How to get true answer on flat towing

I just bought a 59 CJ5 which is stock as best I can tell. It had a tow bar on the front bumper. I need to take it 600 miles to our mountain cabin. I've read so many different answers as to flat towing these and even the local tranny shop has different opinions. I'm assuming it's been towed before but we all know what happens when you assume. In the future, I may want to tow it to Colorado and back so I need to know the limits.

 

Just unlock the hubs, and unbolt the rear driveline at the rear yoke and bungee it up out of the way, you'll be fine.

 

Why in gear and which 3rd? I always heard neutral.

 

The input shaft doesn't turn.
If the rest of the transmission is turning, some have a tendency to weld the shafts together resulting in a big glob of metal. Better to run trans in gear and transfer in neutral. Best practice is to drop the rear driveline.

 

There is only one sure way to flat tow.

Unbolt rear driveshaft and tie it off or remove it (be careful of the ujoint, keep the caps together), and unlock the front hubs if equipped or repeat the process for the rear on the front. Transfer case then goes in neutral, and the transmission goes in the highest gear.


Logged thousands of flat towed miles this way.

The only way to make it better short of a trailer is a Full Float rear axle with locking hubs.
Unlock all four corners and go.

 

Flat towing again....
If you Unbolt the rear shaft, and unlock the hubs, it doesn't matter what gear the trans or tcase are in.
If the rear driveshaft is left on, tcase in neutral, trans in gear as posted above.

 

Same here, unlock front hubs, remove or unhook rear driveshaft.

 

True but it doesn't hurt to do it regardless.

 

For piece of mind I always remove the rear drive shaft, trans in neutral, t-case in 2 wheel drive, hubs unlocked.

 

Full float kit with locking hubs. Expensive but stronger and problem solved.
Barring that or a trailer the best option is like others said, remove one end of the driveshaft and unlock hubs. For short trips transfer case in neutral and transmission in gear. Make sure both are full of proper gear oil. Might try a search as this has been discussed with explanations why you want to do it this way ad nauseum.

 

Here's the title to one of these shorter past flat tow threads on the forum:
A NEW question about flat towing!

 

I always played it safe and removed the rear driveshaft when I towed the Jeep to Moab. Of course, hubs unlocked and duct tape around the u joints and a sandwich bag with all of the fastening hardware inside.

 

My 2 cents regarding rear driveshaft removal...I always remove it entirely for long trips.
That way I don't have to worry about it coming loose and bouncing down the hiway, plus when I get to my destination, I can easily move the jeep around under its own power on the front axle if need be.

 

100 miles is no problem, Towing to Moab from Greeley is a bit far. My only problem is throwing out the tarp and putting everything back in place. Little black bugs decide that they need to fly up my nose. I suppose that's why my neighbor has his son do it. Most of the rest of the group haul their Jeeps in or on trailers.

 

100 miles is about my self imposed limit, too. 100 (ish) miles from my house will get me to Westcliffe, Salida, Fairplay or Breckenridge...lots of good Jeeping areas. For that distance I just put the tcase in N and go.
When I make my yearly pilgrimage to Durango (300 miles) then I pull the rear driveshaft.
The 100 miles is just an arbitrary figure, no real basis in fact. It just feels like the right thing to do.

 

My neighbors have Mt property W of Loveland. We have more issues getting the campers and motorhomes in due to the trees. The towed Jeeps are fine. I have towed my Jeep further than I thought I should, Moab to Durango and then back to Greeley with the driveshaft in. It still works fine, or at least as well as a D18 works

 

I agree. Unlock four hubs and go. Like towing a four wheel trailer.

 

We towed our jeep to hunting camp every yr without an issue. We just unlocked the hubs and put the tranny and transfer case in neutral. We never took the drive shaft off.

 

You were very lucky you did not burn up the transmission.