Does anyone know what the tow specs are for a 97 Cherokee and if upgrading the rear gears will increase it? If it will increase it up to what.

 

The XJ is a light duty tower....5k pounds max with tow pkg and the trailer better have brakes. Gears will not increase it's tow capacity.

 

x2^

 

I have just read many times that you need to run a heavier weight gear oil in the rear if you are towing. For example, you'd need to run 75w-140 oil if towing as opposed to 75w-90 for normal use.

 

I run 80/90. That is a great all purpose weight for your axle.

 

80/90? I'm looking at getting an off-road camper, probably the Jayco Baja. Its gvw is around 4500 or so, but I will also be taking it on trails with me til I get to site where I can set it up.

 

Unless you can find gear oil fortified with upsidaisyum and flubber, changing the gear oil isn't going to do anything to increase your towing capacity. Neither will changing the gear ratios or upgrading your brakes.

The factory spec is a maximum 300 lb. tongue weight on an XJ.
(If you put a scale under the jack, it needs to weigh less the 300 lb.)
and the over-all loaded weight of the trailer (including everything you heaped on there) needs to be 3000 lb. or less for towing on a paved road.

Even if it's a high-end Class V hitch, it's still bolted up to an XJ unibody chassis with XJ brakes and tranny.
The hitch may be able to take 500/5000 lb. but the chassis will not.

It's not just the tongue weight, there's a lot of shear in braking and acceleration yanking back and forth on where/how the hitch is attached to the sheet metal chassis. Especially if you're towing off road.
The XJ doesn't have a frame and it's not designed for that kind of a load.
Just because it doesn't tear itself loose backing out of the driveway on your first trip doesn't mean it's okay.
You will end wrecking your tow.

Your only option for a heavier trailer is a weight distributing hitch with electric brakes tied to the vehicle brakes. (= big $)
Inertia brakes will not help. (Again, unibody design.)

You need to check your options with a qualified distributor that's willing (and insured) to take responsibility for the installation, not some Bozo off the internet who will only say "oops" after you kill somebody.

 

My brakes are in the "OK" region, and I had exciting times pulling 3000lbs without a brake controller. It really bossed the Jeep around, both in curves and in braking (This is comparing it to an F250 and a Chevy 1500)
With brakes in tip-top shape, and a brake controller, it could be fine. Otherwise, good luck... :/

Edit: Toastified rear springs were probably not helping either. They were very upside down, even with well below 500 lbs tongue weight...

Also, the tow rating is based on engine, IIRC? The six-cylinders can tow 5000lb http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicl.../solo0029.html

 

4500 lbs would be out there on the ragged edge.....we've towed 1800 lbs and u can definitely tell it's back there. Might want to consider another vehicle.

 

Youll def. want to upgrade your xj brakes to disc all around and a nice big tranny cooker if auto matic

 

Thanks everyone. There is still a lot of miss to come, including brimbos all around and either a 6.1 hemi or a 426 hemi and 3/16" steel frame supports running the length of the unibody.

 

As much as that engine (Awesome, btw!) will help get it moving, the problem with towing is stopping what you are pulling, and not having it flip on highway. Sorry if this seems basic, but its not really the engine that makes the towing capacity, it is the brakes and suspension that matter.

 

The tail will still be waggin' the dog. The XJ was never designed to do what a 1/2 ton full-size p/u does.

 

it comes down to the weight and the wheelbase of the tow vehicle.

i can tow a lot more with my xj than i can with my tj before it starts to push the back end around in corners.

if you're in the mountains, or on slippery roads, i wouldn't go with more than 1500lbs.

 

My dad wants to use my XJ to tow an '83 cutlass supreme and an '85 cougar XR7. I do not have the tow package, we will most likely be getting a tranny cooler, and the cars need to go on full trailers because they are not insured. It is a 60mi trip from central jersey to where I'm at in PA. We will be towing each individually of course, but can it be done without any major problems? We would take the highway most of the way and climb a few pretty good hills.