Towing the Liberty

[icarl]

I have a couple of questions about towing. My Haynes Jeep Liberty Manual says:

"Two-wheel models can be towed from the rear, with the rear wheels off the ground. Vehicles with four-wheel drive must only be towed with all four wheels off the ground."

Now, if this is the case then what is the transfer case neutral for?

Also when going downhill sometimes I will shift the auto transmission into neutral and let it coast down the hill. Is this harmful since this seems effectively the same as being towed in neutral without the transfer case in neutral? :-k

 

[valvestem]

Follow the instructions in the own's manual.

 

[especko]

i would think that it wouldn't be good for the transmission if you keep shifting the trans into neutral when you are going down hill. its putting added stress on the ****** when you have to then shift it back into drive since then the ****** has to shift multiple times to get into the correct gear based on the speed that you are going at the bottom of the hill.

 

[Eddo]

You put the t-case in neutral to tow the KJ, because that way you disconnect the transmission. You don't want the transmission to turn because the oil pump in the transmission is not active when the engine is off. However, the oil pump in the t-case works of rotation of the rear output shaft, so you still get fluid flowing when towed.

There are plenty of people that flat two 4wd KJs and other 4wd Jeeps. That is infact one reason they are so popular with large RV owners. They can be flat towed behind without any problems.

Just rear the owners manual. It clearly state what you should and shouldn't do.

 

[Ol' Fart]

I flat tow my '05 KJ frequently without issue. My '05 manual says to put the transfer case in Neutral and the auto transmission in Park. Of course you have to have the ignition key in to unlock the steering.

 

[icarl]

Right on! Thanks for your replies!

Today, I stumbled upon a good article about towing tips in this month's (May) '4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine. To quote them:

"There is also the issue of disengaging your engine and drivetrain so they won't spin without lubrication. This can be achieved in many 4x4s by placing both the transfer-case shift lever and transmission shifter in Neutral. Some manual transmissions require the shift lever to be placed in gear to keep the mainshaft from spinning; however, if the shifter should accidentally fall into gear while towing, quite a bit of damage can occur. It's a good idea to use a bungee cord to secure the shifter in place to avoid such occurences. Vehicles with manual-locking hubs and full-floating rear axles with manual hubs can simply disengage the hubs so the wheels will spin freely. Many who flat-tow will also remove he driveshafts to completely disengage the drivetrain. You'll also need to leave the key in the ignition to unlock the steering wheel, or damage can occur. Some transfer cases, such as those used in full-time 4WD and AWD systems, cannot be flat-towed because they do not offer a true Neutral. Check with the vehicle manufacturer or consult your vehicle's owner's manual to find out if your vehicle is capable of being flat-towed before doing so."

It reiterates what a lot of you already said. Now I understand the real reason why we need the Neutral transfer case position. Because, You don't want the engine and drivetrain to turn without lubrication. It makes sense.
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I also found this tidbit on Jeep transfer case from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Liberty
"The third position, Neutral, disengages both drive shafts from the transfer case allowing the car to roll freely, this is used for towing behind another vehicle, for example".

So, if both drive shafts are disconnected then I guess only the wheels and drive shafts will turn but not the transmission or engine.