Towing

[RandyA]

Gents I am sure this has been addressed but I can't find it with my search capabilities....Can I tow my 3a with a stock drive line? Just had an intense fireside conversation about this subject last evening....Thanks

[Carls_jeep]

I don't know what you mean by towing it with a stock drive line but I'll tell you things you and others don't want to hear or believe.

Towing your CJ2 or 3 with a tow bar is not good and will cause damage to the transfer case output shafts and drive gear. The axles are 5.38 ration and at 60 or 70 mph the drive shaft is spinning to fast.

If you have drive flanges on the front axle then the bushing between the two output shafts will not get hurt.

If you have lockout hubs unlocked the front output shaft is not turning but the rear output shaft is. The bushing between the two is not getting oil and will wear out.

When the transfer case is in neutral the rear output shaft is turning at highway speed and the drive gear is not turning but the rear output shaft is spinning in it. There is NO BUSHING in the gear, it's metal to metal on the shaft and getting little oil if any.

A spinning shaft or gear does not throw oil to the center, it throws it away from the center.

The only way to safely tow your Jeep with a towbar is to remove both drive shafts and keep your speed below 60 mph.

The past owner towed my Jeep with a towbar and when I rebuilt my tranny and transfer cases I found all the damage listed above and being a mechanic and machinist I know how and why the damage was there.

[aboyandhisdog]

Randy, you might find this discussion interesting:
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/flat-towing-a-jeep_topic14076.html

  Many opinions on the subject.  I feel comfortable flat towing so long as I lock out the front hubs and disconnect the rear driveshaft at the rear diff.  If I didn't have front locking hubs, I don't think I would chance it.  And, I won't be flat towing above 45 mph.

[macrisel]

Like anything else, it really comes down to time, money and common sense.  Having just rebuilt my t-case and transmission and a full frame off resto within the last 4 years, let me present some numbers to you.

T-case rebuild (I was lucky and only had to have a rebuild kit and no gears)
Anywhere from $75-200 depending on supplier and kit

Tranny rebuild (Rebuild kit, OEM 1st gear, 2nd gear, main shaft, input shaft, sealed front bearing)
$600 (I'm including shipping and estimating low in case my wife ever reads this post.....)

Oil, sealants and misc supplies
$100

Already we are up to approximately $850 for just the t-case and transmission.  If you start looking at having to rebuild the front and rear differentials and steering, I would bet you can add another $800-1000 pretty quickly.  This is just the parts bill and performing the labor yourself.  Count on the jeep being down for around a month while you wait on parts and complete the rebuild.

Right now on Craigslist in my local area, you can buy a brand new car hauler (tandem axle 7K GVW) for $1650.  A used one can be found for around $900.  You drive the jeep on the trailer, strap it down, tie the windshield down and take off.  Total time is about 15 minutes.  No disconnecting drive shafts, no bungee straps on the steering wheel, no worries about backing up and you can drive on the interstate at 70mph safely.

CAN a Willys be flat towed?  Maybe........maybe not.
SHOULD a Willy's be flat towed?  Probably not.

As an added bonus, you now have a flatbed trailer to go pick up another jeep

Good luck!

[johnrb3b]

When I bought the 2A this summer, I flat towed it home, about 25 mi at low speeds. I feel safe that I didn't do any damage to the transfer case.
But
The problem I noticed right away - the front wheels didn't track going around corners. They scrubbed pretty severely. I've seen threads about disconnecting the front of the drag link from the bell crank so the wheels can caster more easily.
The steering felt normal, not bound up and tight, so I expected to see the steering wheel move a little as I went around corners. No movement at all. And when I could see the tires, they were pointed straight ahead even on a right angle corner on a residential street.
I'm thinking that I don't like flat towing. I'm building a trailer. If I'm lucky, I'll get it done next summer.

[stony]

I flat towed my 56 CJ5 3000 miles from Tacoma Washington to Rome NY behind my "55" Chevy back in "72".� �All I did was put the transmission and transfer case in neutral and unlock the front hubs (as I recall).� No problems.� May not have been the wisest thing, but what did I know .

[Jesse]

This subject gets beaten to death, but I had to tow my willys with a cherokee and couldn't rent a car hauler. So I got a dolly and disconnected the rear driveshaft and went 50. Just for fun I replaced the oil in the diff before and after the trip.



-Jesse

[F Bill]

.

Right now on Craigslist in my local area, you can buy a brand new car hauler (tandem axle 7K GVW) for $1650.� A used one can be found for around $900.� You drive the jeep on the trailer, strap it down, tie the windshield down and take off.� Total time is about 15 minutes.� No disconnecting drive shafts, no bungee straps on the steering wheel, no worries about backing up and you can drive on the interstate at 70mph safely.

CAN a Willys be flat towed?� Maybe........maybe not.
SHOULD a Willy's be flat towed?� Probably not.

As an added bonus, you now have a flatbed trailer to go pick up another jeep

Good luck!

Are those trailers being sold for that with brake axles? That is a decent price, and it does make the decision easier than if you have to pay the inflated trailer prices at Tractor Supply ..(they get around that for a single axle 12 footer!)

[RandyA]

Gents..Thanks to all...Ya just won me a dollar bet...Have read a number of posts stating if ya find an old 3a with a tow bar too either pass it up....or stop by for tranny parts on the way home...I really like the trailer idea...But I would have to sell the Jeep to buy the trailer.....

[macrisel]

.

Right now on Craigslist in my local area, you can buy a brand new car hauler (tandem axle 7K GVW) for $1650.� A used one can be found for around $900.� You drive the jeep on the trailer, strap it down, tie the windshield down and take off.� Total time is about 15 minutes.� No disconnecting drive shafts, no bungee straps on the steering wheel, no worries about backing up and you can drive on the interstate at 70mph safely.

CAN a Willys be flat towed?� Maybe........maybe not.
SHOULD a Willy's be flat towed?� Probably not.

As an added bonus, you now have a flatbed trailer to go pick up another jeep

Good luck!

Are those trailers being sold for that with brake axles? That is a decent price, and it does make the decision easier than if you have to pay the inflated trailer prices at Tractor Supply ..(they get around that for a single axle 12 footer!)

Yes, they will all have at least one axle with brakes and many of them have both axles.  I am lucky enough to live close to several trailer manufactures.  In Sikeston, MO, there are probably 6 different manufactures and if you expand the search to northern Arkansas/Eastern Tennesse the number goes up even quicker.  They will all do made-to-order trailers for whatever application you may need with a turn around time of usually 2-3 weeks.  Competition is tight so prices are very reasonable for the customer.  Pull up Craigslist for Southeast Missouri and search "car hauler".  If your budget allows it, you can get a NIIIICE trailer for around 10K.....  By the way, just like when you go car shopping, you should never pay sticker price at those trailer manufacturers.  Most will come off of the list price 5-10%.

You have to love the free market!  8-)