Cheapo Tow Rig project

Well that seems to have been just what I needed. Trailer is much higher in the back now, level, and doesn’t scrub on my driveway anymore. It actually has plenty of clearance. I’m very happy.

I had to cut a little more than an inch out of the handle to release to coupler cause it was hitting the neck. I cut a section out and welded if back together, now everything clears.
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Looks good! If you buy a Kaufman equipment goose like that, you'll go from dragging the tail to dragging the jack feet. They really need to work on that. That's my only complaint.
 
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I did not load either Jeep. I know that will settle it a little, but I had plenty of clearance. I’ll know soon as I’ll probably get loaded here soon.
 
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Test fit the YJ yesterday. I have it pulled as far forward as I can where I can still open the door on the camper. In this pic, the truck is uphill from the trailer axles a little. I still have plenty of clearance at the rear of the trailer.
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The truck also has a fresh oil change, and I sent off for another oil analysis. I have been using the same oil and filter since the last one, only change is I’m changing it at 3k now instead of 5k. If you remeber last time I had some copper and bearing material (to be expected) but also an elevated amount of silicate which is found in antifreeze. Could be a weak head gasket, not sure. But also back then my radiator was leaking on the driver side where the oil cooler lines go so who knows.

Also, the trailer brakes don’t seem to work very good. I adjusted them like they’re supposed to be and had little change, but I did read that several people had success with this issue after a trailer sat for a while by holding the override going down the road a bit to heat up the brakes and then they’ll start grabbing again. Gonna try that.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I did not load either Jeep. I know that will settle it a little, but I had plenty of clearance. I’ll know soon as I’ll probably get loaded here soon.
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Looking forward to pics of the dove cut off ;)
 
77GreenMachine said:
Test fit the YJ yesterday. I have it pulled as far forward as I can where I can still open the door on the camper. In this pic, the truck is uphill from the trailer axles a little. I still have plenty of clearance at the rear of the trailer.
View attachment 322068

The truck also has a fresh oil change, and I sent off for another oil analysis. I have been using the same oil and filter since the last one, only change is I’m changing it at 3k now instead of 5k. If you remeber last time I had some copper and bearing material (to be expected) but also an elevated amount of silicate which is found in antifreeze. Could be a weak head gasket, not sure. But also back then my radiator was leaking on the driver side where the oil cooler lines go so who knows.

Also, the trailer brakes don’t seem to work very good. I adjusted them like they’re supposed to be and had little change, but I did read that several people had success with this issue after a trailer sat for a while by holding the override going down the road a bit to heat up the brakes and then they’ll start grabbing again. Gonna try that.
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Pretty great set up with enough space clearances!
 
The results are in! The truck pulled this load great, I’m very happy. Anyone who says a 6.0 won’t pull is crazy. I’m most likely never buying a diesel, I’ll just get a newer truck with the 6.0 and the 6 speed. 2 more gears would do wonders.

Anyways, of all the places I’ve wheeled I honestly believe Kairos is one of the hardest tows. There’s some really good hills on that stretch of 77 & 460 once you leave Wythville, you got hills coming back too. I ran around 70 other than pulling some of the hills. Many of those, like Fancy Gap are now 2nd gear 60mph pulls, and I can live with that.
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The transmission temps were great. It stayed around 190, would creep to 215ish when I was really working it but would go back down after the climb. That’s on the highway, in town it runs a steady 200ish and that was early in the morning before it was hot. For that reason I’m gonna put a bigger cooler on. The tow to Harlan will be far easier than Kairos, however that last stretch on 421 where it’s narrow and curvy will have me in and out of the throttle, which will build some heat for sure. Besides it’d just be better if it could hang out around 180* the whole time.

I plan to change the trans fluid as well.
I also got my oil results back. All is well! I will keep changing at 3k and roll on.
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I plan to put a tune on the truck, possibly an intake also. Probably something I do by the end of the year. Also would LOVE to find some power seats out of a nicer model to swap in.

Made the whole trip with no check engine lights for the cats, strange. Overall I’m thrilled with the truck. It’s truly been the best truck I’ve ever owned I managed 7.3mpg on the way up, haven’t filled up again since then but I imagine it was nearly the same coming back.
 
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77GreenMachine said:
The results are in! The truck pulled this load great, I’m very happy. Anyone who says a 6.0 won’t pull is crazy. I’m most likely never buying a diesel, I’ll just get a newer truck with the 6.0 and the 6 speed. 2 more gears would do wonders.

