Flat Towing An Older Jeep

M

Mariposa Mike

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Messages
114
Location
Mariposa, Ca.
I have a restored military 1961 M38A1 which would be a CJ5 in civilian attire. I've been trailering it to events but having purchased a motor home I would now like to flat tow if possible. My 2004 LJ does not require anything special done to the drive train to tow but seems I have heard you have to disconnect one of the drive shafts to tow an older Jeep. Does someone on this forum have the experience with these year jeeps?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wheeler
Mariposa Mike said:
I have a restored military 1961 M38A1 which would be a CJ5 in civilian attire. I've been trailering it to events but having purchased a motor home I would now like to flat tow if possible. My 2004 LJ does not require anything special done to the drive train to tow but seems I have heard you have to disconnect one of the drive shafts to tow an older Jeep. Does someone on this forum have the experience with these year jeeps?
Click to expand...
I did not stay in a Holiday Inn last night, so don't take my word for it. If you have lockout hubs on the front axle, you can unlock them, and put the transfer case in neutral and it should be good to go. But I don't have actual first hand experience in towing a Jeep.
 
No lockouts on this version. That's why I kinda think I need to remove the front driveshaft to tow. I believe they are always engaged.
 
I will be towing it with a 30' Class C motor home and you cannot back up with the tow dollys. Some folks have gotten themselves into quite the predicament, even in gas stations. I used to put it on my car trailer and tow with my pickup. The pickup had a camper but now I have sold those to get the motor home. So looking for options.
 
Well dag nabbit. The do's and don'ts on flat towing are a long list and some of them are expensive, like the braking system. Maybe the wife should just drive the darn thing behind us.
 
Mariposa Mike said:
No lockouts on this version. That's why I kinda think I need to remove the front driveshaft to tow. I believe they are always engaged.
Click to expand...
It shouldn’t be necessary to remove the front driveshaft as long as the transfer case is in neutral. That’s the way it works on my TJ & it tows great.
We were park hosting at a Texas state park & saw a family towing an old flat fendered Ford military Jeep behind their motorhome. ‘No problems for them either.

25BF6843-56BC-4E9C-B6AE-28D880E19FCA.jpeg
 
With the M151's we would remove the rear ds if we had to tow for any distance. The word according to our battalion motor officer. Not that we did a lot of vehicle repair or recovery (that's why we had a battery maintenance platoon), but that's what I just pulled from the recesses of my brain. 30 some years ago - I'm lucky I remembered I was in. Treat this information carefully.
 
Veeeery suspicious:). maybe that was what was imbedded in my memory. The rear shaft and not the front. Thanks all for the info.
 
Top Bottom
Back