So apparently when I wasn't looking, someone installed a Diesel in my Jeep Cherokee... or at least that's what it sounds like. This is new as of about 2 or 3 days ago. Took it to the shop this morning hoping it's something easyish to fix today since I'm supposed to lead up the car for VIR tonight. We shall see. My last adventure with it was blowing a tire (like big hole in sidewall) on the way to CMP.

What is it about starting to tow that we all need an adventure... For Karl, it was the water pump, for Whitney, it's the transmission/transfer case, and for me a hyper-blown tire and now my new diesel-like noises... It is all worth it at the track though when all I have to do is drive the car off the trailer.

r2x ~ who is trying at the moment to remember that upside.

 

No argument from me on this.

Kirk

(Who has crashed one racing car on the track and two off of trailers.)

 

Well that's not good news.

I'm not sure I can do anything about getting you and the car up there (email if you are desparate), but Sally and I will have the Tundra there as a support vehicle Saturday and Sunday, so we could probably get the car back to Cary on Sunday.

Doesn't your miata make diesel noises too? All that clacking... Just flat tow the race car behind the black Miata.

Scott


[Modified by celica73, 1:51 PM 8/22/2002]

 

Would you share with us your towing mishaps such that others may learn from mistakes which may or not have been made?

 

I found your towing problem. It's the thirteenth word of your post.

I don't believe I know ONE Cherokee owner (and I know, or knew, at least 10) who hasn't blown something major up on their truck. And half of them don't tow anything.

I'm sorry to hear about this and no offense to you, Diane, but it confounds me what poor quality these trucks are.

 

I have had really good luck with mine in the 8 yrs I've had it. Thing's got 153K on it and I can't complain about the repair bills I've had over time. I know it's underpowered for the job I'm trying to get it to do, but for the moment it works. Probably be looking into something more suitable before next season. Leaning towards a 4 door Yukon/Tahoe at the moment.

 

?? why......for the same price you could have an older diesel truck that was actually made to tow stuff.....i'd have more faith in a diesel truck with 400,000 miles towing my vehicle before i would trust a gas guzzling people mover.
but what do i know...

 

underpowered to pull a miata? sound like your tralier needs a weight reduction.

 

i dunno what you guys are doing to blow those motors or have major parts fail. The inline 4.2L and 4L Jeep motors are pretty tough. My friend has run his for insanly long periods of time with no oil, and it jsut kept kicking.
It has also run with low tranny fuild for long periods of time, and the tranny keep comming back for more
We have also beat the **** out the truck off road and nothing has failed

The old motor is now in the junk yard int eh sky because it was replced with a fully built 4.7L I6 stroker motor, mmm 300whp in a 1989 YJ

 

Why Tahoe/Yukon? So I can use it on a daily basis for more than just towing. I want something I can keep all my stuff dry in as well, including the dog. As much as I'd love a diesel truck for a tow vehicle (mmmm, diesel), it's just not going to be best overall for me as a vehicle.

Underpowered -- Yeah it is, even towing the Miata on a little trailer... probably only about 3000-3200 lbs. It struggles some. Yes, I put a bigger radiator and an oil cooler on it to help out a bit. I still have to watch that temp gauge if the A/C is on.

The motor and tranny has been rock-solid. Had to replace the clutch, and the rear-end (though the shop said it was likely premature to do so, I didn't like the sounds it was making). No problems other than that. Great vehicle.

 

Oh, the diagnosis is that the noise is the Water Pump Bearing. I can't say that the thing has ever been replaced in 150K (maybe once???) so don't consider that a terrible thing to have to replace now. Hope that solves the problem!

 

It's not such the engines that are the problem in my friend's experiences. The auto tranny used for the Grand Cherokee is horrible, electrical problems abound, cooling problems, alternator bracket shearing off, other stuff that just shouldn't break.

I'm glad to hear it's something simple, like the water pump. Have a good weekend!

Andy

 

My cherokee was bombproof, 170k when I sold it and it wasnt in the shop for a day in 3 years. I beat the crap out of it in the mounains (damn I miss JMU), off road and I sold it to a guy who towed a boat from NJ to California with no problems. YMMV of course.

 

Your right, diesel is not for everyone, but I love mine as a daily driver and towing the CRX to the track. I get 19.6 mpg in the city with no load, and 17 on the highway towing. Its a 3/4 ton, so it is hardly working and a super easy tow.

I used to tow with a V8 Explorer, and it could really get out of hand on the highway if it got gusty or you wanted to travel 75 mph. I drove tow trucks for several years while in school, so I have a lot of towing experience with different loads, and I would recommend the largest vehicle possible to tow with, gas or diesel.

