I currently have a 2001 limited with the 4.7 v8 and wonderful Quadra-drive system. It is awsome! If you just need a tow rig I would say you'd be better off with a Durango 5.9 r/t but if you need something that can do winters better than most vehicles on the road buy a WJ.
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March 15, 2010 12:57 a.m. aufmitterspiel New Reader
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March 15, 2010 1:01 a.m. aufmitterspiel New Reader
In reply to Osterkraut:
Oh yeah I'm already here at offutt so I can say you'll be doing allot of straight road towing and my Jeep didn't like that so much getting here from Shepard so Durango it is, then IMO.
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March 15, 2010 1:02 a.m. JeepinMatt HalfDork
I would love a Grand Wagoneer. Would make a great tow rig, but I've already been offered the use of a Hemi Commander, so I guess no tow rig/no GW.
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March 15, 2010 2:37 a.m. coll9947 New Reader
My 99 GC Limited 4.7L just hit 100k miles. My dad owned it since new and I inherited it when he passed on a year ago. It's got problems and there are a lot of common issues, but I tell you what, if it could get 20mpg in town I would NEVER get rid of it. But as it stands even with lots of preventative maintenance its entire life I can only manage 14.4mpg in town being a total saint with the throttle.
Towing a 4 wheeled trailer was a white knuckle experience with such a short wheelbase tow rig.
My sunroof just started leaking, and it hasn't worked for years (dealership wants a grand to replace it, can't fix the assembly). I have replaced 3 door lock actuators and 1 window motor over the life of it. Rear diff has been rebuilt, trans is starting to sound like a school bus, outside front passenger door handle just stopped working, and it devours wheel bearings.
But I still love it, there's just something about it. Suggest as a tow rig? Not so much.
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March 15, 2010 6:18 a.m. ignorant UltimaDork
Just buy a damn molester van. They're cheap and you can live in them. Buy it, tow what you need to and then sell it.
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March 15, 2010 6:43 a.m. a401cj New Reader
P71 wrote:
Wrong Jeep. What you want is a Woody. Grand Wagoneer
I've had a couple of these. You'll need to do some work to make it a good tow rig. 360 CID 2-bbl with stock 3.07 axles is pretty gutless.
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March 15, 2010 6:44 a.m. ignorant UltimaDork
JeepinMatt wrote:
I would love a Grand Wagoneer. Would make a great tow rig, but I've already been offered the use of a Hemi Commander, so I guess no tow rig/no GW.
They can be, but stock I'd imagine they have much lacking. A m3h trans and 130-150hp 360 v8's make no fun..
One with a proper engine and transmission setup would work great. Maybe a Lsx?
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March 15, 2010 6:44 a.m. ignorant UltimaDork
In reply to a401cj:
ha we said basically the same thing at the same time.
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March 15, 2010 7:45 a.m. DrBoost Dork
I've had jeeps and more jeeps. I've towed with both ZJ's and WJ's, both 4.0L and 5.2L's. I even towed my challenge car from MI to FL for the challenge. I've never had issues. In fact, when I towed my challenge car I lost a tire on the car being towed and the Jeep was so good I didn't notice it for the entire state of Ohio. Trust me towing a car through Ohio is a long, tiring, irritating thing. Ok, driving through Ohio is terrible.
Sure, there are other vehicles that tow better, get one of those. The Jeeps are more for wheeling and DD with occasional towing. -
March 15, 2010 8:02 a.m. P71 UltraDork
GW's could be had with 360/4Bbl's and 401/4Bbl's as well. The 401's for sure got a TH400, which everybody knows is awesome. The trick on a FSJ is to get the oldest one possible. The older they are, the better power they make with tougher transmissions and better gearing. You actually want to Wagoneer hunt and get a non-woody year for the best stuff.
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March 15, 2010 10:43 a.m. twolittlebroncos New Reader
P71 wrote:
GW's could be had with 360/4Bbl's and 401/4Bbl's as well. The 401's for sure got a TH400, which everybody knows is awesome. The trick on a FSJ is to get the oldest one possible. The older they are, the better power they make with tougher transmissions and better gearing. You actually want to Wagoneer hunt and get a non-woody year for the best stuff.
I think 1974 is the magic year. That's the year the front axles went to open-knuckle D44s with disc brakes. I think the 401s started in 1974 as well.
Decent carb, intake, headers and a cam will breath life into these motors.
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March 15, 2010 11:01 a.m. neon4891 UberDork
P71 wrote:
The 401's for sure got a TH400, which everybody knows is awesome. .
TH400?
I know AMCs ran ChryCo TF727s, I thought Jeeps did too.
TF727 FTMFW (in the world of RWD 3spd auto trannies)
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March 15, 2010 11:03 a.m. Vigo Reader
What, San Antonio? We must immediately meet and converse over car-related subjects
Ive towed with a 4dr regular cherokee and found it too be too tall, narrow, and light in the back to be very stable, especially under braking. Most of this has to do with the silly, floppy tires on most cherokees.
However, regular cherokee brakes are tiny! They are not up to slowing down anything much heavier than a loaded down cherokee. I am not sure how much better grand cherokee brakes are, i dont have much experience with them.
So, stiff sidewalls and trailer brakes will be your friend in a cherokee, regular or grand.
Although, the estate wagon would tow better than either one, be cooler, more upgradeable, faster, more comfortable, etc.
Anyway, lets get in touch and do car type things.
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March 15, 2010 11:44 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork
After having to drive my wife's Cherokee I'm not even sure that the brakes on a Cherokee can sufficiently slow down an unladen one.
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March 15, 2010 11:47 a.m. Osterkraut Dork
MitchellC wrote:
How about a diesel F250? I think they sent about half of them to Texas.
