I have limited experience with this but here's what happened to me. My jeep towed fine until I got it to the auto shop and started making sharp slow turns. The wheel was unlocked and towed about 40 miles at speeds up to 65 mph no problem. Got to where I was going and thats when it started. I experimented with it a little and found if I kept the turns wide it would track just fine. Backing with it in anything but a straight line was very difficult to say the least. Hope this helps will probably get some discussion going at least.

Can you fix it?
I got a welder and a grinder. Heck yeah I can fix it./wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

 

Tow with the wheel unlocked.

DO NOT EVEN TRY TO BACKUP. NOT EVER.

I hope some one here can help you more. The shims are not that big of a deal
its just the time to put them in.
Good luck. Hope to see you there somday.

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif We never tow our Jeeps, but I have towed a early model Ford pickup....and I'm talking 1951 here.....behind our tractors because it was our fuel truck and parts rig. We ALWAYS had to put a "restriction" on the steering....by tieing a cord around the window post and through the wheel so it could only turn a set amount. If we didn't do that, the wheels cramped hard over. I know what the problem is in your case, however, and that is the overhang on the motor home. When you trun left, the tail end goes right and the Jeep thinks that's the way it needs to go./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif You've heard of Miller Time? Well, this MAY be Trailer Time!/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Trac modified by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif transfer case team.

 

i have had the same problem towing my cj. I would NOT shim the front axle. You should never stick stuff in between the springs and axle on the front. It is just like using blocks in the front. If you have a caster problem, you need to change the position of the spring pads themselves. It is more expensive, but safer.

As far as the towing goes, the way that I solved it was to run a strap around the steering wheel and the seat frame. I did it so that it had plenty of room to turn about a full turn or so, but could not go to full lock. This worked fine and I towed mine to Moab with no fear.

You should keep the steering wheel unlocked and you should also disconnect the rear driveline so that you dont ruin your rear output shaft bearings. Good luck and have a fun time at EJS, I have to work.

 

whoa, shims on the front axle is not like blocks. the spring center pin still engages the hole in the axle pad. they are only about a 1/4" to 3/16" thick too. i think dave got it right with the overhang. you just need to make wider turns.

79/CJ-7/AMC360/TH400/Q-TRAC/d30/d44/33's/RS9000s/Herculiner/Pro-jection 2D

 

I agree with the overhang and unlocked wheel notions, but what really helped my cj5 was removing the steering stabilizer. Also whenever possible I tried to make sure I tried to make sure the tires on my cj had returned to center before I started craking the other way. Have fun I moab.
Travis

Inquire about my witty original saying contest/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

 

Seriously, consider renting a tow dolly if it is uncomfortable towing the Jeep. Plus, that way you can still break one out of 2 axles /wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif, and still get 'er home. With a long overhang I would think that you would be pulling the nose of the Jeep sideways on most all corners, skidding the tires all the way... /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif

Not so seriously /wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif, sell the motorhome - buy a nice pick-up truck, a cap, and a trailer. /wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif That way, when you break the Jeep at Moab /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif, you can still get it home /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif and you can sleep in the bed, under the cap. /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif.

Good luck,
Pete - sleeps in a pick-up, tows on a trailer.

88YJ,4"susp,33"BFGMT,9kwinch,homemade swingout,258,999,4.10,weber32/36,GMHEI,one moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

Hay there is people towing with motorhomes all the time.
My Mom and dad tow a s-10 with a 28' motorhome.
The shims I was speaking of go in where you take the spindle
off the knockel[sp]. It is a ring that is thicker on one side
than the other.

 

Randy
I tow my YJ, Commando, and XJ, at various times with my motorhome and each one has its own way of following the rig. The YJ and XJ follow real good but the Commando has the same problem your Jeep does. What I did to correct this was to leave the stabilizer alone, tie the front wheel loosely as stated in some other posts and make wider turns, being careful in town. but on the highway there was no problems. You can get a tow dolly if you wish. But I towed the Commando all the way from Wyoming to Arizona with no problems. hope this helps
GP'n
87 Wrangler
78 Cherokee Chief
92 Cherokee Limited
69 Commando

 

I tow my cj-7 with my motorhome with no problems. Unlock the steering, put t-case in nuetral, and off we go. I have never had problems with sharp turns, I have towed on roads with switchbacks almost as sharp as the motorhome will navigate, without problems. I think your problem is somewhere else. Sorry, I can't help you with it.

