Ive heard the weak points are the tranny and rearend (D44 with teh aluminum centersection), would you attempt to tow a Toy 4x4 PU, on a faltbed trailer (Toy has 38s, stock axles, 4.3/auto, and a XD9000i winch, so its not as light as it used to be)????? Any suggestions as to avoid unneccessary wear???

it will tow it fine. it would be great if you had trailer brakes. that is not that heavy a load, well with in factory specs.

I towed my TJ to Colorado and back(tulsa). Overheated several times. I did several things to prepare for the trip...added oil cooler, tranny cooler, adco sway bars, weight dist hitch, sway control, K&N air intake, stelin brakes, shocks, new tires, as well as brakes on both axels of the trailer.

Despite the overheating, it towed the load well. I was able to run 80mph on the cool evenings. During the heat of the day I couldn't run over 65 without heating up.

Overall I was not happy towing with the 5.9. Didn't seems safe to me, towing 6500lbs with a 4200LB jeep. I sold the 5.9 and purchased a PSD.

The grand cherokee's were not made for towing...I don't care what anyone says. The small wheel base and lack of coolings kills it. If you are only intrested in light short trips, the 5.9 should be fine. If you want to tow somewhat large loads, and be safe at the same time...get a full size truck.

I would recomend a tranny cooler and temp gauge for sure. The tranny went out in my 5.9 about 4 months after the trip to CO. I am sure I overheated the tranny on that trip.

Factory tow rating is only 5K, so stay within that. Reason being the 5.9 doesn't have a tranny cooler, and has no engine fan, only an electric fan (one reason for the hood vents). Make sure to perform the TSB for rerouting the plug wire before you attempt to tow. TSB for plug wires (http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/tsb/1998/18_48_98/18_48_98_v8.htm)

I flat-towed my XJ last weekend with my 5.9 and had some ignition problems while pulling up hills. I'm going to install a tranny cooler and do the TSB this weekend on mine......... :D

Non related but funny.

Towed a CJ and car trailer 16hrs. to Moad behind a 6cyl. XJ once.
Didn't put any wear on 5th gear, but I assure you I won't do that again
ericfilar@fatcity

I planned on airbags in the springs, tranny cooler, and oil cooler, it would be on a double axle alum. trailer that weighs in at 550lbs dry(it has trailer brakes), and the truck is 4000lbs. I have to drive from Ft. Worth, Tx. to Barstow, Ca. (JV, Hammer trails), and back in April for 4 runner jambo!!!

Any reason the 5.9 wouldnt have a tranny cooler??? Maybe a shift kit would help, thermostat thats lower????

I am not one to gripe but 97 jeeper, please slow down, my mother, or girlfriend may be driving out there someday. 80 in a light truck with a full load??? I tow with a Cummins 2500 HD and I will not go 1 MPH over 70 and that is uncomfortable, it may take more time to get places but at least I know myself, my load, and most importantly others are safe.


Not sure is this is a flamable post or not but I have my suit on!

Turbo6justin ...I understand your concern. You're right...it was too fast for the 5.9. However, with the brakes I have setup on the trailer...it stops just as good behind the 5.9 as it does behind my F250.

70mph with a load? These big trucks were made to haul and STOP these heavy loads. I as well as many others, push these big trucks hard. I feel just as safe at 80-85 as I do at 70. I don't run that fast...but it nice knowing that I can. I usually run the speed limit with a load and about 5-8 over without.

Oh yeah....and behind that cummins....I see why you don't run over 70mph. It would be tough in a D**g*!:flipoff: :flipoff:

The new Grands are rated at like 7000#? or so. I remember reading about it in one of the 4x of the year things they just one and thought that's a hell of a load for that truck. Even if it has a agile V8.
I agree on the towing more than 70 thing. I've had two blowouts on my single axle boat trailer, and managed not to do any damage to the load or anyone else. My snowmobile trailer had a bearing seize up on one of those dinky 8" rims and the wheel broke off the axle. It actually passed me and went probably 500 feet farther than where I managed to pull over. Carved a nice gouge in the highway just outside of Gallup NM, too!

I've towed my TJ all over (many two and three days to get to the trail, one way) with my ZJ 5.2. It has the factory towing package. Try and get a trailer with brakes, i've done both and have some scary reminders. Luckily my old trailer got stolen and I was able to upgrade to one with brakes. Go for it.

Originally posted by Turbo6justin
I am not one to gripe but 97 jeeper, please slow down, my mother, or girlfriend may be driving out there someday. 80 in a light truck with a full load??? I tow with a Cummins 2500 HD and I will not go 1 MPH over 70 and that is uncomfortable, it may take more time to get places but at least I know myself, my load, and most importantly others are safe.


Not sure is this is a flamable post or not but I have my suit on!

Certainly not flammable. Speeding while towing a trailer that weighs as much as the tow-vehicle will certainly over-tax the braking systems on both rigs... If you look at the size of the braking system on a trailer, you'll get the picture: 10" drums just ain't gonna cut it!! Going over the posted limit while towing is just a recipe for a disaster given the number of folks driving on our highways without a brain...
If you want speed, a sports car will let you *safely* drive fast and provide you with the required handling characteristics to get you out of trouble if run into a bunch of morons on the road...

Originally posted by 97_jeeper
Turbo6justin ...I understand your concern. You're right...it was too fast for the 5.9. However, with the brakes I have setup on the trailer...it stops just as good behind the 5.9 as it does behind my F250.

I guarantee that *both* of those vehicles stop in a shorter distance without a fully loaded trailer. The braking surface area and tire contact area on the trailer is probably 1/2 that of of either of those trucks can could *never* approach a safe stopping distance at 80+ mph.

