Jeep question

[Al]

What is the towing capacity on a 91 Sahara with the 180 hp 6 cyl engine?

I can't find the spec anywhere.

[Slow Joe]

Probably 1,000 lbs just becasue of the length... You're talking Wrangler, correct? I know for a fact that Wranglers get messy if you're towing something heavy with the short wheel base... If I remember right the MAX towing for the Wrangler is the Unlimited and is 2500lbs.... It's not the frame, the frame has no problems, it's the length of the vehicle...

[Al]

The reason I posted that is because a friend of mine knows someone who has a jeep for sale. I'd like a jeep, but if it can't tow, than I'll look elsewhere.

The neat thing about this situation is that my friend wants the jeep but does not have the money. BUT, he has an early 90s exploder sport. If he wants the jeep bad enough, he will probably give me a deal on the sploder.

Do exploder sports (2 door version) work well for towing?

I'm going to tow a 1700 lb open trailer with a 2300 lb car on it 4k total. Also, I will need to put about 200 lbs of gear inside of it. The short runs will be to Road America, Beloit, Chicago and Milwaukee Mile. A long run will be to St. louis or Michigan.

[Slow Joe]

Honestly I'd look into a truck if I were you... I know my Grand Cherokee was rated at 3500LBS (I had towed more than that, but I wouldn't do that for long distances) Smaller SUVs aren't really a good choice for a combination that heavy... I'd go with a minimum of an F150, K1500 or Ram 1500 with a small V8... And I'm assuming you have trailer brakes...

[Al]

My trailer has brakes.

What do you think about that 89 F150 in the classifieds? It has a 4.9 in it, which is a bigger 6 cyl engine.

[Slow Joe]

Good trucks as long as they are running good... Mine had the 300 I6 (4.9L) and it had almost 300k on the clock... If you buy it and need a rear tank... I have a brand new one in my rafters I'd sell ya... lol The 300 I6 is a torquey engine, so it wouldn't do bad towing... As long as the truck is solid I'd say it should be good... Now the 4.2L V6... I wouldn't reccomend that one... lol...

[Al]

I'm getting close to buying that truck. The price is all right, but the truck needs a few things. Necessities are the clutch line, fuel line and new tank. What I reccomend is the heater and the rail for the bench seat. A seat cover might work too.

All in all, the total is not very high. I could get it to a reliable and safe state for less than $1k.

4x4 is the real kicker on that truck! I am sorry to have to say it though; the truck looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick.

[kenseth17]

I have an 89 f150 4x4 extended cab. Never towed with it but can't see it being too much of a problem. I think the inline 6 is a better choice then the 302. Mine has a 302 and it is a dog. I think the 6 is rated pretty much the same horse power, has better torque, and better gas milage. The one thing that got me though was as common as those f150's are, some parts are hard to find for it. I needed a fan shroud and radiator for it, and had to search all over. None of the yards had anything around here. I refused to pay what the dealer wanted for a shroud. Finally got them both on ebay. Ahh don't mention the clutch line. It is molded plastic and a dealer only item. That clutch line will run you around 50 bucks. Don't ask why I needed a new one. Also watch this little plastic piece on the clutch pedal. They often wear out and you lose some pedal travel. Thats cheap to replace though.