fordidipower

howdy all

new to the site and xj's. i dont have one yet. Im coming from the diesel world and am getting rid of my 1989 f250 diesel and am in a debate between an xj and a 4runner.

primary uses for the vehicle would be daily driving and also towing. I have bmw 325is turbo(2800lbs) that i will pull to the track and also a couple dirt bikes to the trails. so is an xj up to those duties?

also i would like an automatic trans but the only xjs i can find have a ton of miles on them, is that a problem?

an example would be a stock 1991 4l auto with 200k on the clock and has been well maintained. would this be an ok buy.

this also needs to be able to make the occasional 900 mile trip(1800 round trip towing said bmw).

thanks gents

PS i did use the search and could find very much to answer my Q's

belvedere

Never towed a car with an XJ, but this doesn't sound like something I'd wanna try (maybe for short distances, but 900 miles?).

TheDude30425

If the trans is an auto, a Cherokee tow rating it 5000lbs. Which it can handle if you have a tranny cooler and the rest of the cooling system is in good shape. If you can find one with the factory tow package it should come with a cooler. As for mileage, the 4.0l engines rack up miles like no other. Mine has 172,XXX runs like a champ. My friend's has 276,XXX with no issues.

TwoXJS

My brother's 89 is a six cylinder with over 325,000 on the clock and still going strong. Had to replace the water pump today, but that's nothing new.

salad

Hey welcome to the site. I think you'll find an XJ tows a lot less than an F250!

Now that said XJs are beasts. A base auto XJ is rated for 3500 lbs, with the tow package you get 5000lbs. The factory tow package is a Class III hitch and an aux transmission cooler. Anybody who's done any towing with an XJ will tell you the same thing: don't bother without an aux cooler! The basic setup just runs the ATF in with the coolant in the rad which is small to begin with, with a serious load on there you can imagine it doesn't move that much heat.

The other thing to consider is that the XJ only weighs ~3200 lbs. And of course the brakes are sized for a mid/small-size SUV, not a tow monster. Put that BMW on a car hauler and you're getting outside what it can comfortably control.

Not sure what kind of roads you'll need to travel on, but when you're shopping keep an eye out for the NP242 transfer case, sold as SelecTrac. It has a full-time 4WD option that you can set and forget (well until you look at your fuel gauge!)

So if you want to do it, my advice is to get a transmission cooler in there, keep it out of overdrive, and upgrade the brakes all the way around (the WJ knuckle swap up front gets you larger brakes from a 1999-2004 Grand Cherokee, you can put discs on the rear, and the brake booster got more powerful in 1996 or so). Oh and drive carefully lol, like I mentioned the XJ doesn't have the weight to control crazy sway from improper loading or poor conditions.

Rest of the Jeep is sure up for it though!

fordidipower

well thanks guys

im very familiar with proper towing and how to overload tow safely ie, proper tongue weight, hitch height, types of hitches etc... also if i got an auto i would get an aluminum rad and get rid of the oil cooler in rad set up. also i would freshen up whatever needs to be like water pump and such. I just haven't ever had good results towing with an auto trans. ive had everything from cummins to powerstrokes and manuals are king. but ill be towing A LOT less now and thats the reason for the jeep. the car, trailer and tools should be about 4300lbs plus the jeep itself so that bring Gross combined weight of 7500lbs total which im fine with. the question is can the trans take the abuse? I am in school to be an automotive tech and have the ability to rebuild/fix anything that could go wrong and also was planning on swaping out what i could for other parts (using the what fits what sticky) basicly my needs make a built xj the perfect solution. but again is the asian trans strong enough? hell is the manual strong enough?

salad

Yeah both the slushbox and the stick can move that, however in North America the manual is only rated for 3500 lbs. No idea why, same thing in UK is like 7000 lbs. I'd recommend regearing the stick anyway.

Lowrange2

I would think that someone as well versed in towing as yourself wouldn't even consider towing another vehicle for 900 miles with an XJ.

I won't go on my long rant about this since you talk the talk.

fordidipower

I only need to make the 900 (1800 round trip) a couple times not weekly. And I was probably a little high on my weight estimate. Most of the towing will be less than 50 miles with the car. With a weight distributing hitch you'd be surprised at what your vehicle can handle especially if you don't go too far over the tongue weight

Lowrange2

Tongue weight and power aren't my concern.

My concern is stopping. Trailer brakes are a 100% necessity. I hope you agree.

If you want the transmission to survive you should gear your axles correctly for your tire size (if over stock) and add the biggest trans cooler you can find in addition to the radiator you've already mentioned.

fordidipower

I'm going to be getting an aluminium car hauler and it will have brakes on it. I can rig up a trans cooler off a diesel ( lot bigger than regular gas ones even after market) and I'm not planning on going 80mph either just a good 65-70 average. But driving a manual trans in traffic is getting old do I'd like an auto but it needs to hold up when I need it to ya know? I guess after market valve bodies and shift kits would be a good place to go as well. Thanks for the info guys I do appreciate it

PocketsEmpty

if you're going to be towing other vehicles, move along. the XJ is not for you. Plain and simple, it's not a tow rig.

fordidipower

Well I'm open to suggestions. I just don't know what else can do everything. Fair mpg, 4 door, cheap, can tow, easy to work on, etc.