Jeep Wrangler 04...?s

[Zbugsii]

I have just purchased an 04 Wrangler and I have two questions.

1.) The Jeep has been lifted 3 1/2 inches and has 17" rims with "big" tires. Does anybody know of any problems I might have towing a vehicle that is this high/raised with big tires? Any stability problems? Or...?

I know I have to raise the tow bar and such, but I am mainly concerned about stability.

2.) Are there any issues with the front hubs? Do I need to consider replacing whatever stock hubs it has, with some that can be manually unlocked?

All thoughts, actual experiences and such are welcome.

[Dave Fernandez]

If the lift was done correctly even with big tires you should have no problems. Read the owners manual before towing. I tow my 60 CJ-5 with big tires and a Yukon both with the transfer case in neutral and the transmission in gear/park and have never had a problem. Your TJ and my Yukon were both designed with no hubs and can be towed with no modifications.

As for raising or lowering your tow bar I had to lower the tow bar 4" for my Yukon, check out the Roadmaster web site for some suggestions on raising and lowering you tow bar.

http://roadmasterinc.com/products/hi...hitch_acc.html

[kuldaddy]

I agree with Dave. We towed our Dakota Quad cab equipped with a 3" lift and 35" tires, no problems. Just get the tow bar as level as possible from MH to toad. Roadmaster's website (Blackhawk 2 tow bar) says toad should be no more than 3" above or below the MH, Blue Ox says the toad can be 3" below the MH only and recommend not towing with the toad above.

We actually have an 8" drop receiver on order and will flip it upside down to raise the receiver. This is for the planned lift of the new Jeep + bigger tires + current height difference of 4" (toad is higher).

Cheers!

[CJBROWN]

There aren't any 'stability issues' with a lifted wrangler. Manual or auto, you put the transfer case in neutral and leave it in gear. The input shafts have oilers that keeps the bearings lubed - both drive shafts will turn going down the road.

I had a '03 TJ lifted 6" with 35's and airlockers. Towed just fine but was heavier than sin - it had a lot of armor and guards, bumpers, racks, etc. was about 4200lbs loaded.

There is an advantage to putting locking hubs on the front. The Dana 30 (stock axle) will turn both axles, the R&P, and the driveshaft. It's not a problem, but there is some added drag. Mileage with a jeep is not that great, this is one of the reasons. The downside to them is twofold: the hubs are small so they tend to break if you wheel hard, and they are expensive - about a grand for the conversion. And then you have the rear axle doing the same thing, I have even heard of guys putting hubs on the rear too.

BTW, Currie Enterprises has tow-bar connect peices that bolt to the front bumper/frame for about $100. Works better than a baseplate because they don't hang down in front. Custom bumpers can have tabs welded on to connect a towbar as well.

I bought a trailer wiring kit and ran it back along the frame to the taillights and installed an extra set of 1157 bulb sockets. That way you don't have to tap into any of the electrical on the jeep.

I didn't have brakes on mine, but I have a Brakebuddy for my current toad (new style Scion xB) and it's a necessary safety feature. I had one panic stop with the jeep; it did it but it bent the tow bar tabs and I could smell burning rubber from the RV tires.