BTW: The Cummins 5.9 is a lot stronger, and has a lot more power potential than the Powerstroke 7.3...

I guarantee that *both* of those vehicles stop in a shorter distance without a fully loaded trailer.


uhhh...All I can say there is "DUH!". What is the point of posting that? All I was saying is that my 5.9, with my trailer connected with brakes on both axles, stopped as well as it does behind my F250.

Also...not really sure what our picture is supposed to represent...but everyone knows the cummings is a stronger motor if you are going to bomb it. Comparing stock to stock...I think you might see a different outcome. BTW...I like your little rod picture...but remember the PSD has 8 of those not 6 like the cummings.

Also...please note...when I am referring to my 5.9...I am talking about a 5.9 Jeep Grand Cherokee....not a cummings 5.9. Maybe this is where you are confused and became lost. :D

Originally posted by jslamerman
Any reason the 5.9 wouldnt have a tranny cooler??? Maybe a shift kit would help, thermostat thats lower???? I don't remember the reasoning for it, but it doesn't have a seperate cooler. You can pick one up for about 50 bucks and just plumb it in to the existing lines that go to the radiator. No biggie. Yeah, a 180 thermostat helps too, but I'd get the cooler first.

thanks for the picture of the rods, man I knew I loved that engine. Mine is basically stock (nothing major) done and has 257,000 miles on it and it is working perfect. It wil tow my heep at 75-80 all day if I wanted it to. Like I said I never drive like that though. Just to reiterate, Like most of you out there I do not worry about myself as much as the other people out on the road there are some real morons sometimes and shit happens. Oh yeah the powerstroke may have 8 of them but with about $500 the Dodge could be just sick (poor tranny) and then there is always the gas mileage thing. I still get 17-18 on the highway at 65 with a full trailer

:D

Oh and something to add to this post. the lower thermostat really won't help that much, sure it will open sooner but if you were overheating you can be assured that it was open anyway. the cooling system does not have enough efficiency/capacity to cool it down. one option other than a new radiator is to not use the engine oil cooler and tranny cooler that are part of the radiator (they will only heat it up more) and instead run the largest tranny cooler you can find (look in summit they have a nice 28,000 GVW one that I have used with much success) and a decent tranny cooler for the engine oil. This should help quite a bit. and try to locate them somewhere other than in front of the radiator, that would be kind of counterproductive



Bumper sticker of the day
"You may be stroking but I'm cumming"

Oh yeah the powerstroke may have 8 of them but with about $500 the Dodge could be just sick (poor tranny) and then there is always the gas mileage thing. I still get 17-18 on the highway at 65 with a full trailer


Yeah....but's it still a dodge! That is my major complaint. The cummings is a great motor...I'll give you that! The dodge is not a great truck!

I had a engine oil cooler, tranny cooler, 180 stat....still overheated. To keep it from overheating....I would have like to have added bigger radiator and a better fan and a high volume water pump. I think if I would have added just the radiator to my grand cherokee 5.9, I would not have had any issues.

Originally posted by reorx


I guarantee that *both* of those vehicles stop in a shorter distance without a fully loaded trailer. The braking surface area and tire contact area on the trailer is probably 1/2 that of of either of those trucks can could *never* approach a safe stopping distance at 80+ mph.

BTW: The Cummins 5.9 is a lot stronger, and has a lot more power potential than the Powerstroke 7.3...

Damn!:eek: I didn't know there would be that big of a difference between con rods. Where was the pic taken?

I was already thinkin that adding any coolers in front of the radiator would be counterproductive to an engine cooling issue, so I was thinkin of using one of those longe finned aluminum ones inbetween the tranny and radiator taking place of part of a line, bolted onto the "frame" (subframe, whatever), hopefully getting enough air to cool it. Thanx guys, also, I re-thought the thermostat idea, might help if its lowered slightly, but if significantly lowered, might not allow the coolant to stay in the radiator long enough to sufficiently cool it, and allow it to heat up faster. Im starting to think that in the name of my love for my girls ZJ, I should just buy my nieghbors dodge explorer van (1976), and tow the trailer with it, and it even has a bed and shower (mighty tight fit though!!!! Who ever thought about making a regular 15 passenger van into a "motorhome", motorcloset is more an apt name!!!!!) I think the 360 in it will allow towing, it has low miles, but its a 1976!

And none of them are crossbolted!

That suprises me.

Oh well, mine are. And the truck has a big enough rad and fan too keep it cool even towing with a blown head gasket in 80+ heat.

Too bad its only a little V8.

Ron

Originally posted by jslamerman
Ive heard the weak points are the tranny and rearend (D44 with teh aluminum centersection), would you attempt to tow a Toy 4x4 PU, on a faltbed trailer (Toy has 38s, stock axles, 4.3/auto, and a XD9000i winch, so its not as light as it used to be)????? Any suggestions as to avoid unneccessary wear???

I towed a similar load for many years behind my 1/2 ton GMC. Personally, I think a full-size 1/2 ton truck is a much better tow vehicle than a GC. And at best, that 1/2 ton is marginal. Just replaced that truck with a 2500HD (AKA SRW 1-ton). Much, much better.

Buddy of mine uses a Durango to tow his 5,500lb camper. It pushes him around too much. He's in the market for a 3/4 or 1-ton now.

Bottom line, your 5.9 will do it, but it's VERY marginal for the task. Do NOT use overdrive, and definitely get a tranny cooler. And when it comes time to trade in the 5.9, get a bigger tow rig.


TEX