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[Porkie]

Bought a Grand Cherokee for the sole use of using it to tow my car trailer and sadly it seems rubbish at it.

My uncle seems to think its because the rear suspension is too soft and this causes the trailer to really start wobbling around at speed.

Anyone else had this? the car has Edlebrok sports suspension which I thought would be harder and help if anything?

Any suggestions pls guys? am total Jeep virgin. Have I bought the wrong tool for the job?

[scrw]

You have lowered sport suspension on it 

What were you towing? What was the noseweight?

Mine has happily towed another jeep on an 18ft trailer with an all up weight of almost 5 tonnes with no issues at all.

[jay140285]

indeed what are you towing.

I had a Burstner Caravan - big bugger but not heavy and it was all over the place, changed caravan to a 24foot swift which was heavier and tows rock steady.

If you towing a car trailer, was the car loaded right, if a caravan was it weighted. Nose weight on my 2002 Grand is 140kg.

[Dutch]

Remember my Scotland trip?

2.5 tons of boat + 800 kilos of trailer, or thereabouts.

Kernow to Oban.  Ok you have to be sensible about your speed but the Grand didn't miss a beat.

[attachment=1]

[ferretjuggler]

Tow hitch height?

Nose weight correct?

Cheapo nasty tyres on car or trailer?

Any defect on ya steering/suspension/drivetrain/brakes will make itself known when you got something heavy on tow

[wildwood]

 Got a 96 4.0 litre GC and use it to tow 'The 1 ton' and a 3 axle trailer 
900+ kilos of trailer  and the Jeep must be over 2.25 ton by now

So must be up near max of 3500

Was running at 50- 60 on way home from Cheapfest................

Got to load it right otherwise it shakes yer arse................ need to load trailer so rear of GC just starts to compress.............

And this surprised me Put £100 of fuel in it to get to CF and have run at 16-17mpg over that tankful....more than I got out of the YJ on 35s.............over the same journey

Downside is very slow away from the lights and any slope hill on motorway and your looking at 40................... started holding it in 2nd on the long hills for about 500yards to keep it from changing up and down.
Nothing that a Dodge Ram Cummins wont sort..................that and a lottery win

[Nosebolt]

 

it's all down to nose weight, I had to cut the front panel out on my ex farm trailer to get the CJ7 6" further forward just to get the ride right, when it is right you will be surprised 17+mpg average with 26 on cruise control at 55 and steady as a rock

may not be pretty but works a dream and must come in at well over 2200lb

[Panic mechanic!]

unless you got a v8 in all honesty I have always found that when towing with an auto its usually better to drop a gear manually on long  hills to get the torque band in the right place otherwise the engine tries to slog up the hill in the overdrive gear and then when it finds it can't do it , you have to drop 2 gears just to hold a lot lower speed than if you planned  your ascent.

[wildwood]

Rightly or may be wrongly I have been switching Overdrive off.............mainly cos I am cruising at about an indicated 53  (48 on SatNav) and this is where O/D switches in and then out an in and out......................
Don't know much about autos but seem to remember a JP comment about gearboxes getting fried if use of OD and too much heat hills etc.......... seems to be logical but then as I said not fully versed on slushboxery

[Bulldog67]

so Porkie, seems you have the right tool for the job

[scrw]

One thing to add is to check the bushes on the rear A arm & control arms. Any slack in them will be magnified with a trailer on the back.

[Porkie]

One thing to add is to check the bushes on the rear A arm & control arms. Any slack in them will be magnified with a trailer on the back.

Yep. Someone else suggested this as well. Thanks. Hope this is the problem.

To answer the questions. Its got Edelbrock Sports suspension.

