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Rough Cost/issues Of Floater Vs Trailer

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by mickeykelley, Sep 23, 2018.

  1. Sep 23, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    If I have a stock 58 CJ5 with locking hubs already on the front, what is involved parts and cost in making the rear a floater so I don't have to mess with the drive shaft in order to tow it? I'm basically trying to see cost of the mod vs trailer and any intangibles. I know its not that big of a deal to crawl under and disconnect, but we are thinking we will want to do more trails/rides and want to make it easy. And as I get older, I just don't want that hassel. Unlocking rear hubs is clearly easier than crawling under twice. Loading on a trailer is a little more effort than hubs, but your not putting wear, etc., on you rig. I've towed trailers most of my life so that's not an issue but it seems it would be easier to just lift the tow bar, lock the hubs and go. But what is durability of the rear floater. Not going to be doing major crawling, mudding, etc.
     
  2. Sep 23, 2018
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I made my own.
    build your own full float dana 44?

    Project creep with new gears and a power lock made it spendy. The locking hubs can be had for 230 bucks more or less. Quadratrak flanges are 55 bucks more or less a side. The hubs are 60 bucks each new for disk. The spindles are whatever you have laying around. The better ones are the disk d30s. They need to be bored out to 1.31 or so and the flange needs machined to fit inside the D44.. The axles can be made and then sent to moser for 27 splines to fit the locking hubs..

    I like my axle. To do it again, I would just go flanged offset d44 or use a d20 or 300 and just uses a centered d44.

    Its cool and neat and all, but its a bit of a PITA in some respects. Also 35's are really the limit for what i built for longevity.
     
  3. Sep 23, 2018
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    I don't see a full floater as cost effective for towing, for the price of one you can disconnect the drive shaft a couple of million times. :twist:

    If you're looking for a stronger setup or the ability to keep going with a broken axle then that's when you want to look into a FF, once you're there then locking hubs become attractive for flat towing.
     
  4. Sep 23, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    I agree from a pure economic perspective. My thoughts are looking at getting under to disconnect when you get ready to leave home, then crawl under in the dirt when you get there, then dirt again when you get ready to head home, then again when you get home. Having recently been under and up then back under, etc., a lot in doing the Geo disc and dual master conversions, along with replacing the brake lines, etc., I'm just thinking about as I get older (62 now) will I really want to be doing that in the dirt. Once we get relocated to Durango, I can see us wanting to take trips to Moab, Fall Colors Tour, Utah, etc., so figuring it out now is my considering.

    I don't have enough experience to say if I really want a 'stronger' axel. Do they break that often? I don't plan on running anything beyond the 215/85/16 that I have now on factory KH rims. I don't plan on modding it for crawling, etc., just cruising. Not interested in different/upgraded axel.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2018
  5. Sep 23, 2018
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    You can buy the complete full float kit from Herm and install it in an afternoon if you are mildly mechanical. The cost is what it is and you won't have to crawl underneath to pull the driveline or blow up a transmission. I myself am not a fan in any way of flat towing. Lots of guys will tell you that they have flat towed their Jeep to the moon and back with zero issues. What you don't hear are all the horror stories of wrecked Jeeps and tow vehicles or the blown up transmissions from flat towing. Everyone has a different slant to how and where they tow though.
     
  6. Sep 23, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    From flat towing period, or flat towing with or without the floater install?

    I did look at Herm's site is it looks like approx $1000.
     
  7. Sep 23, 2018
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    I think Daryl means flat towing period, and I am not a fan of it either. Personal opinion, get a nice tandem axle trailer with enough room on it for the Jeep plus other stuff you might want to carry also....camping equipment, extra containers of water, etc.
     
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  8. Sep 23, 2018
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    Just because you can pull something, doesn't mean you can stop it. Even a full size truck can have a tough time stopping a fully loaded modified Jeep with out any brakes. Lots of guys think nothing of the "what if" and that emergency stop. Insurance may not cover that catastrophic event if you didn't have legally required brakes also. On a tandem axle trailer with brakes, it can actually help stop a truck instead of the truck having to stop the whole load by itself. Many do not have the place to store a trailer or do not want to be able to bring home any new projects easily though. No one can tell you how to live your life. Do not let any one factor sway you one way or another. Honestly evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each mode of transport before you make your decision.
     
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  9. Sep 23, 2018
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

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    I bought a used FF for about $400...I installed it in an afternoon. I don't really plan to flat tow and only went FF because of snapping an axle and also because rear locking hubs are cool. :cool:

    A trailer costs WAY more because of all the projects you'll be hauling home...Not to mention everyone you know who needs their car hauled. :banghead:
     
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  10. Sep 23, 2018
    Danefraz

    Danefraz Well-Known Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Chico CA
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    All of the above.

    I want a trailer for my project but not sure i have space.

    Then i want a trailer to tug behind

    Will be flat towing for now.

    Will be tossing in a tarp and a moving blanket to shimmy under at each end.

    Dont forget tape to hold your caps in place as a nice option to have.
     
