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Weak pulling trailer

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  kwn306 
#1 ·
2000 TJ Automatic. 3.07 gears. Stock suspension 31x10.50's. Pulling my foreman fourtrax 500 and a 4x8 steel trailer with sides, the jeep lugs down on hills. If I floor the gas it downshifts but immediately up shifts. Would a regear help this issue? I do NOT plan to lift in the future.
 
#2 ·
Yes regearing will help and is the answer. Your 3.07 gearing isn't helping one bit, in fact that gear ratio is producing significantly lower power than 3.73 would. If you plan to tow much, I'd regear away from that 3.07 to a lower ratio like 3.73 to improve your power. Do you think you might ever go to a larger tire size like 33"? If so, 4.10 would be a good ratio to regear to.
 
#4 ·
4.10 with 31" tires would just give a higher highway engine rpm but that wouldn't be bad for anything other than mpg. I drove my TJ with 4.88 gearing & 35" tires for several years after converting from its OE 5-speed to the 32RH which gave similar RPMs to what 4.10 would with 31" tires. :)
 
#6 ·
I just moved from the phoenix area to up on our Rim. From about 1800 ft elevation to about 7000 ft. I pulled a small mobile home that I am living in up some very steep grades for long duration. I believe that the trailer was a little over 4000 pounds. I know that it really made the Jeep squat in the rear. I have a dana 35 3:73 ratio with 31 inch tires, Automatic and 4.0 engine. I didn't know if the dana 35 would blow or what, but it handled it just fine with no failure. As for power, well it really struggled on them steep long mountainous roads. At times I could only get about 10 MPH out of it, but I made it there safe. The engine temperature went up to about 240 on the long grade pulls, it normally runs about 210.
These Jeeps just are not very good for towing. I guess that is why they rate them for 2000 pounds max towing.
 
#9 ·
I understand that but he said he would go to 33's which I believe would be the right choice now rather than regear again after the 33's. Not disagreeing that it's just a touch tall for present application but not that much.Also imo depends on what he uses his for too. I know it is irrelevant , but I drove a 66 chevelle that turned 3300 @ 60 mph.
 
#10 ·
I have a 2005 LJ with a 4 spd auto and 6 cyl w/ 3.73 gears. The thing is terrible to tow with if I leave it in auto overdrive. It spends more time down shifting and the fuel mileage goes down to about 10.5 pulling 2 motorcycles on a small little trailer. If I take it out of overdrive and just let the 3 spd of the auto work I get 13.5 - 14 mpg and no down shifting. Me and the Jeep are much happier.
 
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