Looking to buy 96 through early 99 cherokee 4x4 with automatic. The jeep must be able to be flat towed behind another vehicle with all four wheels on ground. What transmission and transfer case allows for flat towing (4 wheels down)?

 

Any of them.
Just put the transfer case in "Neutral", The auto trans in "Park", and tow away...........If it's a manual, you could leave the trans in gear.

 

No put both in neutral, of its on gear you'll mess the tranny and tcase

 

Look in your manual, it tells you exactly what to do without guess work

 

I've always put both in neutral, that's what I've been told to do.

 

owners manual omits guess work---that's right. I am trying to find what transmission will work before driving around looking at manuals.

 

next page of the warning just says it might roll while in neutral...

it doesn't matter auto or 5spd, whatever you prefer....

 

Is there a particular reason to stick the transmission in park? Seems to me if the transfer case got knocked into 2wd or 4wd by accident the transmission would be fubar while towing.

 

you put the transmission in park so that nothing is rotating in it. the reason is because if you dont the transmissions fluid wont be circulating correctly and damage the transmission over time.

The transer case is a simple gear box without an oil pump,the gears simply dredge through the gear oil keeping everything oiled correctly.

so neutral for the transfer case, park for the transmission.

 

/\ endgame is in the signature...

 

Put both in neutral. You will not hurt anything that way. The warning that the vehicle might roll away ONLY APPLIES IF ITS NOT HOOKED TO THE TOW VEHICLE. Ive flat towed my XJ (5sp with the 231) Ive flat towed my Durango (auto with the 245), Ive flat towed my Prizm (FWD with auto), a Ford Contour (auto FWD) a 71 Duster (3 on the tree RWD) and NEVER smoked a trans. Put the trans and t case in neutral AFTER its hooked to the tow vehicle and leave the steering wheel UNLOCKED. I flat tow my XJ all the time for various reasons and my trans and t case are good as new.

 

All autos are not the same, the AW4 needs to be in park when flat towing it doesn't matter what other vehicles you've flat towed you can screw up the AW4 transmission if it is left in neutral. If you look the manual states that the transmission needs to be in park.

 

first hand experience on flat towing a manual PUT IT IN FIFTH GEAR and transfer case in neutral JUST like the manual says! flat towed my Wrangler for years in fifth and my buddy did not...he now has a new trans at 72k miles and I still have my original at 135k...his burnt up on a long trip...very ugly sight when it went.....and as every one else has mentioned Auto in park for a AW4..
Cameron

 

Lets think about this....t case in neutral (this completely seperates the axles from the transmission).......t case "disconnected" from trans.....if t case is " disconnected" from trans, trans will not spin if vehicle is being towed. IF trans is not spinning while vehicle is being towed with "disconnected" t case (t case in NEUTRAL) there is no chance of trans getting smoked. But if there is ANY doubt, do what the owners manual states for your ride. Im just saying......

 

This is exactly why you use park.

In theory you would think neutral means nothing can turn. But, ever see a car running with the tires off the ground while in neutral? The wheels will turn, even in neutral. Same applies if you reverse the process and spin the wheels by towing it, the transfer case will still make the trans internals spin. Slowly maybe, but it will. Take a manual trans or transfer case that's out of a vehicle, put it in neutral and turn the input shaft. Usually it will still turn the output shaft unless you physically hold it from turning. An auto without the engine running means no line pressure, no line pressure means no fluid on the internals.