What gear do you tow in?
 

Just wondering what gear people tow in? Looking at the specs (2018 JGC 8SP Auto) it has a 1:1 ratio in 6th. Is this the general gear used amongst Jeep owners?

What does your owners handbook suggest?. My old ZG 's handbook recommends to lock overdrive out using the o/d selector button. It's a four speed auto with o/d as the fourth gear so when towing I'm using just 3rd gear which in my case is direct drive.

General thought is to tow one gear lower than top. The reasoning being that top gear is an overdrive and therefore the weakest link in the gearbox and if you have ever looked at the inside of a gearbox you will see that this is the case.

Driving in one gear lower doesn't increase fuel usage a great deal. If going downhill or on a dead flat road then pop it into top gear but other than that it's recommended to stay in a lower gear.

I've always looked for the 1:1 ratio (which is why I'm suggesting 6th gear) but just wanted to hear others opinions / experiences, especially with auto trans temps.

You are correct, always tow in the gear that is direct drive 1:1. As soon as you go into an over drive ratio you stress the trans too much. Just turn your overdrive button off and you trans will only use 1st to 6th.

For any modern car that's a bit of an old wives tale, best to check the user guide.

WK2 Grand Cherokee 8 speed for example are best left in drive.

I wouldn't call it an old wives tale. The benefits of towing in a 1:1 ratio are well documented. Sure you might use more fuel but the stress put on your driveline is decreased and transmission temps are usually lower.

I'll do my own testing once I get the chance but was hoping someone could give me their findings, especially with ATF temps.