Steering wheel locks up on Toad

[Rv_Tripper]

We are towing a'98 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4-down behind our 2015 Thor Axis MH. We are using a Roadmaster Towing setup. The Jeep ignition is in the ON unlocked position, transmission in PARK and Transfer Case in Neutral.
The problem is that the Jeep steering wheel will rotate 180 deg and lock. This happens sometime during the trip. I don't feel any change in the MH steering and don't discover the condition until we stop and check it. We also discover that the tow bar is in a stressed condition. All the joints are tight and hard to release.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Horizon170]

Rv Tripper wrote:
We are towing a'98 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4-down behind our 2015 Thor Axis MH. We are using a Roadmaster Towing setup. The Jeep ignition is in the ON unlocked position, transmission in PARK and Transfer Case in Neutral.
The problem is that the Jeep steering wheel will rotate 180 deg and lock. This happens sometime during the trip. I don't feel any change in the MH steering and don't discover the condition until we stop and check it. We also discover that the tow bar is in a stressed condition. All the joints are tight and hard to release.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Tripper, you can Bungie the Steering Wheel down so it can't turn but a small amount. That is what I did when I towed a VW Baha with my "B".
BTW, If you lock your wheels straight ahead you can BACK your Dingy if it is 4 down (NOT on a Dolly) just like a trailer. There will be a very, very minimal extra wear on the tires. Don't forget to unlock the Steering Wheel when moving forward.
Marvin

[SoCalDesertRid1]

rockhillmanor wrote:

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
When I tow my small vehicles on the tow bar, I disconnect the battery, put the key in the RUN/IGN position, and put transmission in Neutral (or disconnect rear driveshaft on the Ranger).

I haven't had a steering wheel lock up on me using that procedure.

I've never tried towing with the key in the ACC position.

You have so many vehicles in your sig can't figure out what you tow! :B
What are you towing with the key in the ignition position? If you disconnect the battery how do the lights and brake assist work?

On the Ranger, I disconnect rear driveshaft from axle and tie up to frame with bailing wire, disconnect battery via quick disconnect terminal clamp, put key in run/ign position.

On the Samurai, I put transfer case and transmission in nuetral, front hubs unlocked, disconnect battery by quick disconnect switch next to battery, put key in run/ign position.

I use a set of magnetic towing lights, connected to the truck's trailer light wiring plug, which are not part of the towed vehicles' wiring systems.

I don't use a towed vehicle braking system. The Samurai weighs under 2500 lbs. The Ranger weighs under 3500 lbs.

[2gypsies1]

I don't know about your year Jeep but our '04 Jeep Liberty manual stated to put the key in the ACC mode. We failed to do this on the first time towing and learned our lesson. 🙂

[Butch50]

When you get in the Jeep after the steering wheel is all the way to one side try turning the wheel back without starting the engine or changing the key position. See if you can turn the wheel? I know it well be hard but try that. If you can turn the wheel straight then it is not locked.

I had a Samurai and it did the wheel flop over all the way to the stops and I would drag the front wheels. I had to have a front end alignment as it was a little out and causing this condition. After having a good alignment shop check it over and align it all worked great.

Have you done any lift kits on the Jeep or changed anything in the steering?

I agree with the trans in park (or at least that has been everyone of them that I have read about) You want the drive shaft to turn the into the transfer case but not in the transmission. You wanted the transmission to be locked.

[rockhillmanor]

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
When I tow my small vehicles on the tow bar, I disconnect the battery, put the key in the RUN/IGN position, and put transmission in Neutral (or disconnect rear driveshaft on the Ranger).

I haven't had a steering wheel lock up on me using that procedure.

I've never tried towing with the key in the ACC position.

You have so many vehicles in your sig can't figure out what you tow! :B
What are you towing with the key in the ignition position? If you disconnect the battery how do the lights and brake assist work?

[klutchdust]

My 08 JK gets put in park, spare key in ignition to the on position and the main fuse gets pulled up to disable power to the accessories. After changing the clock spring and having the steering column apart I looked into removing the "lock" pin so i could avoid having to pull the main fuse and it was more work than i cared to get involved with.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

When I tow my small vehicles on the tow bar, I disconnect the battery, put the key in the RUN/IGN position, and put transmission in Neutral (or disconnect rear driveshaft on the Ranger).

I haven't had a steering wheel lock up on me using that procedure.

I've never tried towing with the key in the ACC position.

[j-d]

I don't have good internet right now and never have had a Jeep. That said,pretty sure I remember a thread about disabling the steering wheel locks in Jeep something Cherokee something. Couple guys knew how to do it and offered to do it at a rally. If you want to look for it try gOOgle. Works better than forum search. Seemed a number of owners, years, models, were having issues.

[rockhillmanor]

I had the SAME problem with my Tracker. And I even had everything installed by a know all RV shop and when I pulled out with my toad the steering wheel locked. :R

I found on mine there are '2' key positions for accessory. One will lock the steering wheel when towed and one will not.

To this day whenever I hook up the toad I turn the wheel to double check I have the key in the right position BEFORE I tow it.

Sit in your car and turn the radio on and then turn the key to accessory to see where it will leave the radio on and you will most likely find you have 2 accessory key positions also.

[Ivylog]

If I understand your post... the steering wheel is found 180 degrees(half a turn) from straight and it is locked there and will not move from that position scrubbing the front tires and putting the tow bar in a bind. How do you get it back to straight ahead? What's holding it there?

For what it's worth... I towed a hunting jeep behind my PU for many years and found it towed better with the steering wheel locked straight ahead by the seat belt. Tire wear was not an issue. The tail wanted to wag the dog, not as much of a problem with a MH in front.

A bungee cord on the steering wheel that limits how much it can turn (less than 90 degrees) will work for those worried about tire wear.

[Harvard]

When you first connect to the Jeep you must start the Jeep up and put it in reverse (and back up) for the purpose of fully extending the telescopic arms to the lock position.

Failure to fully extend and lock the arms BEFORE moving forward can cause the towed wheels to go full left or right depending on the position of the unextended arms.

How do I know this? :):)

[SpiKar]

sch911 is spot on. It is a steering issue.

[sch911]

If JGC is a 4X4, the owners manual will have you put the t-case in neutral and the transmission in park (if it's a 2WD Jeep you should NOT be towing it 4 down).
But neither has anything to do with the steering wheel lock. Since you're leaving the key in the run position the column is unlocked, but the steering wheel is turning on it's own and not recovering. To me it sounds like a steering geometry issue. I'd have the front end looked at.

[SpiKar]

I would only do what the owners manual says. I have had friends with jeeps and their instructions say to have it in park and reverse for manual trans but have the transfer case in nuetral. Most vehicles say to put the ignition in acc. to unlock the steeming wheel. If you have any doubts Check with the factory people.