CRD and Towing

jinstall · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:45 am

Well I am starting to look for towing parts for the Liberty. I ws not able to order a Towing Package so I need to know what is needed to make it usable to it's towing limit. I plan on towing a 1100kg race car and parts to and from the track. The roads I use are windy and up to 6% up and down for a max of 10 min. 100kph (62mph) is the max I am allowed to drive with a trailer. Trust me they check. The wiring harness I will get here as the connectors are not the same in Germany. I want the biggest hitch I can find and so far I have found a ClassIV from Draw-tite. Sway Limiters and Weight Distributing are a must as safety comes first. Is there anything I need to do to the KJ itself? I still want to use wheels spacers to widen the track a little as well.

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

Given the CRDs poor tranny history...I would bite the bullet and have a dealer installed OEM package. It'll cover your ^&*(&^% if you experience the apparently common tranny failure when towing.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:21 pm

Here we go again. :roll:

The CRDs poor tranny history he says...

Look, once again the tranny in the CRD is one of the heavier-duty, most reliable transmissions Chrysler has right now. It's 50 times better for towing than the junk the V6 uses. And if it works fine in the 1-ton Dodge Rams, it will work fine even longer in the Jeep Liberty.

So back to the original post...the CRD has coolers standard from what I understand. So you need a class III reciever hitch and the wiring for trailer brakes and lights. Right?

Don't bother with wheel spacers...they just make your ball joints go bad faster. I have towed 4,000 lbs with my CRD. Will be towing even more than that this weekend. And at almost 19,000 miles my CRD and tranny haven't even made a hiccup when towing. Just make sure you have a class III or higher hitch and trailer lights and brakes...and you'll be fine.

pipefactory · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:56 pm

I tow a 5x8 enclosed trailor packed to the hilt with sound equipment every weekend with mine also like I said in an earlier post I towed our 14000# service truck down the interstate when it broke down. Tranny performed fine just locked out the overdrive.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2254161

2005 CRD Black
Plow & 9500# Winch
Front Hitch
Custom Fabed 2" Receiver Licence Plate Bracket
3" billit lift
245/75-16" Bridgestone Rivo's.
Predator Performance Module.
Wifes
2004 Jeep Liberty Columbia Addition.
Front Hitch
3" lift. Built by Me

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:21 pm

I've towed my 2200 lb 16 ft Duckworth jet sled over the steepest passes in the Cascade Mts, during the hottest weather last summer. It stomped a big hole in the butt of a Ford F-150 4.7 L V8 in any and every way towing a similar boat. 13000 miles and my tranny is as smooth as silk at all times. Lurches, shudders, weird stuff accelerating or decelerating, hot or cold, it's as smooth as any tranny I've ever had.

AZdave · **Posted:** Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:21 am

My KJ has less than 2000 mi. I took it out to the lake with a boat trailer behind it. Lots of torque, seems to have the ability to pull harder without increasing RPM. (I guess that's the definition of torque) The short wheelbase made it a lot nicer to drive on sharp curves and mountain grades than my Dodge Cummins. My wife liked pulling the boat up the ramp with no drama. Nice tow vehicle. Dave

Taz · **Posted:** Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:32 am

Draw-Tite makes a nice hitch, some of the Auto manufacturers have used them for their OEM hitches. I would get the wiring harness from DC, theirs has nice connector where it ties into the vevicle wiring, A very nice install. Draw-Tite also makes a plug in style wiring harness called the T-One. Whatever wiring kit you get it will need a converter box if your KJ has separate turn and brake lights and your trailer has common turn and brake lights.

jinstall · **Posted:** Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:09 am

Cool thanks all. The harnes I will get wil be the E-spec harness from the Jeep Dealer. I am still wondering thoough if I can use a Class IV here in Germany. amber turn signals are mandatory on all trailers as well as rear red foglights. That is something I am going to have wire myself into the KJ. As for service the dealers here are pretty darn good. My Ford dealer works on all warranty work even though it is a dedicated track car. Thanks again for the heads up. Oh yeah waht about tires, should I get a different size for towing? I am really looking for wider than taller as it will see alot of Autohan driving and some off-roading not rock crawling. MT/R is about as aggressive as I want to get but not taller.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:10 am

Back to the top. Getting closer to the 1st track day and I still need a litle more info. Weight distribution can that be adapted to ANY trailer?

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:52 am

If I remember right the 245/70 tire is very close to the diameter of the stocker. A weight distribution hitch certainly wouldn't hurt, I pull a 2000 lb boat with gear and have pulled some heavier loads without one with no drama, I like to hookup and go. Takes a little longer to hitch and unhitch with the load leveler hitches. Electric brakes ar never a bad idea, I would have them on my boat if I didn't dunk them in salt and freshwater.

jinstall · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:23 am

Yeha the max I can drive with a trailer here is 80-100 kph. The German's do not use weight distribution systems here. I have been looking at the TH's here and they are more expensive than a Class 4. Still debating on getting one. I am heading to the dealer tody to look for parts.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:28 am

I towed right at 3 tons with my CRD two weekends ago. No weight distributing hitch or anything. Towed like a dream. The key is to load the trailer evenly. I did have trailer brakes and controller...a MUST.

jinstall · **Posted:** Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:37 am

YES correct loading of a trailer is a MUST. Elec brakes are a given as well. Good to know on the WD setup.

jakemoore · **Posted:** Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:46 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

So back to the original post...the CRD has coolers standard from what I understand. So you need a class III reciever hitch and the wiring for trailer brakes and lights. Right?

Is this true? It has been really hard for me to get a stright answer on this one. My dealer at first couldn't find the part, then told me the heavy duty cooling was the same MOPAR part# as the gas. Anybody able to say for sure?

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:22 am

Well according to the owners manual, the CRD comes from the factory with all the coolers for fluid, etc. In the towing section, the chart shows that the CRD comes "standard" ready to tow 5,000 lbs. You just need a hitch.

jakemoore · **Posted:** Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:30 pm

Aha!

There it is in black and white. Next they're going to try to change my spark plugs.

Thanks,

Jake

CRD and Towing

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