Evan Fell Motorcycle Works

  • About Evan Fell
  • Contact
  • Photos
  • Thank You
  • Sitemap
Home Come Back Any Time 2008 August Upgrading the Jeep Cherokee for Towing

Upgrading the Jeep Cherokee for Towing

Once the camper was ready to go I switched directions and turned my focus to my Jeep. The Jeep Cheerokee is a good all around utilitarian vehicle, but it is by no means an ideal choice for pulling a 4,000 pound camper full of motorcycles around the continent. There were a few pressing issues that needed to be addressed.

Jeeps are notorious for weak suspended rear ends. They sag over time and mine was particularly sagged low due to me being a bit brutish to it over the years. After weighing options about buying different rear spring packs or scrounging used parts I ended up taking my measuring tape down to the junk yard. Mixing and matching Chevy S-10 leaf packs is a common way for off-roaders to lift their rear end a few inches. I measured up packs from a number of different vehicles and ended up snagging some from a GMC truck (blanking on the model).

Ripping out the rear suspension and stuffing the mix-matched GMC leafs into the Jeep turned out to be a real hassle. But I took my time and did a reasonable job. The GMC leafs were significantly thicker gauge steel and also bowed quite a bit more. I used several large clamps to hold everything together while putting the new u-bolts and center pin into place.

Jeep Cherokee Getting a Rear End Upgrade

In the picture below you can see the stock Jeep rear leaf pack. And below that the MUCH beefier packs I was swapping in.

Jeep Cherokee Leaf Packs compared to GMC Truck Packs

(Just to note. No, the swap was not a direct bolt in. I saved the Jeep main leaf and mounted the full GMC leafs below it.)

Doing this sort of job takes a lot of trial and error. I ended up pulling the rear end out three different times to get everything adjusted properly. Below is a photo of me sometime around 2am after lowering the Jeep for the second time and realizing it wasn’t quite right . . . . . so I jacked it back up and dug in for round three.

Evan Fell Tired of Wrenching - Almost

The end result: Before I updated the suspension the rear of the Jeep sagged to the point where the wheels practically rubbed inside the wheel wells.

Jeep Cherokee bottomed out Towing Camper

Now that it’s updated the rear end sits about 3″ higher than stock even with the heavier second camper attached.

Jeep Cherokee Towing the Camper and Motorcycles

There are a few remaining problems with this setup because my rear driveshaft is now MAXED out and I get some driveline vibes under heavy load. But it can hold a tremendous load now without stressing the rear end too badly.

I also installed a large transmission cooler (I could probably use and even bigger one). If you’re going to be towing a heavy load like I am make sure to install the transmission cooler inline with the existing radiator cooler POST radiator.

The third pressing requirement was installing an electronic brake controller. Jeeps have weak brakes from the factory. Many upgrades exist, but I figured since the camper had 4 wheel brakes it ought to be enough, and that has proved accurate. The brake controller was a simple install, but it’s important to take care in routing all the wires correctly. You have to route some to the battery, some through the firewall, and some underneath the vehicle to the 6 or 7 pin trailer wiring connector in the rear.

It took me 3 or 4 days to get the Jeep ready – but once it was, I was finally ready to head out!!!

Jeep, Motorcycles and Camper
(somehow this picture was before the Jeep upgrades . . . hrm)

Aug 30, 2008Evan Fell
KTM 500mx PistonHow to Clean a Motorcycle Carburetor, the RIGHT way.
You Might Also Like
 
Home Stretch! Desert Blasting!
 
Putzing Around the Mexicali Border
Comments: 3
  1. William
    12 years ago

    Whats the mpg on it now with the trailer?

    ReplyCancel
  2. Aaron
    11 years ago

    Evan, glad I found your blog. I’ve got about the same setup. I’ve got a 1991 4.0 XJ hauling a 3,000 lb. 1969 Globemaster. I’ve had some issues with nearly overheating and getting down to 35 miles an hour max on any sort of grade. Do you have any trouble in the mountains?

    ReplyCancel
  3. EvanFell
    11 years ago

    @Aaron – The XJ sure doesn’t like to tow, but it will do the job. I was hauling almost double what you are, which is really pushing the jeep to the limits. On flat ground I kept my speeds to about 50mph tops, it would get a little squirrely beyond that. Going up hill I would just keep the flashers on and stay right, there’s no hope in keeping up with traffic. Don’t push it harder than it wants to go. I overheated twice in the mountains when I wasn’t paying close enough attention. I would usually keep the heat on full blast and that worked great at keeping the engine temps down on long uphill climbs. I also had a large transmission cooler. Mine had the auto tranny, which is much better at hauling than the manuals.

    I had that camper attached for about 10 months straight when I was touring the US. Took me everywhere I wanted to go, albeit slowly.

    Crossing the divide in Colorado

    Cheers.

    @William – MPG was around 12-13 most of the time.

    ReplyCancel

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Click to cancel reply
Evan Fell

Hey, I'm Evan and this is one of my motorcycle sites. You can find more about me on my homepage, or visit me on Google Plus: +Evan Fell

14 years ago 3 Comments My Travel Blogmotorcycle travel
Footer Sidebar 1

Drop a widget on "Footer Sidebar 1" sidebar at Appearance > Widgets page.

Footer Sidebar 2

Drop a widget on "Footer Sidebar 2" sidebar at Appearance > Widgets page.

Footer Sidebar 3

Drop a widget on "Footer Sidebar 3" sidebar at Appearance > Widgets page.

Footer Sidebar 4

Drop a widget on "Footer Sidebar 4" sidebar at Appearance > Widgets page.

© 2015 Evan Fell Motorcycle Works
Grimag theme by StrictThemes