Grand Cherokees for Towing

[EVOLUTION]

How are the ZJ's for towing?  I want enough power to tow my TJ behind on a trailer but I just can't bring myself to buy anything other than a Jeep hehe.  

What are your thoughts?

[Bnine]

You'll have to double check, but Im pretty sure GC's have a capacity of 7000lbs.

With the V8, a tranny cooler, and a good lightweight trailer a GC should work well for what you are looking at pulling. A trailer and loaded/armored TJ should wiegh in just under 6k. Leaving lots of room for parts, tool box, fuel, camping gear, etc etc.

A set of gears might be in order if you are hitting up extended trips in the mountains, but all in all I think it would be fine.

[EVOLUTION]

excellent... I thought it was around 7000 lbs too.  Thanks!!!  

[BlackYJ]

I thought they were only good for 5000 lbs

[Bnine]

I thought they were only good for 5000 lbs

Just on the 6 banger.

Actual rate on the v8's is 6500.

More info here

http://www.wjjeeps.com/trailer.htm

[JeepInMud]

V8 ZJ's are notorious for eating trannies (had to change mine), may want to watch out for that, the full time 4wd sucks, but you can swap the trans case if you want.

If you get one, you may want to install a tranny temperature gauge.

[FeatherFoot]

I'd be a little more skeptical.

I have pulled a 4X8 sturdy utility, a double horse trailer with one horse, and a tandem low bed hauling a VW bug using 6cyl XJ and ZJ's.  Both had factory tow pkg.

The 4X8 with 2' sides full of fire wood was about all the weight I would consider pulling with the 6cyl power.  It was reasonably stable on gravel, but you were well aware it was behind you.

With a double horse trailer and one horse, from Hwy 8 to Bragg Creek, which in a car, you don't even know is uphill, my ZJ never got out of third to overdrive.

Pulling the tandem with the bug on gravel was scarry as the combined bug/trailer weight (with as much hitch weight as we dared) overwhelmed the weight of the ZJ and control was a huge issue.  Unless I kept the speed way down, it started into an incrementaly increasing sway that would have jackknifed had I not slowed right down.

A V8 may get you the power, but from my experience, because a GC is one of the lightest SUV's, I have reservations about stability.

[henry]

Hmm, my wifes Liberty is good for 5000lbs.  Thought a GC would be more, what about flat towing your TJ?   I'm sure that would work.

If you want a "dependable",  tow vehicle buy a Chevy.  :lol:

Darren

[Bnine]

I'd be a little more skeptical.


A V8 may get you the power, but from my experience, because a GC is one of the lightest SUV's, I have reservations about stability.

Just so you are aware Bob.

The weight of a tow vehicle has nothing to do with towing stability. If it did, we'd have a lot of dead truckers out there.

An average tractor (big truck) weighs 17,000-20,000lbs. They pull loads ranging from 50,000 to as high as 120,000lbs.

Towing stability is a factor of axle placement, weight distribution, and suspension.

Its a common misconception for people to think things like wheelbase and vehicle weight are main contributers to towing instability which is actually false.

just threw that in there

[FeatherFoot]

No doubt the arrangement of the tow vehicle is significant, I found my TJ with the stiffer suspension and shorter overhang to be more stable pulling a trailer.  Comparing a tractor with the tow point/weight ahead of the rear axel is quite a different situation than overhung tow points.  If you were to use tractor trailer examples, you might deduce that running with no front breaks appropriate for all vehicles. My main point is that there is more to it than horsepower, which by your statement that there is more to it than weight, is where you're comming from also.

[kevman]

what about flat towing your TJ?

I would defiantly NOT flat tow something that heavy.  Unless I'm missing something as far as brakes with a flat tow, you will NEED a trailer with brakes to tow that much with a ZJ.  I don't care what the ratings are my brakes barely slow me as it is.

With 3.73's, a tranny cooler and the V8 they are rated at 6500lbs.  Mines a different beast with a little lift and mud tires but I wouldn't tow anything near 6500lbs.