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky (& rocks & rivers & mountians etc, You get the picture.)

 

hey gp'n!
do you drop both drivelines on the yj when towing?
i was going to when i tow with my van.
steve

 

Thanks for all the feedback..
As far as shims go (between the spring pack and the axle), would this be possible to do just for towing purposes? once Im in Moab, it's easy enough to loosen the u-bolts and slide the shim out. Re-install for the trip home.

I know what you mean about the shims that go on the steering knuckle. I take the jeep in tomorrow to get an alignment and we'll see what they say about the caster.

Speaking of.. does anyone know the OEM specs on Caster for a 91 YJ?

As for tying a rope around the steering wheel...hmmm might have to give that a try,if nothing else works. but the way it tracks now, I'd have to give it a pretty short leash!

My other option (and the one looking like the most doable and easiest) is to rent a trailer.. but for $50/day, it gets pretty expensive.
btw, I'm towing from Sacramento California to Moab...

Thanks again for the help everyone.

Rockdog

 

Got the jeep (91 YJ) back from the alignment shop today. toe was dead straight on, camber was off quite a bit, and get this, caster was within specs (5.8o (degrees) Min. and 7.3o Max) for my jeep. The left front is sitting right at 5.8o but the right front is at 5.1o. Camber was changed from 0.7o to 0.6o on l/f and 0.8o to 0.7o on r/f. Still a bit out of spec (-0.5o Min. 0.5o Max).

So......we'll see if the camber was the culprit as I'm gonna hook it up to the motorhome tonight and see what it does. If this doesnt work, I'm renting a bloody trailer!


Thanks for all the tips and insight. I'll post the results of my test tow tomorrow.

Rockdog

 

if you unlock the steering will the battery go dead? don't you have to turn the key to on position? what am i missing here?
thanks
steve

 

between the 'lock' position and the 'on' position of the ignition switch is the 'off' position. no power, no lock.

79/CJ-7/AMC360/TH400/Q-TRAC/d30/d44/33's/RS9000s/Herculiner/Pro-jection 2D

 

good man will! you are right on! i checked it out. bueno on the un-lock with no power.
i'm good to go on that.
tow bar next item. easy install.
thanks
steve

 

Steve
Depends on the distance you travel. Short runs 100 miles or less,,No on dropping the drive line. But on long tows I will drop the rear only as the front does not rotate with the disconnect axle. keep in mind if you drop the rear and still have the slip yoke you might want to seal this off or leave the drive shaft on the trans case and tie the other end up solid to keep it in place to prevent losing you fluid. The NP 231 does not have a true neutral.
GP'n

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif I've been busy with work and income tax workups, so I haven't been back to our trailer design, but we have the genesis of a lightweight and inexpensive trailer design that can haul any Jeep, including a ZJ. We can even single this trailer out and come back empty on just two of the four wheels if we want. It is a tandem design, and singling out saves tires and fuel if you are MT. I'm not a real fan of towing, although I've done plenty. There is nothing, however, like dragging a really tired, beat, damaged vehicle up on a trailer and let it rest on the way home to the shop. That way, you are assured of at least a hassle free trip home no matter what you do to your racer, your buggy, your trail Jeep, or your mud digger./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Trac modified by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif transfer case team.

 

Disconnect your battery and turn the switch to on position and leave it there.
The jeep will follow you all the way to Utah. Your only problem in towing might be that you will get some sway if you get on roads that have deep travel ruts.

80 CJ5, 52M38

 

Every time the Scrambler is towed (usually due to breakage), they always put a black rubber strap over the steering wheel and latch it to the seat. Never goes anywhere and tracks well. Haven't flat towed the Scrambler (yet), but I'll probably do this if I have the same problem you do. Leave the ignition unlocked as well. The front end will still track around corners, but will have the resistance Dave mentioned. It's even been "dollied" backwards this way.

Hey Dave, what about a trailer/dolly combo? That way JEEPNCHICK and I can move both jeeps with one trailer. One would be fully on while the other 1/2 way. Whadyya think?

JEEPN
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
GM151/SM465/NP205 twinstick/7"Lift/33"TSL's/IHC D44's 4.10's Lock'd

 

If you lock the front tires, the Jeep will track much better.. I have towed about a hundred different cars, and it's always easier to lock the front wheels from moving.. Realize that turning in the city will become difficult, but on the highway, you'll be thankful! You can achieve much faster speeds with the front locked as well..