Towing the TJ friday!

wenied · **Joined:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 pm **Posts:** 107

The time has come for my next offroad trip to Barnwell mountain in Gilmer,TX.

I'll be flat towing my TJ with the CRD. I did a few trial runs of 15 miles or so to make sure everything is ok. I'm ready to make the 240 miles one way trip friday afternoon. I'm excited to let the CRD actually get a little workout.

I'll post how it goes when i get home.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

You might want to consider adding a tranny cooler. I added a B&M 16000 GVW to my 02 Liberty, which has the same transmission as our CRD's. It dropped summertime tranny temps 40F - 60F on average summer days. It might take a custom bracket but if you're towning it can't hurt. I used one with a temperature sensitive viscosity bypass valve, if you live in cold climates.

The interesting change in driving was that due to tranny temperature reduction, the shift points on my 02 45RFE are much better. Some research shows this tranny has at least 5 temperature maps. Before the cooler, in hot summer weather, the shifts were rather harsh. After the cooler, it shifts faster, crisper and no more harshness. Once I get one on my CRD, I'll repport back if there is any change in shift quality.

wenied · **Joined:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 pm **Posts:** 107

That's probably good advice. I hear that the 06's have larger coolers than the 05's..if this is the case then perhaps I don't need a larger one. Is there any truth to this?

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

No idea... if anyone with an 06 CRD could look and see if the tranny cooler lines still run to the bottom of the AC condensor, we'd know its still the same. My 05 has about 2 inches of the AC condensor reserved for the tranny cooler. My 02 has an in tank tranny cooler in the radiator.

wenied · **Joined:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 pm **Posts:** 107

When my wife gets home from work I'll look at it if i remember.

NJBill · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:33 am

Ranger1 wrote:

You might want to consider adding a tranny cooler. I added a B&M 16000 GVW to my 02 Liberty, which has the same transmission as our CRD's.

The gas Liberty's have a 4-speed automatic. The CRD's have a 5-speed automatic. The CRD transmission is also used with the hemi. It is a heavier duty tranny to handle the extra torque of the CRD. :wink:

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:55 am

Also w/ the tourque of the CRD vs the gasser there should be much less shifting going on. I towed my 3,500lb covered motorcycle trailer in late summer through several trips in the flats (Ca central valley - 100F temps) and in the mountains and never saw the tranny temp light. I wouldn't worry about it. If it's something you're going to do all the time maybe shorten the time before xmission fluid change but otherwise just drive the thing.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

The 45RFE and 545RFE are the same transmission, with all gear ratios electronically activated. The mechanicals and gear ratios are identical. (the CRD added some turbine damping for diesel use, but other than than, essentially no difference) The 545RFE has the 2nd overdrive electronically activated (.67 ratio) while the 45RFE has the capability, but does not electronically activate it - it's only ovedrive ratio is .75. This transmission was first used on the 1999 Grand Cherokee, but was designed with future trucks in mind as well. The 2002 KJ used them because the cheaper to build 42RLE was not ready for production in time, having started life as a front wheel drive transmission on Chrysler cars/minivans and needed some reworking for rear wheel drive use. Allpar has some very good background on both trannys.
Some 2000-2001 Dodge Dakota's actually had a field TCM flash upgraded that activated the last ratio, turning them into a 545RFE. There used to be a pdf of the dealer transmittal floating around on the net somewhere.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

grywlfbg wrote:

Also w/ the tourque of the CRD vs the gasser there should be much less shifting going on. I towed my 3,500lb covered motorcycle trailer in late summer through several trips in the flats (Ca central valley - 100F temps) and in the mountains and never saw the tranny temp light. I wouldn't worry about it. If it's something you're going to do all the time maybe shorten the time before xmission fluid change but otherwise just drive the thing.

I agree there is nothing to worry about. It's just that adding a $100 tranny cooler can literally add years to your tranny's life. It's just one of the few things a DIY can do for ~ $100 that will add long life to your tranny :-)

I might add that before I added a cooler to my 02, in hot summertime temps, tranny temps often ran to 210F - not hot enough to burn up, but plenty warm enough to reduce tranny life by several years. Bean counters at work at DCX again. It's such a low cost add-on that returns so much :-)

wenied · **Joined:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 pm **Posts:** 107

well we're leaving in about 4.5 hours. Almost time for the flat tow. My dad is convinced I'll be killing myself doing it this way but I'm confident that it's safe.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:01 am

Dude, your CRD won't even know there is another Jeep back there. A TJ only weighs 3,800 lbs. total. So the force on your CRD will be nothing. I towed 4,000 lbs. on a trailer like it was nothing with my CRD. Didn't even drop 5th gear on hills. These CRDs are MADE TO TOW. Just kick back and have fun.

wenied · **Joined:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 pm **Posts:** 107

When i did my test run with the flat tow setup I towed it once with my GMC half ton and once with the CRD. When I got to a steep bridge in the truck It was running 3400 rpms to keep 60 mph. The CRD was running 1800 without issues.

I'll report how it went when i get back monday.

boxhead · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:14 pm **Posts:** 186

I thought when you got the factory tow package, it CAME with a tranny cooler?

BCool · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:42 pm

It does, they are talking about aditional or larger coolers I think.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:02 pm

I haven't came across anything to worry about with my CRD. Pulled a 4 X 4 Dually crewcab with four guys and a load in the bed up a long steep hill to the closest gas station the other day.
Pulled my dad's 4 X 4 Kubota tractor out of an underground spring he found on a neighbors property a couple of months ago. This sucker pulls a load. The only thing that's holds me back is the brakes, short wheelbase, fear and common sense.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:05 pm

Exactly. Add another 12" to the wheelbase, and these things would be towing champions. That Jeep wheelbase is the ONE thing keeping the CRD from being a great towing machine...but I guess that short wheelbase is also what makes it a capable Jeep vehicle so it's a trade-off. :cry:

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

boxhead wrote:

I thought when you got the factory tow package, it CAME with a tranny cooler?

All Liberty's come with a tranny cooler. The CRD cooler is a combination AC condensor and tranny cooler. It's rather small - appears to be 2" or less in height x width of the condensor. They used this because the outboard fan would interfere with the larger tranny cooler used on non CRD models. I doubt they would have used so small a cooler that it would burn up under rated normal loads - but reducing tranny temps 30-50 degrees will add life to any transmission. I know adding one to my 02 KJ reduced temps and improved shift patterns by keeping the tranny out of the higher temperature shift maps.

Towing the TJ friday!

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