Kirk, I want to know more about your trailer stories too! Especially since I used to drive your team tow rig in Seattle and don't remember losing anything.

 

Whatever you do, don't load your car onto your trailer while on loose gravel.
Trust me.

 

Sorry to hear about your car troubles Diane I hope it works out ok. As for the Yukon/Tahoe idea I think you will love the truck. Now a week ago I thought I would never say such a thing but then a friend of mine bought one. Unfortunately it's pretty nice. It will guzzle gas but a diesel will choke you to death with all the oil smoke. The Tahoe\Yukon will give you plenty of towing capacity and give Cindy plenty of traveling space. Hope it works out. Ohh yeah and incase you didn't know GM is giving out 0% finance rates on new ones right now. Interest free loans rock!


[Modified by Mclaren_F1_Fan, 4:51 PM 8/22/2002]

 

Crash #1 - Mazda RX7 enduro car, borrowed open trailer, my Astro van. The less-biased F/R weight distribution of the Mazda (relative to the Z-car that typically lived on the trailer) resulted in low/negative tongue weight and the dreaded "trailer wobs". The result was that the tie-down hooks straightened and the car fell part-way off the back of the trailer, luckily dragging the rear wheels and slowing the whole mess down. Popped a trailer tire, tore a fender off and left the ramps 1/2 mile back up the road.

Crash #2 - same car, different borrowed open trailer with front box, Chevy Suburban that usually towed that trailer (later that same day!). This time, low tongue weight/wobs were the result of the regular compliment of crap having been taken out of the trailer box. Result - hooks go straight, car jumps COMPLETELY off the trailer and slides down I-90 toward Seattle in gear with the brakes on. (Ruined a new set of Yokohomas). You should have seen the look on the face of the guy following it...

(Note here: The ironic part of this story is that we got this particular car from Mazda NA because...wait for it...it had fallen off of a transporter!)

Crash #3 - (yeah, I said two but this one didn't actually crash a race car) included a borrowed truck and flatbed implement trailer. We made a trip to retrieve a bodyshell that had been dipped. Short story is that it wasn't done, so we came home with the trailer empty, which hit a bridge expansion joint exposed by concrete grinding. It went straight up, came off the hitch (tongue weight zero!), tore of the "safety chains", and passed the truck on the right (on H-18, not far from Seattle Int'l Raceway, Jon!) - shearing off a couple of new Armco posts and killing a flock of those blinky light traffic barricades. Ruined trailer and pick-up door, where the tongue tried to get us...

Lessons learned? ALWAYS check your tongue weight and NEVER borrow tow vehicles or trailers. At least not from people with whom you want to remain friends. Finally, either get big-*** tie downs or assume that they are a safety valve, intended to set the car free in case of trouble...

Much involved in my recovery.

Kirk

 

I still say "Drive it to de track"

 

holy crap those are not good experinces with towing, hahah

Only ime we have had a problem towing was ina friends suburban, and a borrowed trailer that was made of stop sign posts (I **** YOU NOT). The floor of the trailer was a giant steel for slae sign. it was jsut big enough for an EF and he had to put it on backwards, so all the weight out back, man the little trailer swayed like a leaf in the wind, no a fun trip

 

Thanks for sharing!

I think it's a good idea to know your unloaded hitch height and hitch height at some known load. Mine's about a 2" drop for a 400# tongue weight (3/4 ton GMC).

As far as the hooks "straightening out", I assume you were using this style hooks:



not this kind?



Moral of the story for other people towing: The closed-end stamped hooks like on the racerwholesale straps are the only way to go, in my opinion. Those open hooks scare the hell out of me (even though I'm using 2 of them right now).


[Modified by whitney, 1:32 PM 8/22/2002]

 

How does one do this?

--Karl, who only *thinks* he knows what he's doing...

 

you can buy a littel gauge that can tell you the tounge weight.

 

We estimated it by measuring the suspension travel with a known wieght of about 400lbs. It went down about 1.5". Then we hooked up the trailer and drove the car onto it until we had the same height.

 

Nice to meet you.

1 out of 11 is still pretty bad. But we DO tow stuff with our Cherokee, be it a boat, or my car trailer. My parents just got a big SuperCrew F150 XLT with the 5.4L V8, so perhaps I have a new tow vehicle to borrow.

 

Replying to Jack: I could drive the car to the track, but it would just break and I would have to get it towed home.

No problems towing on my end...the vehicle that is being towed, now that is another story.