Towing Trailer

[Wildbill]

What is the most anyone here has towed with their KJ? I have the towing Pkg and have towed some smaller trailers and like the way it does it, but I plan on towing a car trailer and YJ and will be pushing the envelope with the 5,000 lbs rating and would like to know if anyone else has done the same. Also what about adding a Trans. Temp Gauge?

Wildbill (Cheers)

 

[jeepmed]

I towed a CJ 5. For about 10 miles. No problem. Good luck Have fun. Just dont push it to hard. You should have a ****** cooler, a power steering cooler, and an extra engine cooler. Thats what came on my tow pkg.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Since he has an 04 he already has the ****** cooler. The only thing he doesnt have is the Power steering cooler and the engine driven fan which i think is a must if you tow in alot of traffic or off-road alot. I would love to get one but idk if you have to get a new electric fan or not.

 

[tgh117]

I could be wrong, but I do not see any need for a power steering cooler. As long as you have the trans cooler, which most do now, then you should be fine. My jeep did not come with the tow package, so I added a mopar hitch and wire harness myself. I have had about 4300 lbs on the back of it with no problems at all. The only thing I normally do it click the button out of overdrive going up steep hills. Mine does not have the extra fan in the front, but I have never saw my temperature gauge move at all when towing even this weight. I am extremely pleased with how the KJ tows, to the point where I almost always hitch the jeep to the trailer instead of my truck if I care to have a bit smoother ride. The jeep has a trans temp light in the dash that should light up before the trans gets to the point where it is rediculously hot and boiling. I have never seen my light on, other then when first turning on the key. Good luck and happy towing.

 

[jeepmed]

WildBill is not like most people. However because of the KJ he should be fine.

 

[jeepmed]

WildBill is not like most people. However because of the KJ he should be fine.

 

[Wildbill]

Thanks for the quick replies..... I'm a mechanical type of guy and located a trans temp that I will install tomorrow. It won't help if it over heats but at least I will be able to monitor the temps better than waiting on the Idiot light to come on #-o

Wildbill (Cheers)

 

[scarecrow]

don't know if this helps, but i have seen the ****** temp light come on. i was driving for about 4 hours in the west virginia mountains with my overdrive on. my RPM's were way to low on the 7%-11% grades, so it eventually heated up. of coarse, soon as i turned off overdrive all was well. i had 5 people in the jeep (counting me) and a couple hundred pounds worth of amps and guitars, so i was up on weight, but not like on a trailer. i DO NOT have the towing package. if you have the towing package, keep overdrive off, and drive like a smart human being, i don't forsee any problems.

 

[Wildbill]

I was unable to install the temp gauge, couldn't locate the sending unit with the crappy schematics given to me by local JEEP Dealer. So I guess I'll have to rely in the Idiot Light for now. [-o<

Wildbill (Cheers)

 

[jeepmed]

The idiot light was made for me.

 

[Cableguy]

Did some digging in the service manual. 45RFE, don't know how it will apply to the RLE or what have you.

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not sure if you'll be able to find that wire or not. I haven't yet figgured out if the TCM that it feeds that signal to is internal or external to the ******. Dunoo.

Kinda sounds like it might be a multiplexed signal, not sure if it would feed a gauge properly.

Let me know if you need more. I've got a day off and i'm bored! \/

 

[JeepJeepster]

Thanks for the quick replies..... I'm a mechanical type of guy and located a trans temp that I will install tomorrow. It won't help if it over heats but at least I will be able to monitor the temps better than waiting on the Idiot light to come on #-o

Wildbill (Cheers)

What did you get and where? Is it a guage or what?

 

[Wildbill]

Thanks CableGuy.....That's pretty much what it looked like down there. I had a Large Square plug that went down into the pan and two smaller plugs near where the ****** Lines are attached. I was also thinking that they could be wired in a series and by messing with one I colud create another problem ](*,).

Jeepster, I have Stewart Warner Electric Temp Gauge with a sending unit bulb that would be inserted into the ****** to read the temp. Parts guy said that if it didn't look like it would work I could bring it back so I'll do that tomorrow. If I decide to install one later I'm going to find one that splices into the return line back to the Radiator.

I did load up the YJ on the trailer tonight for a test run so I shouldn't have any surprises on Tues when I leave after work and it handled quite well considering that I was pulling about 5,000 lbs. behind me. Water Temp gauge never moved past the usual spot and I purposely drove down busy road with lots of stop and go traffic. \/ I then took it for about a 20 mile run down the interstate and mantained a speed between 60-65mph and it pulled really sweet, no swaying or anything. =D>

Thanks again guys......

Wildbill (Cheers)