GX460 Flat Towing Options? (1 Viewer)

[JBerger]

Is anyone flat towing their GX460 and mind sharing your setup?
We had a GX470 that we towed all over the US behind an RV, but it was totaled late last year. The 470 towed like a dream, super easy to hookup, and tracked very well on the road, no wobbles or worries. We pulled the 470 at least 30K miles with no issues or mechanical problems.

Now have a GX460, but of course it has no way to manually put the transfer case into neutral for towing.
The only ideas I have so far are to add a driveline disconnect for the rear. (Superior Driveline Kit with new shaft and disconnect kit for $1630 plus labor)
I'm guessing that the transfer case itself is capable but Toyota just didn't include the switch or electronic controls to put the case into neutral. It's my wife's daily driver so I want to do it right and take care of her and the GX.

Any help or direction is appreciated. If I can't figure out a solid path then that puts us back into looking at Jeep's and we are completely spoiled by the GX.

 

[Jstawgn]

Swap GX470 transfer case or have to install driveshaft disconnect for both front and rear. Might not have room for front driveshaft.

The transfer case actuator does not have neutral position to allow flat towing. Not aware of aftermarket actuator that can make it shift to neutral either.

 

[r2m]

Never needed to flat tow my GX or any other all-wheel-drive vehicle, so my (probably stupid) question is, you can't just put it in neutral and pull it?
Is there something about neutral that still keeps the drive line connected?
Another option would be a car trailer. That would keep the miles off your tires and suspension and not have to do a single thing to your GX.
Only issue would be storage when not used. This is a topic very close to me since where we live there is NO place for extra vehicles, trailers, RV's etc. Not like many of you in the mid west where land is cheap and the size of home lots are large enough to encompass about a half dozen homes from the west coast.

 

[ZIOI]

Swap GX470 transfer case or have to install driveshaft disconnect for both front and rear. Might not have room for front driveshaft.

The transfer case actuator does not have neutral position to allow flat towing. Not aware of aftermarket actuator that can make it shift to neutral either.

Does the TC even have a neutral position? It's one thing to have a neutral position that the actuator won't use, quite another to not even have the neutral position.

 

[Jstawgn]

The transfer case design are similar. I "assume" they all do. It's much more expensive to make a 3 position actuator than 2 position.

 

[ZIOI]

The transfer case design are similar. I "assume" they all do. It's much more expensive to make a 3 position actuator than 2 position.

I'd assume they have to have a neutral position to pass through between low and high, but maybe it suffices to simply require the trans to be in neutral and the TC is only two-position.

 

[JBerger]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread, I appreciate it.
Sounds like this isn't a quick fix or simple swap so we will jump back into the Jeep world.

 

[r2m]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread, I appreciate it.
Sounds like this isn't a quick fix or simple swap so we will jump back into the Jeep world.

Considering the Jeep to be your secondary vehicle and not used for road trips, not a bad choice. Wouldn't want to overland for any length of time in a Jeep (ride quality and reliability), but for bumping around the campsite and local towns when camped, it'll work, just don't get too far from a dealer. I'm always hearing about issues with Jeeps from the guys in our off road club.

 

[JBerger]

Thought I'd come back an update my thread.
I could not pull the trigger on any of the Grand Cherokee's I found, they appear to simply disintegrate when exposed to air.
Ended up finding a great deal on a 2006 LX 470 and brought it home 2 weeks ago. It's amazing how a 2006 LX compares to a 2017 Grand Cherokee. The difference in build and parts quality is stunning, and the refinement is night and day different.

 

[r2m]

Thought I'd come back an update my thread.
I could not pull the trigger on any of the Grand Cherokee's I found, they appear to simply disintegrate when exposed to air.
Ended up finding a great deal on a 2006 LX 470 and brought it home 2 weeks ago. It's amazing how a 2006 LX compares to a 2017 Grand Cherokee. The difference in build and parts quality is stunning, and the refinement is night and day different.

Assuming, between night and day, that the older LX is far superior than a newer Jeep?

 

[JBerger]

Looking at both the Grand Cherokees and the GX/LX, the only thing I liked better about the Jeep's were the infotainment system. I could not believe the differences in the actual hardware. A 200K, 18 year old LX rides better than a 2017 Grand Cherokee and I never would have believed it without driving them back to back.

 

[r2m]

Looking at both the Grand Cherokees and the GX/LX, the only thing I liked better about the Jeep's were the infotainment system. I could not believe the differences in the actual hardware. A 200K, 18 year old LX rides better than a 2017 Grand Cherokee and I never would have believed it without driving them back to back.

Gotta remember the Cherokee's have a solid front axle, albeit on a unibody chassis. That'll impact the ride quality quite a bit.

 

[BobTheBrogrammer]

Gotta remember the Cherokee's have a solid front axle, albeit on a unibody chassis. That'll impact the ride quality quite a bit.

2017 Grand Cherokee (WK2) has all around independent suspension. GCs have not had a solid rear axle since like 04 I think. But yeah, not surprised the LX rode better.