoed the comanche, a Zj may or may not be able to but is not recommended.... So, a 1500 chev or F150 sound good to you guys? Then likely a tow bar because i can't afford a flatbed yet, but soon hopefully if i can find a good used one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 I would say at least a 1/2 ton series truck at the minumum, 3/4 ton or 1 ton would be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 agreed, you'll be at the upper limit of what a half-tons suspension and brakes can handle. When you do get a flatbed make sure you get a load equalizing hitch, that will vastly help out your rear suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whowey Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Now you're getting the idea... My F-150 has a curb weight of 6250 lbs, and a 132" wheelbase. And the factory tow package, containing larger than normal brakes. a rear sway bar, and 3.55 gears. It will EAISLY tow 4k without any excitement or braking problems. But this is on a dump trailer, with electric brakes and a brake controller in the cab. The rear sway bar on the truck make a HUGE difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted August 5, 2006 Share Posted August 5, 2006 I tow my rig, on a 18 x82" steel deck car hauler, and conservatively my trailer weighs 2000. Pong tips the scales right at 4,000, add into that some parts, and tools, and I am at 7-8000# of cargo. I tow with a 05 Chevy 2500hd, with 4.10's and the gas 6.0 motor. I have never lacked for power going down the highway, or around town towing up grades. What I have lacked was the Fuel tanker I need to keep fuel in it. Seriously... when I was looking last summer.. the salesman kept on trying to get me in a chevy 1500, and he even started stating payload capacites. the Chevy 1500 is rated for 7200# were as the 2500hd is rated at 10,700, I forgot what the 3500 was, but it was a 1000 or so. Needless to say.. I asked for a different salesman, after the guy would not listen to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Seriously... when I was looking last summer.. the salesman kept on trying to get me in a chevy 1500, and he even started stating payload capacites. the Chevy 1500 is rated for 7200# were as the 2500hd is rated at 10,700, I forgot what the 3500 was, but it was a 1000 or so. Needless to say.. I asked for a different salesman, after the guy would not listen to me I was looking at a '00 F-350 Powerstroke to tow with, and the salesman tried telling me a '91 Chevy 1500 single cab shortbed 305 would do just as well... I second the 3/4 ton, especially since alot of Chevrolets out there are 2500HDs, which are beef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bounty Hunter Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Pong, I got about 9mpg with my dad's 6.0L HD pulling my jeep on a heavy trailer, is that what you've seen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whowey Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Seriously... when I was looking last summer.. the salesman kept on trying to get me in a chevy 1500, and he even started stating payload capacites. the Chevy 1500 is rated for 7200# were as the 2500hd is rated at 10,700, I forgot what the 3500 was, but it was a 1000 or so. Needless to say.. I asked for a different salesman, after the guy would not listen to me I was looking at a '00 F-350 Powerstroke to tow with, and the salesman tried telling me a '91 Chevy 1500 single cab shortbed 305 would do just as well... I second the 3/4 ton, especially since alot of Chevrolets out there are 2500HDs, which are beef. Hmmm... when I was at the Ford dealer, we looked at the F-350 diesel, with the tow package the sales thief said the tow rating was 19k. Another sales idiot from the same dealer told us it was 12.5k another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmj_tj Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 dually tech http://www.ee.nmt.edu/~offroad/tech/index.php/1988_Comanche%2C_CA_1JTMR65FXJT056545 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Pong, I got about 9mpg with my dad's 6.0L HD pulling my jeep on a heavy trailer, is that what you've seen? With the cruise set at 70mph I averged 11.3 to and from PA. I find that my MPG go way down much faster then that, and really don't improve much if you go 65, so 70 is what it is for me :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbliley Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I just got back from Camp Jeep in Wisconsin. This may not sound like it means much except that I went up there with my WJ and my TJ. My MJ had to stay at home cause I have not finished the 4wd conversion. I weighed my TJ before we left and it weighed 4200 lbs, 2000 on the front axle and 2200 on the rear. I was towing it behind my WJ with a 4.0 in it. I had new brakes on the WJ and I had new brakes in the TJ. I was using a pneumatic toad brake in the TJ run off of an OBA system and it made a huge difference. I had towed the TJ around town to drop it off for repairs of drop off the WJ but I knew it was pushing the system. After going almost 2000 miles with a black TJ 3ft from my bumper and using the brake system I would say that towing with the MJ could be done if you prepared it properly. You would need to make sure that your rear brakes worked perfectly, which is not easy, and make sure that you could keep it cool. Your compression on the motor and the valves would need to be in great shape because you would need to use the extra little bit of engine braking on any hills and blowby or valves leaking would eliminate that. Flat towing would be the only way to do it, unless you have stuck a D44 from a rubi or something under the front and maybe a narrowed D60 under the rear all with new BIG brakes. Remember that if you towed it on the trailer the weight of the trailer tongue would need to be distributed by the hitch system you chose and then you would have more weight on the front axle pushing the tires down. This then transfers some of the forces through the connection of the frame rails and the unibody. Thats not where I want to excert alot of force on a 15-20 yr old truck. Anyway, I have researched this alot prior to my trip and while this trip does not make me an expert by any stretch on the imagination I think I know a little about the subject. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigshrimpin Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 I found a pair of hellwig LP-15 helper springs at the pickn'pull this weekend from a ford ranger. Got them for $12 total . . . I bolted them onto my 92 comanche this weekend. The suspension is now super stiff. I regularly tow a 19ft boat about 10 miles each way to and from the ramp. The truck used to bounce all over and now it's solid as a rock. 100X better control and stopping power . . . I wish I'd done this sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 i like how that jeep in the boatpull story actually made it. wow. 95 YJ 2.5L 33" tires; D35.... made a 2,600 mile trip to Al from CA then pulled a ~5000# trailer back the whole way. hell yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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