Anyways, of all the places I’ve wheeled I honestly believe Kairos is one of the hardest tows. There’s some really good hills on that stretch of 77 & 460 once you leave Wythville, you got hills coming back too. I ran around 70 other than pulling some of the hills. Many of those, like Fancy Gap are now 2nd gear 60mph pulls, and I can live with that.
View attachment 322348

The transmission temps were great. It stayed around 190, would creep to 215ish when I was really working it but would go back down after the climb. That’s on the highway, in town it runs a steady 200ish and that was early in the morning before it was hot. For that reason I’m gonna put a bigger cooler on. The tow to Harlan will be far easier than Kairos, however that last stretch on 421 where it’s narrow and curvy will have me in and out of the throttle, which will build some heat for sure. Besides it’d just be better if it could hang out around 180* the whole time.

I plan to change the trans fluid as well.
I also got my oil results back. All is well! I will keep changing at 3k and roll on.
View attachment 322350
I plan to put a tune on the truck, possibly an intake also. Probably something I do by the end of the year. Also would LOVE to find some power seats out of a nicer model to swap in.

Made the whole trip with no check engine lights for the cats, strange. Overall I’m thrilled with the truck. It’s truly been the best truck I’ve ever owned I managed 7.3mpg on the way up, haven’t filled up again since then but I imagine it was nearly the same coming back.
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It's those new trailer tires ;)
 
77GreenMachine said:
Anyways, of all the places I’ve wheeled I honestly believe Kairos is one of the hardest tows. There’s some really good hills on that stretch of 77 & 460 once you leave Wythville, you got hills coming back too.
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I was just talking about this. The stretch on 460 from Kairos to princeton is pretty nasty. I still think the tow back was worse than the tow up. I used almost a quarter tank more on the return trip. That one hill on 77 coming back before the tunnel was worse than fancy gap!
 
I did forget to mention, I tried to go up the hill going in the resort without unloading and it wouldn’t do it. The truck just flat out wouldn’t do it. It got down to 5mph then just wouldn’t go and something was gonna break so I stopped and had to back down. Unloaded and let the wife drive the YJ up.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I did forget to mention, I tried to go up the hill going in the resort without unloading and it wouldn’t do it. The truck just flat out wouldn’t do it. It got down to 5mph then just wouldn’t go and something was gonna break so I stopped and had to back down. Unloaded and let the wife drive the YJ up.
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give it a 2 low option, while your making upgrades. Or was the issue traction?
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
give it a 2 low option, while your making upgrades. Or was the issue traction?
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Wasn't traction.

A newer 3/4 ton was STOPPED on the side of the big hill. Trans just said "Hell naw" pulling a pretty big 5th wheel. They tried pulling it up with a 4wd ford tractor first, then the logger went and got his log truck. Nope...finally brought it up with a skidder. The entry hill is a BEAST
 
I did some research last week. I have a friend with a wrecked truck I can get all the IFS stuff out of the front. But there’s some fab work that needs to happen. Then I have to change the transmission, not just the tail shaft to get a transfer case in. It’s a bit more involved and costly than I wanna do. Hard since the truck doesn’t fit in my garage. I’m just gonna keep on keepin on. Truck does great everywhere else, I just know now that I’ll always have to unload for that hill. I can deal with that.
 
CasterTroy said:
Wasn't traction.

A newer 3/4 ton was STOPPED on the side of the big hill. Trans just said "Hell naw" pulling a pretty big 5th wheel. They tried pulling it up with a 4wd ford tractor first, then the logger went and got his log truck. Nope...finally brought it up with a skidder. The entry hill is a BEAST
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And thats why I love my dual disc clutch. Just put it in 1st and let it eat.
 
I don't remember from the start of the thread but is this truck still rocking the original engine and trans? Either way I love it but if all original I'm even more impressed with its ability to get it done after half a million miles on the road.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
I don't remember from the start of the thread but is this truck still rocking the original engine and trans? Either way I love it but if all original I'm even more impressed with its ability to get it done after half a million miles on the road.
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I wanna say it had a motor at 300k and it's been through a few trans rebuilds.
 
This motor has 190k on it roughly. The first motor went to 350k. The transmission has been replaced twice. I can’t remember the mileage on this one, I’d need to look back at my folder but I believe it’s has less than 100k on it. I may look tonight out of curiosity.
 
77GreenMachine said:
This motor has 190k on it roughly. The first motor went to 350k. The transmission has been replaced twice. I can’t remember the mileage on this one, I’d need to look back at my folder but I believe it’s has less than 100k on it. I may look tonight out of curiosity.
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Just think how much better it would do, if the Parking Brake was Off? :lol:
 
So I got curious and dug thru the folder that came with this truck. I was wrong about the how long the first motor went.

The first motor went to 418k
Replaced with a motor from another truck with 80K

The first trans went to 317k
2nd went to 335k
3rd went to 453k

The mileage between the first and 2nd is strange. Something went wrong for sure. Also there may have been some before that, however I have every single thing since new on record.

Nevertheless, my current one has less than 100k on it, and my current motor has right at 200k
 
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