* Answers below * Jim Blair, Lynnwood, WA '87 Comanche, '83 Jeep J10, '84 Jeep J10 From: adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sandwich Maker) To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [AMC-list] why is it? Message-ID: <201104152216.p3FMGCx18910@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> " From: russ hathaway <russh97309@xxxxxxxxx> " " " Jason; a lot of people use the Jeep with the 4.0 to tow, and that is " basically a 258. one caveat: the 4.0 isn't cammed for low-end grunt like the 258. doesn't matter much with an auto tranny, and the jeep 5sp has a deep 1st gear. *Not quite true! '91 up 4.0L have their powerband in higher RPMS than the '87-90 due to the cam timing (to ditch the EGR valve, Chrysler engineers retarded the cam to reduce VE and cut ping problems considerably)* " I think you would want a full frame car with a good hitch, though we " towed big loads with my 65 Ambo. Again, it is the size of the tow " vehicle that gives a safe tow. the cherokee is unibody like amcs and is rated to tow 5000 lbs with the tow pkg - hd cooling, tranny cooler, trailer brake controller, etc. hd rear springs wouldn't be amiss either, but it's hard to figure out which of the stock springs are hd. *Factory equipped Tow package rigs are usually HD rearsprings and axle* 18-wheeler tractors are a lot smaller than their trailers. you don't need a big tow vehicle to be safe; you need to learn how to drive a trailer. *But the big rigs were designed with the weight of the towed items directly in the middle/ish of their CoG on the 5th wheel for equal weight displacement and far superior handling/steering with such a long rig. Frame strength is in the 100,000 lbs+ range. Apples and oranges my friend!* " I would put sub frame connectors on the Concord, a good class 3 or 4 " hitch, and yank off the cat....Russ couldn't hurt. *They enacted a cat removal fine system here recently in King county. (thieves are stealing them left and right due to platinum and other rare metal$ buying them crack) Up to $5,000 fine if caught and it will be coming to a town near you soon! High flow cat (my original is still in place, but "naturally" evacuated it's bowels into the old muffler, resulting in a 70mph cruise dropping to 25 on the 101 here 10 years ago. Quick bit of "can't touch this!" (Hammertime) and I was back on the road, proud but loud! Even made it to work only 1 minute late. On my old Eagle wagon (not to be confused with the current one awaiting an NP229 to go with the 727 I'm installing), I made it a class III hitch by adding a steel brace inside the spare tire area between the frame rails. I hauled a 3 ton trailer with it, but gave up after killing 3 998 transmissions. (snapped the converter neck, like my current Eagle did before I got it) That was when I got my first FSJ. An '83 Cherokee 4 dr with 258 that was seized. When I found out it had a 999 trans and not 727, I was disappointed. I put my old Mexican 282 from the Eagle into it and hauled the same trailer with a bit of effort, but it still handled fine up to 55 mph and far better than the Eagle. Jim* _________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ AMC-list mailing list AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com