While I'd love a diesel F250, the 99-01 years that'd I'd be interested in are simply out of my price range for anything better than an abused work truck.
DrBoost The Jeeps are more for wheeling and DD with occasional towing.
Honestly that sounds about right.
Vigo, PM me and let's grab a beer. I'm pretty much free any time this week.
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March 15, 2010 12:00 p.m. mw Reader
So this $1/lb that the airforce pays for moving. Do they wiegh your rig with all your belongings on it and then base the price on that? What if among your personal belongings you happened to have a whole lot of water that may or may not leak out shorlty after being weighed? That could get you a nicer tow vehicle....
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March 15, 2010 12:14 p.m. Cotton HalfDork
irish44j wrote:
03+ V8 4Runner....and I'm saying that as a former Cherokee owner...
Friend of mine tows her 23ft camper with a v8 4-runner. She is looking to trade it because even though she is under weight, has a WD hitch, and trailer brakes, the 4 runner still doesn't do very well towing that load. She is currently looking for a 4 door Yukon and is towing with her Father's dually in the meantime. Of course right now, because of all the Toyota press, she hasn't been able to find a dealer to take the Toyota in trade. Basically they want to pre-sell it before trading for it.
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March 15, 2010 1:06 p.m. Keith PowerDork
mw wrote:
So this $1/lb that the airforce pays for moving. Do they wiegh your rig with all your belongings on it and then base the price on that? What if among your personal belongings you happened to have a whole lot of water that may or may not leak out shorlty after being weighed? That could get you a nicer tow vehicle....
"But sir, my waterbed sprung a leak"...
I've towed a few thousand miles with a 2000 GC with the V8. It doesn't really mind an open trailer with a Locost on it, and I have yet to experience all the terrible things that are apparently about to befall the critter
Getting rid of it isn't an option as it was my wife's first new car. Problems so far have been a dead battery and poor heat in the footwell due to a piece of carpet sitting on top of the heater outlet.
It was replaced as a tow vehicle by a 2000 Tundra. Great truck. Not in the same towing league as a domestic turbo-diesel, of course, but you could probably get a decent price on one right now
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March 15, 2010 1:19 p.m. GameboyRMH UltraDork
+1 for molester van, they're cheap. Also I've only heard good things about towing with Toyota and Dodge pickups.
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March 15, 2010 1:37 p.m. DrBoost Dork
As far as towing with a 4Runner, Cherokee or Grand Cherokee you gotsta remember one thing. These things wheel very well stock. The things that make them wheel well (tires with soft side walls to conform to obstacles, flexy suspensions, low gearing, short and narrow etc.) conspire against towing.
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March 15, 2010 2:00 p.m. Osterkraut Dork
mw wrote:
So this $1/lb that the airforce pays for moving. Do they wiegh your rig with all your belongings on it and then base the price on that? What if among your personal belongings you happened to have a whole lot of water that may or may not leak out shorlty after being weighed? That could get you a nicer tow vehicle....
That would be fraud, good sir!
I'd love a first gen Tundra, but the reasons they're so good keep their resale value very high.
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March 15, 2010 3:07 p.m. MrJoshua UltraDork
Cotton wrote:
irish44j wrote:
03+ V8 4Runner....and I'm saying that as a former Cherokee owner...
Friend of mine tows her 23ft camper with a v8 4-runner. She is looking to trade it because even though she is under weight, has a WD hitch, and trailer brakes, the 4 runner still doesn't do very well towing that load. She is currently looking for a 4 door Yukon and is towing with her Father's dually in the meantime. Of course right now, because of all the Toyota press, she hasn't been able to find a dealer to take the Toyota in trade. Basically they want to pre-sell it before trading for it.
So right now is the time to PM Osterkraut or me at pt josh miller at gmail dot com and tell us what she wants for her 4runner.
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March 15, 2010 3:20 p.m. Cotton HalfDork
MrJoshua wrote:
Cotton wrote:
irish44j wrote:
03+ V8 4Runner....and I'm saying that as a former Cherokee owner...
Friend of mine tows her 23ft camper with a v8 4-runner. She is looking to trade it because even though she is under weight, has a WD hitch, and trailer brakes, the 4 runner still doesn't do very well towing that load. She is currently looking for a 4 door Yukon and is towing with her Father's dually in the meantime. Of course right now, because of all the Toyota press, she hasn't been able to find a dealer to take the Toyota in trade. Basically they want to pre-sell it before trading for it.
So right now is the time to PM Osterkraut or me at pt josh miller at gmail dot com and tell us what she wants for her 4runner.
I think she'll be back to work tomorrow. I'll ask her and let you know. She's only had it a little over a year.
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March 15, 2010 5:01 p.m. Osterkraut Dork
Ptjosh is very clever...
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March 15, 2010 5:14 p.m. a401cj New Reader
the '77 401 waggy I had (still have the engine) still had the 3.07s that the 2 '87 Grands I had did. Night and day difference though. That 401 ran like stink. I think the only way to get anything but 3.07 in a FSJ with a 401 was the Chief wide track. These are rare as Gutenberg Bibles though. Chiefs had 3.54s
twolittlebroncos wrote:
P71 wrote:
GW's could be had with 360/4Bbl's and 401/4Bbl's as well. The 401's for sure got a TH400, which everybody knows is awesome. The trick on a FSJ is to get the oldest one possible. The older they are, the better power they make with tougher transmissions and better gearing. You actually want to Wagoneer hunt and get a non-woody year for the best stuff.
I think 1974 is the magic year. That's the year the front axles went to open-knuckle D44s with disc brakes. I think the 401s started in 1974 as well.
Decent carb, intake, headers and a cam will breath life into these motors.