Its not towing anything heavy. Tows either of my cars here or my clio cup. All cars are 1000kg or well under.  Trailer is brand new so all tyres are same brand and new and what Brian James fitted at factory




I think the heights are ok? only have this pic of it towing




I agree about the nose weight point. As The Ranger truck that I used to use towed the Seven fine but the Lotus which has the engine futher back was a little more unstable. The trailer now must have alot of nose weight as it now has a tyre rack at front with six wheels and tyres on it. The Jeep just tows very badly. Wouldnt even want to try towing the Lotus before I get it sorted.


Thanks again for taking time to reply guys.

Oh and the engine light came on when my mate stuck regular petrol in it and it was hesitating. lights gone off and seems ok now with Vpower. Does the V8 need super?? didnt think it would?

Apologies for being total Jeep newbie.

[Porkie]

Rightly or may be wrongly I have been switching Overdrive off.............mainly cos I am cruising at about an indicated 53  (48 on SatNav) and this is where O/D switches in and then out an in and out......................
Don't know much about autos but seem to remember a JP comment about gearboxes getting fried if use of OD and too much heat hills etc.......... seems to be logical but then as I said not fully versed on slushboxery

It says it the handbook you should do this for hills and stuff. You are doing the right thing I think.

I felt like a right gay actually reading the instructions to something by the way!!!

[wildwood]

Arhhhhh........ I see. the Lotus needs to be towed arse first cos of weight distribution.......... I know its counter intuitive.


my mate has to tow his 911 like this........ slightly more arse heavy than your Lotus but you get the picture

[Porkie]

Arhhhhh........ I see. the Lotus needs to be towed arse first cos of weight distribution.......... I know its counter intuitive.


my mate has to tow his 911 like this........ slightly more arse heavy than your Lotus but you get the picture

Tried that with the Ranger and it was better. Not tried Lotus with Jeep yet as its such a problem with the Seven. Thats VERY nose heavy. has a big 500bhp Iron block turbocharged Cosworth engine in the front!

will get the bushes looked at and hope that sorts it. Would like to keep the Jeep. She is lovely friendly old girl!

need to also fix the Aircon and the Cruise though!

[wildwood]

mnnnnn Horsepower.........we love that here........better than the top shelf at WH Smiths

[Porkie]

Good stuff! I am in the right place then

Although most people do think a car that weighs 695kg doesn't really need 500bhp and 440 lbft torque!

I think its merely 'adequate'





it does big skids

[wildwood]

Awesome that must be more than 1,000 bhp per ton........so more powerful than a Veyron

[Porkie]

Maths is not your strong point huh

its not over 1000bhp per tonne mate but it is more than the Big Bug.

The Veyron is incredible piece of engineering though. More a plane/boat than a car!

[Dutch]

Maths is not your strong point huh

   classic !!!!....you cant make this shit up......Porky you'll fit right in.

[wildwood]

Ah yes Maths.......... I was away that day

[supersparks]

got to agree it is all down to nose weight i tow a 900kg trailer with a 2460kg cherry picker on the back with a 2003 2.7 wj and if it is on the trailer only slightly too far forward anything more than 50 mph is real brown trousers time. but in the right place on the trailer it is steady as a rock all the way upto 65mph.

[Tragic]

Although most people do think a car that weighs 695kg doesn't really need 500bhp and 440 lbft torque!

You're joking, right? Sounds stoooopidly underpowered to me

[Panic mechanic!]

looking at the pic of you towing its actually towing the trailer nose down so either the tow ball height needs altering or  you need more weight to the rear of the trailer so it sits level

[joe]

Bought a Grand Cherokee for the sole use of using it to tow my car trailer and sadly it seems rubbish at it.

My uncle seems to think its because the rear suspension is too soft and this causes the trailer to really start wobbling around at speed.

Anyone else had this? the car has Edlebrok sports suspension which I thought would be harder and help if anything?

Any suggestions pls guys? am total Jeep virgin. Have I bought the wrong tool for the job?

its all about tow-bar hight and load the trailer with more weight to the front . I pull a 3 axle ifor but had to make a plate for the tow bar to get the ball higher . I pull big weights with no trouble .