Wrangler Tow Capacity.... for braked trialer?

[judge]

hi guys,

i am sure this has been covered before, i did a seach and couldnt see anything though, so soryr to bring this up if it has already been discussed.

i am looking to get into an 03/04 wrangler, but need to be able to tow atleast 1200kgs (braked boat trailer). it seems to me that the jeep would be more then capable of doing this, a rav 4 can tow 1500kgs.

is it possible to get a heavy duty tow pack capable of a larger weight? can this hurdle be overcome?

what is it about the jeep that limits it to 900kgs tow capacity? it doesnt seem to vary for braked on unbraked trailers. my trailer is braked...

thanks

[huub]

hi there i know i seen a post of somebody ho did a modification on the towbar i think it was made with longer brackets under the jeep and then got an engineering report done he was able to tow 1500kg legal after that if i see it again i let you know

[Archer]

there are a few issues here. The first is that tjs are legally rated at 900kg. This has to do with the drum brakes and the short wheel base.
Secondly, reputable tow hitch manufaturers like Haymen Reece only make a hitch rated at 900kg (40mm square hollow section).
There is someone who installed a disc brake conversion on this forum and got it re-rated at 1500kg, but, with the engineers cert, at what cost?
Contrary to what 4wd monthly state, tjs are only rated to 900kg towing and something like 450kg total inside.
Thats the short and the long of it.

[Fat Chili]

I looked into it also as I have a trailer boat (Haines Signature 500C).

It has nothing to do with having rear drum brakes, if that was the case then the Rubicon's in the States which are standard with rear discs would have an increased tow capacity, they do not! (still 450kg unbraked, 900kg braked)

Yes, several people over here have had their TJ's re-engineered for 1500kg by converting to rear discs (PM Laz), which is great and used to cost around $1500 (don't quote me there). However, it is the wheelbase that Jeep DC use as their excuse not to increase the tow capacity. I have personally written to DC Aust about the pathetic tow capacity and how a Rav4 and Zuk Vitara can out tow a TJ. There responce was basically "this is what we're sticking with, it's what our engineers specify due to the vehicles wheelbase and we will not compare with other brands", It's crap.

That said, my boat weighs in at 875kg boat, trailer, 90hp outboard (empty fuel tank) so technically if I am empty I am legal. And off course I always tow it empty . With higher spec front rotors/pads, 4.56 ratios and 33" tyres I pull it up Tamborine Mt easily and have no probs going down either.

Buy a 2007 Wrangler and you will get a 1500kg tow capacity.

Good luck.

[Archer]

[QUOTE=Fat Chili]).
It has nothing to do with having rear drum brakes, if that was the case then the Rubicon's in the States which are standard with rear discs would have an increased tow capacity, they do not! (still 450kg unbraked, 900kg braked)

Yes, several people over here have had their TJ's re-engineered for 1500kg by converting to rear discs (PM Laz)

but wouldn't the above drum to disc conversion inticate that the drum brakes are part of the problem? I mean the ppl with the conversion didnt just take their tj with drums to an engineer and get it upgraded, they changed from drum to discs.................... am i missing something here?
No offence intended fat chilli, i'm just curious, and a bit pissed at the low tow capacity.

[Bear TJ]

There's a story in this months Jeep Action about it. The guy already had a rear disc conversion but ended up getting the tow bar modded by an engineer to handle 1500kg.
The article says that a Jimny has a higher tow capacity than a Wrangler - thats a tad embarrassing!

[Fat Chili]

Archer - No your not missing a thing, as I said and you quoted "Yes, several people over here have had their TJ's re-engineered for 1500kg by converting to rear discs, which is great!"

However, in relation to the "It has nothing to do with having rear drum brakes" comment, I was partially wrong in stating that alone, as it is a factor but not the sole deciding factor from DC's perspective. DC do not see the installation of rear disc brakes as sufficient improvement to increase the vehicles tow capacity. If independant engineers take it upon themselves to re-engineer the tow capacity based on the rear drum brakes, then more power to them, this is more than likely the route I will also take provided someone up here will do it, I have PM'd Laz several times about his conversion. But we all know that even a good set of rear discs will account for at most 30% of your braking capacity. As stated b4, if the brakes were the reason then the Rubicon would have a higher capacity.

I know where your coming from and agree with you, yeah, it pisses me off too, especially when I can snatch a 100 series with a 6m boat on the back and do it no problems. So, yes I think its a crap, cover your ass from tow rating.

Apparently there is an engineer in Kippa-Ring who is squared away with tow capacity increases, I will locate his details when I have more time and forward them.

Here is a copy of the BS first letter DC emailed me, will try to find the other in relation to brakes alone. I love the manner in which they replied, so condecending, shit do cars really have to stop and go around corners, gee! I never knew that.


Thanks for your enquiry.

Tow ratings for vehicles are set by engineers, based on a wide variety of factors. These factors include the gross axle weight ratings (GAWR), gross vehicle mass (GVM), gross combined weight ratings (GCWR), wheelbase, braking systems, centre of gravity, etc. The specific tow capacities are set to ensure the maximum safety of our owners at all times under all conditions, and are based on the characteristics of the vehicle design/capabilities and obviously the laws of physics.

It is easy to assume that Wrangler should have a large due to the large engine capacity, but getting the load moving is only one step in the process as the customer needs to be able to effectively turn corners and stop under a wide variety of conditions. The 900 kg Wrangler tow capacity was set by our engineers after taking into account the GAWR (of the rear axle in particular), braking system and the wheelbase of the vehicle amongst other factors.

Regarding your comments regarding the RAV4, we cannot comment on the engineering factors used to set the tow rating, but I do know that a RAV4 has a wheelbase of 2660 mm - substantially longer than the Wrangler wheelbase of just 2373 mm.

I realise that this is not what you wish to hear and may be unsatisfactory, but it is not recommended that the vehicle be modified to upgrade the tow capacity. Unfortunately, we cannot advise you on ways in which you may increase your vehicle's capabilities.

Regards,


Kathryn Everetts
Product Planning & Strategy
Chrysler Jeep Australia