sgtblamo

I have a99 XJ with 167K, automatic with 31 duratracs & 355 gears, I'll be swapping to 410's front and rear, adding a ford 8.8 in the rear in place of the C8.25. I wanted to pull a 12-15 ft trailer from FL to Oregon w total combined trailer weight of 5k max. Trailer will have brakes and the 8.8 has disc, so stopping shouldnt be an issue, but I'm told that I may toast my tranny, is there anything I can do like adding an extra cooling? I'd love to swap over to a 5 speed but don't have the time or money.

caged

with those gears and tire size, i would definitely add a fair sized tranny cooler. i would be more concerned with the tranny heating up more than the engine, but the heat from the tranny will heat up the coolant when the rad tries to help keep it cool. plus you will be blocking the rad a bit with the trans cooler.

running 4.10 gears with those tires should be fine, but with a trailer maybe 4.56 would be better.

5000 pounds is a lot of weight especially going up hills. it will help with the weight if you load the jeep up with some of that weight to keep the tow vehicle gvw to handle the extra weight out back, if possible.
adjustable trailer brake controller and a weight distribution hitch with sway control is a must.
the biggest challenge stopping with that weight is rain or gravel.

keep the jeep out of overdrive. let it just use third gear. slow down way before you normally would and try not to push it hard to get it moving.

Jeep Driver

It's one thing to pull 5K across town, another to pull across country.

You are at the limit for a long haul.

Prepare for problems.

diskman

Its not the PULLING problem.. It's the STOPPING that's the problem.

WyoCherokee

in winter..with a short wheelbase. That 4.0 will not like you going through the Rockies. and you will have a permanent butt clinch by the time you get to Cheyenne.

Hoosier8

Yep, I have a 1200lb tare weight trailer without brakes so I am very careful and only use it in town.

sgtblamo

Thanks for your replies! Okay, so what's the max trailer/ load I can safely pull? 3500lbs? I checked on pricing to R,R&R the auto tranny, but @ $1700, I'd rather find a used manual and swap all the components.
So, is there a way to safely pull a medium trailer across country without buying another truck?

sgtblamo

with good trailer brakes & upgrading to rear discs, stopping should be fine, that's not my concern, my concern is toasting my tranny. I bought my XJ about 9 months back, don't know when the last time the guy had the tranny flushed, several people say don't flush & change the filter or you may mess it up (guy @ tranny shop said same thing), so I'm not sure what the best course of action is. I have 3 months to get ready for our move across country to Oregon.
Thanks in advance for all the advice!

kgm

You can absolutely drain the transmission. There is a drain plug on the bottom. I bought mine at 154k with black fluid, swapped it out repeatedly till it was red, and I have 178K on it, and floor it into the mtns daily. Add a trans cooler and just drain & fill the trans 3-5 times between now and then.

The towing 5k through the Rockies is sketch city though. I would look at going a different or renting a big truck to haul everything & your jeep at the same time.

You can go more north but you still hit some big mountains, or south underneath the rockies and you can avoid alot of elevation.

sgtblamo

Thanks for the info! I'm also getting ready for new shocks, noticed you have Bilsteins, I was looking at going w the 5100's, or comparable, how do you like them on the road?

Fred/N0AZZ

The 8.8 swap is a waste of money you already have a 8.25 29 spline that "Fits" your XJ the 8.8 does not and is a costly swap. The Chy 8.25 you have in yours is a very strong rear end I use it with 35" tires locked off road works fine and the 8.8 will give less clearance it sits lower also. If all you want is disc brakes add them to what you have cheap and easy. A member here sells the kits to do them (Big David). A gear change would be needed no matter what you do, the 4.10 with 31's would give you back stock gearing but with kind of load you may very well consider a 4.56 for the mountains, easier on the engine and trans.


The AW4 trans is rated higher like most all auto's higher towing cap's than a std. trans and has been for a long time. You will need a good trans cooler and a fluid change for sure along with all fluids from radiator to transfer case, differentials.


You should have the complete front steering and suspension checked by a shop. Pulling a trailer will show up the least of problems there quickly when replacing the pads I would suggest "Hawk" brand pads cost a little more but much better stopping power and heat fade resistance.


Good luck on your trip just remember about the tail wagging the dog, keep the trailer as light as possible.

caged

remember, you're gonna be towing a trailer that is heavier than your jeep. so with wind, rain, snow, gravel etc, you're gonna be in for a hell of a ride even on a good day. that trailer just might push your back end straight while you are trying to make a sharp like turn at any speed. so an adjustable trailer brake control is mandatory. don't skip out on this. and to make it easier, you really should use a weight distribution hitch and anti-sway bars that hook up to the trailer and hitch. this will control any swaying while at speed. any sway and you will wreck. that's a guarantee.

sgtblamo

Thanks again! Good info! I pull a coleman Elite 24 ft pop up w slide outs no problem, it has a stabilizer that is worth it's weight in gold, thing pulls like a dream with that stabilizer. Already have an adjustable brake box that woks with the pop up, so I'll be using that. Decided that the max limit I'll pull is 3500, I've heard of others getting away with more, but I want to play it safe.

denverd1

3500 lbs is probably doable. as mentioned, you're pushing the envelope pretty good at more weight. trans cooler is cheap insurance.

Jeep Driver

I'll offer my opinion........

Rent a medium sized Uhau or other........dolly or trailer your XJ.

Will be cheaper in the long run.