>The tow vehicle is a 2wd 2002 Dodge Durango. Not sure if this
>qualifies as the "Ford Expedit*ion or GM equivalent" suggested by Dean
>or not.

That is more in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer range. When I bought
the Expedition one of the tasks it was to perform was as a tow vehicle for the
TJ. I REALLY wanted a Grand Cherokee, but the 5,000 lbs tow limit was just too
closed to the weight of my TJ for my personal comfort.

You're doing the right thing by asking questions. The problem is that you're
going to get all kinds of opinions. Over in the RV group there is a school of
thought that says for safety you shouldn't tow anything bigger than a utility
trailer with anything smaller than a semi truck. I don't subscribe to that
school, but I do think that the car builders are pushed to give their vehicles
the highest tow rating possible. And just cause they say it can tow X number of
pounds doesn't mean its a good idea. And that is where the 75% rule of thumb
comes in.

>A thought: Would a potential good solution be a tow dolly? This could
>get the CJ's front wheels up off the road and eliminate the steering
>problem, yet would only add a couple hundred pounds of weight instead
>of a thousand or more.

Tow dollies are good for FWD cars that can't be towed 4 down for some reason,
usually transmission issues. Getting a tow dolly designed for fwd cars to work
with a CJ with 36" tires isn't going to be easy, if it is possible at all.
You'll have issues with getting straps big enough to go over the tires and
potentially issues with the width of the front axle being able to even fit on
the dolly. And in the end you'll still be at the hairy edge of your tow rigs
capacity.

I think the best thing to do is look at how others with similar Jeeps get their
rigs to the trail. And frankly, the majority I see with 35"+ tires either drive
them or use trailers.

Dean
Hey, nobody said this was going to be cheap. Remember Jeep stands for
Just Empty Every Pocket!