OOdynamite

I'm going to start towing on the weekends through the summer. I don't have a hitch and my boss is paying for one for me. Here's a list of what I'm getting:

Hidden Hitch- $172
JCR Nut Strips- $34
Wiring Harness- $20
and I'm gonna buy a tranny cooler and all hardware for it- $32

I think hardware wise that is everything I will need, or is there anything else I am forgetting? My rear brakes are brand new and I will be doing the fronts soon.

I have towed before, but in V8 trucks. The max amount I told my boss that I would be comfortable towing/carrying is 1500 pounds. I have an auto tranny (AW4), should I just drive it in "DRIVE", or keep it in the lower gears?

Thanks.

BretHolt

I have towed a 3500lb boat quite a bit with V6s and the I6. Never very fast but I like to keep the gear selector in 3 and keep the trans out of OD. The speed and distance you haul makes a huge difference that and hills/mountains. It's pretty flat here. Bottom line is your fine with the parts your listing put the selector in 3 and don't drive like a maniac.

OOdynamite

Trust me, I'm gonna baby the throttle. And yea, its flat around here too, so I 'm not worried about hills.

When you say to keep the tranny in 3, do you mean all the time, like from a dead stop? Or just once I get up to speed? And what do you mean about keeping the tranny out of overdrive?

fishtaconc

If you put the gear selector in 3 it the trans will only shift to 3rd gear, in Overdrive it'll "gear hunt" meaning it'll down/up shift often. Good time to freshen up the cooling system to. When you install the auxiliary trans cooler use it in series with factory one.

OOdynamite

So I do want to keep the jeep in third the whole time, got it, thanks!

The trans cooler I'm getting comes with install instructions, but idk if it will be in series, can you go into detail on that?

fishtaconc

As you may already know, the factory trans cooler is an internal part of the radiator. The return line back to the trans, splice into that one then the outlet of the new cooler will go back to the trans.

OOdynamite

Oh gotcha! thanks

Turbo X_J

Transmission fluid goes through the radiator coils first (to warm it up in the winter time) then through the add-on transmission cooler.

OOdynamite

So I just route the radiator return line to the inlet of the trans cooler, and then the send the cooler return to the tranny via the original radiator return line?

fishtaconc

thats correct.

djb383

FWIW, the tranny fluid line at the top of the radiator is the fluid return line to the tranny and that's the line u want to splice the auxiliary cooler into.