towing question

smoky · 02-26-2004, 12:16 PM

I got this response off of a message board in regards to towing with a Jeep. Not exactly sure what this guy did. Any body have a comment?

This is his idea:

The only issue I had pulling with my '96 Grand Cherokee (V8) was that the trailer I was pulling (approx. 3500 #'s) may not have had the correct tongue weight on the ball. As a result, the trailer walked my pretty bad all over the road. So, I had a little ball welded on my drop down receiver/ball and tied it to the trailer with a friction adjusting bar. WOW! Did that make a difference! The gizmo was only a couple hundred bucks and completely stopped the sway. But again, the key is the tongue weight. I would expect you to have about 200-250#'s.

lost_sailor · 02-26-2004, 12:19 PM

Ah, the old friction adjusting bar!

:whazzup:

[img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Wait a few minutes, someone will have a picture ...

ICHTHYDEMON · 02-26-2004, 12:29 PM

If he paid a couple hundred bucks for a friction sway control,he paid about $100 too much.

Conspiracy Theory · 02-26-2004, 12:30 PM

Too many variables, not enough info given to make a good suggestion.
How fast were they going?
Single or double axle trailer?
Type of trailer?
Jeep in excellent driving condition?
Is there play in the steering?
Is the alignment correct on the Jeep and trailer?
What type and capacity of tires on both vehicles? Were they properly inflated?
What was the weather like?
etc. etc. etc.

smoky · 02-26-2004, 12:39 PM

Im just trying to understand exactly what this guy did.

Rip'N'Lips · 02-26-2004, 01:28 PM

Smoky-

Anytime you tow anything with a Jeep you are asking for trouble. I know a guy with an F-350 who you could rent from pretty cheap... you could tow your boat and Willie all at the same time!!!

Just leave it moored in the Willamette and then take the boat everywhere. It is only 3 hours to the Astoria by boat.

Rip'N'Lips

BigWaterBigFish · 02-26-2004, 03:04 PM

I towed with my Jeep, kept the weight of trailer/boat under 2/3 the max tow weight in the book for that engine (ie 5K max so didn't tow more than 3K) ... still, over time, it wore it down. That trans is wonderful for 4x4 and will last long time if you take good care of it but don't think it was really made to be yanking out stumps and pulling heavy boats up ramps or long distances.

BigWaterBigFish · 02-26-2004, 03:04 PM

I towed with my Jeep, kept the weight of trailer/boat under 2/3 the max tow weight in the book for that engine (ie 5K max so didn't tow more than 3K) ... still, over time, it wore it down. That trans is wonderful for 4x4 and will last long time if you take good care of it but don't think it was really made to be yanking out stumps and pulling heavy boats up ramps or long distances.

traskriverhouse · 02-26-2004, 06:30 PM

I have towed my 20 ft alumaweld sled & 200 horse on a single axle behind my 6 cylinder jeep for several years without a problem. It may not be the fastest going over the hill but they are geared so they would climb a telephone pole.

hot wire · 02-26-2004, 09:06 PM

http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/me...tegory_Code=SC

This is a page containing the sway bar I was talking about. I had to spend for their install and the welding of the little bar to my drop hitch. The trailer was a Coleman pop-up @ 3000 lbs wet. The Jeep was brand new and the reason the thing walked around so bad was the very light rear axle on the Jeep (very car like). I am talking ANY speed over 35 and away it went---from left to right traveling STRAIGHT down the road. VERY unsafe!

Next time, ask me and I will explain more.

By the way, I sold that jeep at 80K miles due to very poor reliability in my opinion....tranny leaked AND searched alot for gears (auto), vacuum problems causing A/C to switch on & off, rear main was leaking. I would never buy another. I agree, trailering on that tranny was a joke over time. Sure loved the quadra-trac though..... :smile:

Tom

Andy · 02-26-2004, 09:49 PM

This is a type of 'EZ LIFT' setup that will help with sway control with any type of trailer package. They work really well - I've only seen one in use on a boat that was approx. 10,500 lbs including the weight of trailer.

Beefcake · 02-26-2004, 10:32 PM

All of my boats are under 19', so I haven't had to deal with this much. However, I was under the distinct impression that the tongue weight was a result of the height of the ball. For instance, if the trailer was putting too much weight on the hitch causing the front end of the car to float, you would get a different receiver tongue that was higher off the ground (tipping the weight of the boat back over the trailer axle instead of on the hitch). If the boat had too little weight on the ball so the trailer swung around wildly, you would get a lower receiver tongue.

Slugranch · 02-27-2004, 06:51 AM

Wheelbase of the tow vehicle has a lot to do with how the towed vehicle reacts too. The worst case scenario is a Jeep Cj and a heavy boat with a light tongue weight. It can and has caused major fatal accidents. The anti-sway bars do help, but aren't always a fix all for the problem. Had a friend that was killed a few years back towing his boat home from Detroit and lost it down about the Stayton Jct. Was towing a 17' boat with a small Jeep.

ICHTHYDEMON · 02-27-2004, 07:47 AM

Another cause for trailer sway is the wrong kind of tires on the tow vehicle. Most new trucks under 3/4 ton come with P-rated tires. "P" stands for passenger,as in tires better suited for cars. The P-rated tires don't have the sidewall stiffness that LT-rated tires do and that can cause sway. I'll bet the Jeep that was mentioned had P-rated tires. The vehicle manufacturer uses P-rated tires to save some money,and to give the vehicle a nice soft ride that most people want.