  11. Sep 23, 2018
    cayenne

    cayenne Member

    central Texas
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    I'm a fan of mine for flat towing since my trips are all highway but not very long distance and I got tired of rolling around in stickers unhooking my driveshaft.
    I live in the city, so no where to store a trailer and those are even more tires and hubs to keep in good shape. I wired the jeeps lights to a trailer plug, it is just hook up, plug in and go.
    If I had to drive for hours I would probably get a trailer though.
    I did snap an full float axle though...but I just unlocked that hub and limped home.
     
  12. Sep 23, 2018
    3b a runnin

    3b a runnin Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    A trailer is great for Jeepers and there are so many other uses.
    [​IMG]
     
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  13. Sep 23, 2018
    Steve's 70-5

    Steve's 70-5 Active Member

    Louisville, Ky
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    Get a trailer if you have a place to store it
     
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  14. Sep 23, 2018
    71CJ54WD

    71CJ54WD Sponsor

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    I too think a trailer to be ideal but I don't have the room for it. I'm gonna have to get good at disconnecting and reconnecting that rear driveshaft.
     
  15. Sep 24, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

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    I already have a 16' tandem axel trailer but it does not have brakes. It's a farm trailer and have used it a couple times for the jeep but dragging it a longs ways is not fun. It's a good 25 years old and would need brakes to use regularly. That's why I'm trying to decide on say a 12 foot trailer vs the floaters.
     
  16. Sep 24, 2018
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I flat towed my 2a from Prescott Arizona to Bellingham Washington in 1997 or 8. It was stuffed full of junk and had a half cab steel hard top. I towed it with a 1984 blazer through mountains and desert conditions. Pulled the driveshaft of course. Wrecked my Blazers brakes, almost lost it several times, pushed me down mountains, etc. Would I do it again? I don't know about that. For short , under 100 mile distances in semi flat areas it shouldn't be a big deal and I wouldnt worry about it. My blazer was old when I towed it. Modern vehicles like my 2017 silverado 2500 wont have any trouble. Honestly, if you have a questionable trailer, why would that be safer than towing a jeep set up for towing? I see people towing things behind motorhomes all the time.

    Its a thousand dollars for an all new kit from Herm
    19 Spline Full Floating Axle Kits | Herm The Overdrive Guy
    Seems a lot cheaper than buying a good trailer and registering it, storing it, etc..

    http://hermtheoverdriveguy.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/09/full-floater-axle-kit-001.jpg

    20 bucks a side for wheel bearings.
    5 bucks or so for seals
    buck each for studs
    New disk D30 hubs are 65 to 80 bucks each
    440 bucks for Herms axles. Make them yourself isn't much cheaper.
    Disk Spindles are 75 bucks each

    Herms kit pic shows drum spindles.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2018
  17. Sep 24, 2018
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

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    I'm one of those guys. I have flat towed my Jeep all over Colorado for the past 18 years, including a yearly trip from Colorado Springs to Durango (300 miles each way, 2 major mountain passes, a ton of smaller grades). Yesterday was a typical day for me, about 100 miles each way over 2 smaller passes. In other words, I have a TON of experience with flat towing and never had a problem. The secret? My tow vehicle. I tow with an F250 with a big block V8, great big brakes, and about double the weight of the Jeep. I always cringe when I hear guys talking about towing with SUV's and such.
    Edit: One other thought-I recently had a near miss when my hitch mount worked it's way loose, ALWAYS check everything out closely and be careful when towing...whether flat towing or trailer towing.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2018
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  18. Sep 24, 2018
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    I'm also thinking about your wagon, a 12' trailer would be too small and a CJ5 would barely fit on one. A car trailer, maybe 16' would be ideal, especially if you got an aluminum one. Just food for thought, a seldom thought of consideration is backing up....ever try to back up with a Jeep hooked up to your bumper? :)
     
  19. Sep 24, 2018
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    I flat tow....it works but isn't perfect. I tow it through the mountains here in Colo. It can be done. Its tough on my Taco's brakes, and the v6 is a bit underpowered. Is it 100% safe...well my other option is driving my 49 year old cj across the mountains with limited power, marginal steering and brakes etc. Driving I-70 over the passes is sketchy enough in a modern vehicle, more sketchy towing something, a bit more sketchy flat towing with my Taco, and yet actually driving my cj is probably the most sketchy. Nothing is perfect - towing it on a trailer wouldn't help with power but it would help with stopping. I'd rather have a trailer (and better tow vehicle). For me, its strictly a money and space issue. I can barely justify owning a jeep as a extra vehicle - for the limited towing I do I can't justify a bigger tow vehicle and don't want to daily drive it here in the city. If money is not a huge concern, and you have place to keep a trailer...I'd go trailer. Nice to be able to roll you rig off the trailer and start wheeling - just the same as its nice to get back from a trip, drive it on and be on down the road in a few minutes. Not being able to back up with flat tow is also somewhere between a nuisance and a hazard.
     
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  20. Sep 24, 2018
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

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    Actually, I have the backing up part solved....I put my son in the Jeep and tell him "hold the wheel straight! " LOL
    Otherwise, Glenn is right- you can back up maybe 10 feet before the front tires on the Jeep go to full lock.
     
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