Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mr.Stu]

Hey Nick, thanks for the compliment but there's plenty I don't know. I am finding out though.

Firstly, I think we need to define what flat towing is. In US terms it is towing the vehicle with all four wheels on the ground. Recovery trucks almost never do this - especially in the UK. The thread on Jeepclub was about an AA recovery man so I assumed he was talking about a front lift (rear wheels still on the ground). Therefore, it is not really correct for this discussion - I should have been specific at the time, I guess, but didn't think of it.

To flat tow an XJ all four wheels must be on the ground (duh!). I'd add a few extra lines to the instructions in the manual just to be clearer
0. Set the handbrake
0.5 Start the engine
...
2.5 Release the handbrake
3.5 Set the handbrake

The instructions in the manual posted by Tim are not specific about who or what vehicle is doing the towing. My guess is that these are instructions for the vehicle owner to get home being towed by another car - essentially flat towing - hence the warning about no power brakes or steering.

I've been doing some checking (i.e. playing with the spare 242 I have in the garage) and I've got the reason why you can't tow with one end raised. Selecting neutral on the T-case only disconnects the input shaft from the rest of the box. The two output shafts are still connected together via the differential, hence my half remembered idea about drag between shafts. With the front wheels on a lift the front output shaft will be stationary and therefore the diff will be spinning like crazy and those little gears just aren't up to that much work.

It's not an oil supply problem as Ed suggested. The NV242 oil pump is driven off the rear output shaft. The 2wd only XJ (never officially imported here IIRC)  with the AW4 would have an oiling problem as the AW4 pump is driven off the input shaft - no engine, no oil.

If you have any suspicions about the health of the t-case I reckon you should remove the front prop and disonnect the rear of the rear one, tieing it up so you don't dump the fluid out of the back of the t-case. If the XJ in question is 97 or newer it will almost certainly have the new tail cone design and you can remove the rear prop completely without losing your fluid.

Sorry my first post on Birty's is so long but Nick got me thinking on this one.

Stu.

[daggie]

which is what I said in the first place  

[Mr.Stu]

KD, a couple of questions...

What are you planning on using as your tow vehicle and how are you going to attach the XJ to it?

Stu.

[Anonymous]

A-frame behind a suitably large 4x4......

tis only a recovery type exercise as I have bought another XJ with no tax or test & need to get it back here!

[Mr.Stu]

Don't let the old bill catch you. You should have tax and MOT I think.

How are you going to attach the A-frame? XJ's only have 1 tow point on the front usually.

Stu.

[daggie]

Stu's right about the tax & mot
time to get hold of a trailer KD

[Tank]

I think it is a very grey area regards a-framing and whether a vehicle is taxed etc.I knew a few Suzuki guys that used to a-frame vehicles to offroad events with no tax/mot and with no problems.Strictly speaking it should be said a trailer is best,but a lot of police officers arent too sure regards a framing either and as technically once you connect up an A-frame to a vehicle then the vehicle effectively becomes a trailer,but then the other part of it is,that as it now weighs more than 750 kg,it should have its own brakes.All in all,very tricky

[tim_aka_tim]

Perhaps this FAQ at the National Trailer and Towing Association can clarify. However, plod is unlikely to know that info.

[Mike Pavelin]

It'll be an overweight unbraked trailer.

[Bubba]

you lot worry way tooooo much

[Anonymous]

you lot worry way tooooo much