Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Wrangler With Automatic Transmission – 3 Methods

One of the benefits of driving a Jeep Wrangler is that you will get complete
flexibility over pretty much everything. The level of freedom that these Jeeps offer
is pretty much incomparable. But is the story the same when it comes to towing?
Can you flat tow a Jeep Wrangler with automatic transmission?

Well, if you know a little about flat towing, it is not safe for most common
vehicles. And even if some car manufacturers tune their offerings for flat towing, it
will be limited to some transmission models. So, what is the case with Jeep
Wrangler? To find out, you need to continue reading!

What is Flat Towing?

At its core, flat towing involves attaching a tow bar to the vehicle. The vehicle that
is to be towed needs to roll right behind the motorhome. And four of the tires
should be making total contact with the ground. Now, the reason why most of the
vehicles are not suitable for this is because of the transmissions.
You can severely damage the transmission by flat towing a car unsuitable for this.
And that is why you need to check the instruction guides before making the
decision.

Can Automatic Transmission Jeep Wranglers Be Flat Towed?

As we have mentioned earlier, Jeep Wranglers are well-known for offering
complete freedom to the users. And the case is totally valid for towing as well.
Regardless of the transmission type or model, you can flat tow a Jeep Wrangler
without any issues. So, if you find yourself needing to flat tow the Wrangler, do
not hesitate one bit!

How To Flat Tow A Jeep Wrangler?

You can not just hit the road by tieing the Jeep Wrangler to the tow vehicle.
Instead, you should follow these steps:

Step 1: Prepare The Wrangler

Before anything else, you need to make your Wrangler come to a complete stop.
The best way to do this would be to get the vehicle on a flat surface. And you
should try to get it right behind the tow vehicle.

As you work with an automatic transmission, you must press and hold the brake
pedal. While you are at it, shift the transmission into the neutral. After that, you
should turn the engine off. But you need to turn it on again. Before doing that,
transfer the case into neutral.

Step 2: Work with The Transmission

Now that you have restarted the engine, you need to put the transmission into
reverse. Release the pressure on the brake pedal for a couple of seconds and ensure
no movement with the vehicle. You will need to repeat the process for the
automatic transmission, but this time, you have to keep the Jeep in the drive mode.

Once you assure the Jeep is securely planted on the ground, you should get the
engine off again.

Step 3: Shift to Parking And Start The Towing

At this point, you should engage the parking brake. For the automatic transmission,
you need to shift it to the parking mode after engaging the brake. Make sure to
double-check that the engine is off before engaging shifting. If it is on, you can
severely damage your transmission.

Even though it might seem a little counterintuitive to shift the Wrangler into the
parking mode, you will be ensuring the safety of the transmission.

If you do not make this shift, the transmission fluid will not circulate around. And
again, that can cause severe damage. Now, you attach the towing bar and then start
flat-towing your wrangler.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can all Jeep models be flat towed?

Not really! But you do not have to worry about any issues with the Jeep Gladiator
and Jeep Wrangler. Regardless of the transmission type or the model, these can be
flat-towed without any problems at all.

Is it possible to damage the Jeep by towing it?

You will need to follow the right towing process to tow the Jeep. If you do not
follow the correct steps, you might end up damaging the transmission or any other
crucial components of the vehicle.

How hard is it to tow a Jeep?

There is nothing complicated about towing a Jeep! In fact, Jeeps are well-known
for being easy to tow, thanks to the versatility that they offers. You just need to
follow the correct steps, and you will be golden.

Will I add miles to my Jeep by flat towing it?

For the mechanical setup of the old Jeep models, you will add miles to the vehicle
by flat towing it. However, if you are rocking a Jeep without the mechanical
odometer, you will not need to worry about increasing the mileage of the Jeep.

Final Words

The short answer to can you flat tow a jeep wrangler with automatic
transmission is a yes! Wranglers offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to using it.
And that remains true for the towing process as well. However, correctly follow
the steps we have covered if you do not want to damage your transmission.