WK2 Grand Cherokee

[ash99]

Hi All,

I have a WK2 Grand Cherokee with the factory Jeep towbar.

I am running a HR weight Distribution hitch and I also have aftermarkt airbags fitted.

I generally only put about 17 psi in the airbags and i find I dont really need to crank the WDH too hard to get the weight back over the front axles.

The issue I need help with is there is a strange noise coming from the hitch. It kind of sounds more like metal flexing than knocking.

It is only a recent issue. I checked the bolts holding the towbar on and all where tight except one which I was able to put half a turn on before not being able to move it.

I am used to the normal knocking noise you sometimes get with tow hitches, this just sounds very wierd.

Does anybody else have this issue.

I am tempted to remove the tow hitch to check for damage etc.

 

[Drover]

Chain/bar squeeking away normal stuff BUT if it sounds like your crushing and twisting a coke can then your tow bar is possibly coming away from the chassis, well what its bolted onto as Jeeps don't have a chassis, by tow bar bolts do you mean where it bolts to the body ???? If you had one loose I would remove the tow bar completely and have a look for faint cracks around the panel where the bolts screw in, you will need to remove the bumper normally have a good light and a wire brush may help to spot the cracks they start off very small, eventually they get bigger and the other mount points will follow suit and it can pull away from body, had to fix 2 Grands with the problem, while I made sure they were tight when I bought them I should have checked fully, they were both 2nd hand and I doubt they were tensioned properly in the first place.......

I found with my Jeeps that replacing the original soft suspension with decent springs and shocks improved the whole vehicle out of sight.......and I would buy another Jeep....

 

[ash99]

Thanks for the reply.

Have to agree that the Grand Cherokee is a great tow car.

The comment you make about a coke can remind me of the sound. I initially thought it was the towball or WDH so I greased them. This did nothing to help. It was only occuring for my trip home from Echuca to Melbourne. Didnt make any noise in the previous month's over several trips.

The bar was installed by the dealer 6 Months ago. I am taking it to them on Friday to be looked at. Here's hoping it is a minor issue.

You mentioned that it was repairable. How was it repaired?

Cheers,
Ash

 

[Drover]

The damaged sections of the box section was cut out a length of 4mm flat was inserted into the box with nuts tacked on to add strength to the area, new box sections welded in place, felt heaps safer afterwards, I had it done at a smash repairers.....that was an easy one as I caught it early, if the tow bar is torn away too much its better to burn it....a Jeep dealer and some others said I would have to get a new rear floor section, cut and shut it in but you would still have the tin can steel to bolt too, couldn' t see the sense really. Ended up with a stronger area with the load distributed over a larger area and no stupid nutcerts.

 

[ash99]

Thanks Drover.

Biggest issue is I only got the car in July last year. Still has 4.5 years warranty.

I don't want it costing me if they stuffed it up.

Looking at the bar there are no nutserts etc.

It is held on with 3 bolts either side. Was the smaller bolt that was loose. Looks like it has moved slightly as there is a mark in the paint. Looks like it is moved by about 1 mm

 

[Drover]

There's 3 bolts either side and hidden under the bumper is another 2 on a cross member. While it may not be the problem a check of the bolt tension can't hurt, the nuts are hidden inside the body panels.
I wish I had kept the pics I took but I deleted them awhile back as it brought back horrid memories.

 

[ash99]

Thanks for the advice anyway @Drover

I got under the car tonight and had a look but don't want to touch anything until I have been to the dealer.

Nothing looked broken or torn but this could be hidden.

 

[ash99]

I had the car at the dealer and 3 of the bolts were not tightened correctly.

The bar was removed and inspected and all is ok.

Turns out there is a recall on Jeep towbars for this problem. Apparently my bar is not part of the recall!!

All bolts have been retensioned. I towed yesterday for 4.5 hours with no issues.

Recall details below if you are interested.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...FjAAegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw0TlOQKqEoIfxIGjKqMGqam

 

[Drover]

I'd just read about the recall this morning......hope your set is all good now.

