"Peter Grey" wrote in message
ink.net...



"Chris" wrote in message
...
Ok got that much. I am not bashing your claim as I agree 100% with the
your post. I am just starting to think that this particular vehicle
might not be the norm.

That's OK. I'm not taking this personally. This has interested me enough
to check out the Jeep's specs a little bit.

Just thinking out loud:

I do know the Grand Cherokee cannot be towed by a normal tow truck even
with the transfer in neutral. They have to flat bed it. Something about
not being able to tow the thing with either axle off the ground. Of
course you see plenty behind RVs being towed with all four wheels on the
ground, which is ok.

The new Jeeps have a neutral position on the transfer case that allows one
to tow the thing. This leads me to think that the issue is uncontrolled
heating of the fluid and /or clutch packs in the transfer case.


The Grand Cherokee does have more or less lockers in the front and rear.

Both the transfer case and the diffs on the new GC are electronically
controlled (hydraulically controlled on the older cars) clutch packs that
can range from open to fully locked. I'd be surprised if they become
fully locked with the ignition off (in fact that would make it hard to tow
with the engine not running). I believe they may lock when the computer
tells them to lock, but I bet in a "resting state" they're pretty much
open. If the transfer case and the front diff doesn't lock when one turns
the car off, then the scenario shown in the commercial wouldn't work.


Are you saying that she left the thing in gear not in park?

No. I bet that if you jack up the front of your car with the parking
brake on and the car in "park" that you'll be able to spin a front wheel
with your hands. Try it and let me know what happens.


This would than lead me to question how they did the commercial. Did
they perform some type of work to lock up all four tires, or did they
select this vehicle, knowing that all four tires would drag? I am
starting to think that maybe this might be possible with this vehicle and
they just pulled the thing with a winch.

I'm thinking they had someone sitting in the car pressing the brake pedal
while it was being pulled. Or they locked the brakes somehow.

Or I could be completely wrong and I'm making a fool of myself. I'm SURE
about the chopper and Porsche thing, though...

Peter


Peter,
Not making a fool at all. I just think that the Jeep in this case could be
a little odd. Than again we could all be wrong.

I do have the newer Jeep that I think you are referring to, a 2000 model.
It does have the N on the transfer case, but they still will not tow it. I
do remember something being mentioned about the way the "lockers" work when
the vehicle is not running.

Either way I am curious and have enough machines here to drag the Jeep
around and see what happens.

I will report back the findings, and hopefully you will look better with the
results.

Chris