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| Towing? thoughts? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 5 2012, 12:18 PM (983 Views) | |
| Austinfaucheux | Oct 5 2012, 12:18 PM Post #1 |
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I'm sure there are post in here already about this, but I'm unable to search for some reason. I have a tow bar and wanted to know if it's safe to tow on the open roads. I've read that you need to disconnect the drive train, and some other stuff, but wouldn't just putting it in neutral and disengaging the drive gear sufficient as long as kept below, say 60mph, or is this a death wish for my willys? |
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| Rus Curtis | Oct 5 2012, 12:40 PM Post #2 |
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Austin, Yes, there are many posts on the good and bad of flat towing. You'll need to follow exactly the procedure for searching in the "Sticky" at the top of the BB. If you use the Search Function, you'll get nothing. Your jeep can be flat towed. But..... That's all I had available when I was a kid as we didn't have a truck or trailer. I always rode in the jeep monitoring "just in case" since the steering can bind and there is a remote issue with the hitch coming off. I still can't get over a post I read a few years back from an individual relaying how his jeep became unhitched, while flying down the highway, and it ran off the road and hit a tree. It could have been much worse. I appreciate the fact that my Dad would not pull my jeep (with me in it) at highway speeds. First, it needed a long list of repairs that I could only address one at a time (student income), but also braking and reaction time become a major factor at higher speeds. I think flat towing worked well for me in the old days for rescue tows when my jeep would break down. But these tows were short (across town) and slow. Living in a college town, I've observed you can't swing a stick without hitting an RV with a flat towed vehicle behind it - so it can be done. Insurance and Safety Chains!! My flatbed tandem axle trailer was one of the best investments I've made. The only missing thing, if I were to do it again, is to have brakes and a powered winch on the trailer. Having four wheels under the trailer is very comforting. |
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Rus Curtis Alabama '54 CJ-3B "Green Gruntt" Bantam T3-C | |
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| williams3b54 | Oct 5 2012, 07:42 PM Post #3 |
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If your CJ-3B has 5:38 to 1 gears in the rear and you do not have disconnect hubs on the front dif and you are running 31" or smaller tires then your ring and pinion are spinning like a top at 60 mph going down the highway. (somebody could calculate the rpm in the dif case for me) I don't think you really want to do that. The other issue is you can not back a " flat towed" vehicle up if that becomes an issue because of getting in a bind. The other thing I have considered is my tires, they are off road tires and I don't need to wear them out on the pavement pulling them down the road for however many miles. A car trailer makes the best sense to move your CJ-3B from point 'A' to point 'B' They are cost effective and also save the wear and tear on your CJ-3B. What does your CJ-3B weigh? Very few people in my next of the woods flat tow their jeeps, and not just CJ-3B's. My neck of the woods is the "Pacific Northwest" Dick W. Spokane Wa. |
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1954 CJ-3B Semi-modified for trail riding in the Northwest. See photos on CJ-3B page owners photos 1954. 1968 CJ-5/1975 231 odd fire V-6/ many other mods. ordered new from Toledo 1968. | |
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| Bryan | Oct 6 2012, 10:05 AM Post #4 |
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Ah, the "good old days". My Dad flat towed my 54 from northwest Indiana down to western Kentucky in '69, 400 miles. I know he unlocked the front hubs. I don't remember him doing anything with the steering, It was towed back to Indiana in '74 and back down to KY in '75. I towed it back to Indiana in '85, driving at highway speeds on I-57 without a second thought. Time, and second thoughts, sure do change over the years... My Dad had this little tow bar that clamped to the car bumper and to the Jeep bumper, with a universal joint in between. You just pulled a pin in the U-joint to separate the vehicles. I've never seen one like it since. He had to flare the front bumper a little to get it to clamp. Here's a picture of the Jeep ready to go back down to KY after its paint job in '75, with the tow bar on the front. ![]() This is not advocating towing a Jeep this way. Just a little history. When the Jeep made its final trip down to KY where I live now, in '89, my Dad rented a trailer. Maybe his second thoughts changed also. |
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1954 CJ3B...Original: F-134, T90, D18, Front and rear axles, Ross steering, Harrison heater, all body parts Replaced parts: Carter YF938SD. Upgrades: Front disc brakes (77 CJ5), rear 11" brakes (early 70's Wagoneer), dual master cylinder (Herm), roll bar, seat belts, custom wiring harness w/ turn signals (me), Carter glass bowl fuel filter, Tightsteer. 3rd generation of original owner South central KY | |
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| steve | Oct 6 2012, 07:11 PM Post #5 |
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I just flat towed mine last weekend to get my tub from my brother-inlaws about 25 mi round trip . top speed was about 50 on one road the rest was 30 mph I unlocked the front hubs put trans and transfer case in neutral and removed the rear drive shaft. and made sure differentials had gear oil. hopefully nothing happened won't know till I finish putting it back together. fingers crossed!
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54 CJ3B ~ up and running ~ Tiger Top installed Suffern,NY | |
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| Lawrence | Oct 9 2012, 08:34 AM Post #6 |
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Lawrence
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A little info about Flat Towing from the 3B Page. http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Tech/Towing.html Lawrence |
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1955 CJ3B Family Tradition Decatur, AL ~~"Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it"~~ ~~"We cannot direct the winds but we can adjust our sails"~~ http://cj3b.info/Owners/Wade.html http://cj3b.info/Events/SEWillys2017.html http://cj3b.info/Owners/WadeRiver.html | |
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| Rus Curtis | Oct 9 2012, 10:35 AM Post #7 |
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Yeah! The 3B Page is back up! Thanks Lawrence! |
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Rus Curtis Alabama '54 CJ-3B "Green Gruntt" Bantam T3-C | |
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