Quote:
Originally Posted by BT2 Zeke
My wife and I are considering using our 95 Jeep YJ as a toad. I have a couple questions:
1) It's going to need new tires before put into toad service. How well do the M&S style tires hold up as opposed to a regular street tire?
2) How much potential is there for cosmetic damage to the YJ front end from rocks & other road debris while it's being towed?
Thanks in advance.
|
BT2,
Well Sir, we've owned, built and towed 9 different Jeeps in about 35 years or so and two of them were YJs. YJ's are no different in towing than any Jeep Wrangler. A Jeep is a Jeep. Yes, there are slight differences but, nothing to be concerned over. Your YJ is a '95 so, it will have the 231 transfer case in it that is an aluminum, chain driven version, with a true neutral in it. The rear tail cone of that transfer case houses an oil pump that when towing, provides lubrication to the whole transfer case.
As for damage to the front end of the Jeep from debris and rocks etc when towing, well, you may get a minute amount here and there but, you're gonna be fine. A lot of Diesel pushers came with full length mud/debris flaps across the back and bottom of the coaches. The design of many of those and where they were placed, caused many rock chips in many toads over the years. A very large percentage of us, removed that full length mud flap and for the most part, all rock chips have ceased.
There's a few Jeepers out there that WORRY about tire damage when towing their Jeeps. In the 35-36 years of towing, I've not worried one minute about tire damage or wear when towing because, what those tires go through when using a Jeep as A JEEP, in the outback, is waaaaaaay more severe than any street towing mileage could ever think about doing.
Put your new M&S tires on if those are what you desire, and hook it to the back of the coach and go have fun. Don't over think this. By the way, I've also done all the wiring of the Jeeps tail lights to be used as toad lights when towing. On YJ's, just like CJ's and TJ's, the tail light wiring is right there beside the drivers left calf when he's sitting in the Jeep. It's under the door sill.
I'd ease that wiring loom out from under that door sill and, very carefully, using a 12V test light probe, find the running lights, left and right turn signal wires too. I'd T into each of those with the appropriate wires from the front plug on the jeep. I'd install a Radio Shack (Way back when they were still operating) diode down stream from the T-intersection of the right and left turn signals to keep the signals from the coach, from traveling down stream in the Jeeps wiring harness and up into the steering column.
No, there is no need to install a diode in the running light wire. I liked without a diode because, done that way, it would also light up the parking lights on the front of the Jeep when towing and that would tell me that my wiring was working just fine when I'd glance into my monitor for my rear view camera.
But, if you'd like any info on this, surely ask. I'd wire all my Jeeps up the same exact way, except for the '15 JKUR we have now. It's equipped with different style lighting and wiring than previous models of Jeep Wrangler so, I HAD to use a Hopkins wiring harness on it.
But, all the other Jeeps would cost me about $3.00 to wire them up for towing. And the really good part is, the Jeeps tail lights act the same exact way when towing it, as they do when it's being driven. None of this drilling holes and adding bulbs junk.
Scott
Linear Mode