 

[14" of Joy]

Hi all. Will a GC 2012 V6 Diesel need a WDH to pull a14.44.4 van(1900kg single axle) with bikes on the rear? Our van has extended drawbar and I noticed that the GC’s have some kind of in-built anti-sway system. When previously towing with a Triton, we got a bit of a boogie up when passed on the Monash by trucks at around 90-100km/h. As we are heading on a trip, I was thinking of chucking a E2 6000lb Anti-sway WDH($700) on with th GC. Is it worth it with the GC as there is no issue in excessive weight on rear axle whilst towing when loaded.
My issue is more trying to eliminating any shake, rattle & roll as we’ll be on the road for a few months.

Cheers
14fter

 

[DRW]

Hi @14" of Joy we have the same vehicle and tow a larger van without a WDH as we did with our previous ven (17:56.2 expander) and hav never had any problems towing at the speed limit. We also have air bags fitted, I usually have them at 5psi without the van and 10-15psi with the van, I would be checking your towball weight, with an extended draw bar and bikes on the rear of the van you may be a little light on the tow ball.

PS Not sure what the 14" of joy means if your van is 14'

 

[ash99]

You can definitely tow without the WDH according to the manual, BUT.... What I found was the WDH smoothed things out. Less pitching and bouncing. The steering also became way more positive. Just a much smoother tow. I do not have the anti sway kit.

The Jeep is an awesome tow car but my opinion is that the rear springs are too soft for heavy loads. This is only my opinion though. I ended up fitting airbags to the rear suspension. My Jeep doesn't have the factory air suspension. The airbags smoothed out things even more. This meant I could have firm springs for towing and normal suspension for everyday. I could have gone without them to be honest but I was upgrading to a bigger van so decided to give them a go.

I never had problems with sway from the van. I was always pretty careful to ensure I wasn't loading the van unevenly though.

I had 3 bikes on the rear, standard drawbar, BTW.

I was able to tow comfortably down the Hume at 110km/h getting 12 to 14l/100km. the van and car were always rock solid.

The airbags also gave me the option of taking the WDH off for tight turns into caravan parks etc and still maintain full ground clearance.

Give a WDH a go. They do make a fair bit of difference to the towing experience. .

If you are in Melbourne, I got my WDH from CARAC in Dandenong. I needed a longer drop shank than the standard that comes with the WDH and they just swapped it into the kit for no charge.

 

[DRW]

Hey @ash99 did you use the WHD with the 14 footer?

 

[14" of Joy]

Cheers all. Only have bog standard suspension. GC pulls no worries but I will grab a WDH for peace of mind. Will distribute weight closer to front end to load up towball. Perhaps should’ve had 2 rack on the back & another 2 rack an drawbar. Something to ponder.

My bad RE: 14’ vs14”........I’d love the mods to change this for me. 14”- well we can dream

 

[ash99]

Hey @ash99 did you use the WHD with the 14 footer?

Yes, the 14 footer needed the WDH more that my current 19 footer.

If I remember correctly our van had an ATM of about 1850kg and the towball was about 180kg when the van was loaded.

I always assumed being a single axle van it would have the tendency to pitch fore and aft a little more. The WDH pretty much stopped this. I didn't have to crank the WDH very hard though. I was able to have the car evenly balanced with the suspension dropping about 5mm friont and rear with the WDH.

Like I said, I probably could have gone without. It just made it nicer to tow,

 

[twscoot]

Hi all.
After 5 pretty much trouble free years the JGC gets traded on Saturday for something a little different. For those thinking about the Jeep it has been an awesome tow vehicle. My car was effectively a traihawlk (Laredo fitted with the off-road pack) and despite Jeep’s ordinary customer service when things did arise (the servicing dealer was great) I’d recommend it.
For sale on the sale thread is my Chief Products nudge bar and recovery points if you are in Brisbane and interested.
Wish me luck for my new tug - a 2017 RRSport TDV6... with the balance of a five year warranty(!).

 

[DRW]

Nice choice for a replacement