Tharry91

Ok so due to being in the army and costing an arm and a leg to ship vehicles from Hawaii I have to sell my xj. Now having a boat and what not I'm wondering how the towing capacity is affected with lifts. I'll be towing a 18 ft open bow boat. I want to build a zj but I'm worried how towing will be affected. Basically I don't want my springs to sag from towing loads. So just trying to see how other people have dealt with it

dave1123

You should adjust your boat trailer so as to not have more than 150 lbs tongue weight. This is standard for all boat trailers and may require shifting the boat cradle and the stuff in the boat. Also, you might have to purchase a dropped tongue to keep the boat level. Improper loading is what makes a trailer sway and be uncontrollable on the road. I've had to do a lot of "tuning" when switching from a 40 hp motor to a 75.

Tharry91

I'm more worried about the springs sagging. The rig will squat when it's towing, I just don't want to tow my boat a few times then ruin my rear springs

crfrider

ur not gonna ruin ur springs in short term use maybe if u had weight on the back such as a heavy tire carrier year round the other guy is right tho..

dave1123

150 lb tongue weight is like having your woman standing on the rear bumper! It's the draw weight that ruins rear axles and brakes. Put a bathroom scale under the tongue, making sure you block the trailer level, and adjust your weight by shifting the boat around. When you find the right position, adjust the cradle.

OverlandZJ

Re-read Dave's reply... he's hit the nail square on the head.

I'v set up boat trailers to be pulled by Coupe DeVille's in my younger days.. it's all about tongue weight. The ZJ's are rated at 5K for a 4.0 and 6500 for the V8's. If you dont own a heavy boat like a Donzi you should be under that capacity.

dave1123

Thanks Overland! Growing up in RI did have it's benefits. About 75% of the people in RI own a boat of some sort. In high school, we made money salvaging motors that had jumped the transom. If you get to them soon enough, the electrics are fine. It takes shallow water driving with a snorkle.

About the Coup Devilles. The coolest one I saw had a hitch on the front as well. The guy said it was a lot easier to put his boat in down the ramp if he could see it.