Any tips for towing? EDIT She is home!!

[kyleag89]

I lost out on my 96XJ deal, but I found a 92 fully loaded XJ for $250 with a blown motor. The Jeep is about 50 miles from me and I hope I can tow it with a dolly behind my 98 Dodge Caravan. I was just wondering what I should do to the Jeep to prepare it for towing? I was thinking just leave the key on to unlock the steering wheel, and remove the rear DS.

[Incommando]

If the jeep has a 231 transfer, IIRC you can leave it in neutral and go????

[kastein]

Yep throw it in neutral and roll it...

 

Might want to remove the rear driveshaft just in case vibration throws the case into gear, but on a 92 you're going to have to tie a plastic bag over the rear output on the TC. No big deal as long as you know to do it.

[kyleag89]

So just put the Trans and Transfer case into nuetral and tow away? What are you talking about covering up?

[freakjeep93]

when you pull the driveshaft all the t case fluid will come out ... i think. i thought i was told that.

[Pete M]

when you pull the driveshaft all the t case fluid will come out ... i think. i thought i was told that.

 

 

yup. eventually in the mid 90s Jeep offered a sealed rear output t-case.

 

 

I would pull the rear shaft and use plastic bags and lots of duct tape to keep the oil in the t-case. Cover the opening with a piece of the plastic and wrap the crap outta it with tape to keep it there. It's not rocket science and it'll totally prevent any possible damage to the Jeep if something else is wrong with the $250 lump of steel.

[Automan2164]

I ALWAYS pull the shaft. Its 4 bolts. Not like its 50 of them... Bring an 8mm and a small mallet, and you have everything you need to pull it... :dunno:

 

Rob L.

[kyleag89]

I think I will just put everything in nuetral and leave the shaft in. I have a dolly reserved for friday so hope he still has it then. It seems to be a pretty decent truck, he says it was driving last week and just blew a rod through the motor. Has around 160K on it.

[Automan2164]

Please pull the shaft. You do not loose much fluid, maybe a half quart, it takes 5 minutes, and it keeps all the assemblies in the transfercase from spinning while you are towing. Do you really want to risk damage if it only takes 5 minutes to prevent?

 

Rob L.

[JeepcoMJ]

if you are using a tow dolly, you MUST pull the shaft.

 

front and rear driveshaft lock together when in 4wd, neutral, and 4low.

 

 

that is FACT. if you're flat towing, you can just put it in neutral. with a tow dolly, you can't.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

First off the proper procedure for flat towing or using a tow dolly is;

 

Transfer Case in (N).

Transmission in (P) or in 1st gear.

Unlock steering column.

 

You do NOT put the tranny in (N).

 

Per the owner's manual;

 

 

 

 

 

I've both flat towed as well as used a dolly on several occasions without issues using the above procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

if you are using a tow dolly, you MUST pull the shaft.

 

front and rear driveshaft lock together when in 4wd, neutral, and 4low.

 

 

that is FACT. if you're flat towing, you can just put it in neutral. with a tow dolly, you can't.

 

Uhm, sorry Pat but I'm going to disagree here with this one....

 

I've disproved this before but it seems like nobody understands. I even went as far to make a couple video's disproving this, but it still seems like people don't understand...

 

Here is the video I made back in 2008 to prove that the front and rear DO NOT lock together in Neutral on the NP231.

 

http://jeeptv.com/user_video_detail.php?mId=5531

 

And

 

http://jeeptv.com/user_video_detail.php?mId=5492

[Geonovast]

I've seen your videos. Good for you. But the point is, many of us, including myself, have put a 231 in Neutral, and the rear and front yokes WERE locked together.

 

If you're worried about losing fluid, put the T-case in Neutral, and pull the FRONT shaft. No fluid loss, and no chance of damage.

[Pete M]

or... and I can't believe I forgot this... disconnect the rear shaft from the rear axle and tie the axle up out of the way with a ratchet strap or the like (i.e. leaving it attached to the t-case).

 

no wait, i can believe that I forgot. I forgot that I can forget anything. it's like a super power. :rotf:

 

:doh:

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

I've seen your videos. Good for you. But the point is, many of us, including myself, have put a 231 in Neutral, and the rear and front yokes WERE locked together.

 

So if this is true than;

 

1) If you jack up the rear of your Jeep, put your TC in (N) you will NOT be able to turn your tires since the front tires are on the ground. Same would be true about lifting the front tires, TC in (N) and back tires on the ground.

 

2) Jeep doesn't know what they are talking about by putting what they do in their owners manual. I'm sure that 1000's of people whom have towed their Jeeps before all experienced major failure to their TC due to wrong directions in the owner's manual. :roll:

 

 

I'd like to know how you are "testing" your theory? If you put your TC in (N) and simply roll your Jeep back and forth that proves nothing. Your D-shaft will spin simply because your tires are spinning.

[Geonovast]

The T-case was on a bench.

[Incommando]

I am glad that I did not have to rely on my memory, but I knew that many have flat & dolly towed with the part-time case: I was not sure about the 242. 231 equipped vehicles are very popular with the RV'ers as those geezers are not crawling under jeeps pulling driveshafts whether the are flat or dolly towing.

 

I checked with my '05 KJ's owner's manual. Although it is equipped with a 241J instead of a 231J, it also says to leave the auto in park/nsg370 in 1st and put the x-fer in neutral and have at it.

 

I cannot explain why a bench experiment would lock the front and rear while in neutral. Perhaps moving the input by hand is so weak that the fluid still connected the two outputs whereas any mechanically powered movement would overcome the coupling. The claim that the two would be locked in neutral was very nonsensical to me. So.... I experemented myself. ANYONE can duplicate these results:

 

1. Park on slight incline and set rear parking brake.

2. Place the transmission in park

3. place transfer case in neutral

3. carefully jack up front axle

- Now, here is the test part: IF the axles in the transfer are locked together as was claimed despite the evidence of the owner's manual, the front will not roll as that axle would supposedly be locked to the rear and the rear (A) is frozen in position by the brakes and (B) has the weight of the vehicle on them.

 

4. THE FRONT WHEELS ROLLED FREELY AS THE PURPOSE OF THE NEUTRAL SETTING ON THE X-FER IS TO UNLOCK THE FRONT FROM THE REAR COMPLETELY

 

 

Conclusion: The owner's manual is correct and the reason that literally millions of miles have been towed with 231's in neutral, both flat-towing and on a dolly, without issue is because the axles are not locked together.

 

Another point: If it was true that the axles are locked in neutral, even in flat-towing you would destroy the 231 due to the different wheel speeds will turning on pavement. Why do you not lock a 231 on pavement? To keep from breaking them up due to lack of differentiaition front to rear. So, flat towing in neutral would create the same issue and destroy the 231 IF it was locked in neutral.

 

Conclusion #2: the axles are not locked in a 231 when it is in the neutral position.

[kyleag89]

Well I'm going with Petes advice again.. Lol I will just ratchet the DS up out of the way and off I go!

[kyleag89]

Brought her home tonight! I will take some more pics for you guys. Floors are perfect no rust, only about 12" of the rocker missing in front of the Pass side rear tire. $200!!

 

[kyleag89]

[WahooSteeler]

kyle, what are you going to do with this?

[kyleag89]

New motor, fix any problems then install a 2" lift and better tires. It will be my DD since my MJ is too small to fit anyone in it.