Making Jeeps "Safer" with a Trailer Hitch

[Bob Miller]

Chrysler has now changed directions on the issue of vehicle fires in earlier models of the Grand Cherokee and Patriot SUV's following rear end collisons.

The proposed "fix" is to install a trailer hitch to act as a buffer to add additional protection for the gas tank in rear end collisions. If this works the engineer at Chrysler that thought of it deserves a big bonus for avoiding a much larger retrofit/recall expense.

A safer idea might have been to add not only the hitch, but to give every one a new 13' FGRV to tow so as to provide an even bigger buffer zone to rear end collisions. (LOL)

[David B.]

[Casita Greg]

A "safer idea" would have been to spend a little more time in engineering a safer product and a little less on advertising...
Kinda like driving around in a four wheel drive molotov cocktail-mobile.

[Mike Magee]

2 days ago we pulled up to a light and found ourselves behind a Ford Pinto! My wife said, we sure don't want to run into that! Some things never change.

[Cyndi B.]

So if they put a hitch on it, does it necessarily mean you can tow with it? I had a 1970 Duster with a pin hitch. For the life of me I don't know what the purpose for it was because I bought it used. Did use it to move empty hay wagons around.

[stairman]

The wife has a 2004 Cherokee and will be cashing in on the new hitch, but I agree, engineers should have known by now that a gas tank behind the rear axle is dangerous. Thatll teach em.

[Donna D.]

Trust me, there are worse ideas... some 1950s era pickups have/had gas tanks INSIDE the cab. Talk about a gasoline shower waiting to happen.... besides the stink of gas where the rubber neck connects to the tank.

Don't ask me how I know....

Three out of the five vehicles I own, the gas tanks are between the rear axle and rear bumper.

[stairman]

I had a 69 Chevy stepside with the tank behind the seat. I never smelled gas while driving but the gascap was right behind the door so fumes went in the cab doing that. Didnt matter then but doesnt sound too good now.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Trust me, there are worse ideas... some 1950s era pickups have/had gas tanks INSIDE the cab. Talk about a gasoline shower waiting to happen.... besides the stink of gas where the rubber neck connects to the tank.

Don't ask me how I know....

Three out of the five vehicles I own, the gas tanks are between the rear axle and rear bumper.

Hey, no worse than the old beetles ! The gas tank was in your lap with them !

EDIT: my dear old dad, a WW2 vet always called beetles " Hitler's revenge".

Ha ! ....yes indeed, I spent many miles in a '59 Ford pickup with the gas tank right behind the seat. What a fine vehicle that was ( not ! ) ....six banger, three on the tree, lousy brakes and armstrong steering. And yes, I even towed a few things with it......( scary ! )

[Donna D.]

If you're wondering, lay on your back and LOOK to see where the gas tank is on your tug... you may or may not be surprised.

I'm a former Pinto owner (GREAT CAR). It wasn't where the gas tank was mounted, it was HOW it was mounted. Bolts on the tank straps were aimed at the tank. Hit from the rear end and those bolts punch holes in the tanks. EXACTLY, like the TWO 1967 Ford Mustangs that I still own....

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If you're wondering, lay on your back and LOOK to see where the gas tank is on your tug... you may or may not be surprised.

I'm a former Pinto owner (GREAT CAR). It wasn't where the gas tank was mounted, it was HOW it was mounted. Bolts on the tank straps were aimed at the tank. Hit from the rear end and those bolts punch holes in the tanks. EXACTLY, like the TWO 1967 Ford Mustangs that I still own....

No surprise here...Nissan Frontier has the tank well in front of the rear axle ( about 18" ) and INSIDE the ladder frame ( REAL vehicles have a FRAME ! ....uh, oh....NOW I've started it )
Best place for it from a safety and weight distribution standpoint.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If you're wondering, lay on your back and LOOK to see where the gas tank is on your tug... you may or may not be surprised.

I'm a former Pinto owner (GREAT CAR). It wasn't where the gas tank was mounted, it was HOW it was mounted. Bolts on the tank straps were aimed at the tank. Hit from the rear end and those bolts punch holes in the tanks. EXACTLY, like the TWO 1967 Ford Mustangs that I still own....

The Pinto actually was pretty durable little car. The US Postal service ran many of them in fleet ops, and it had a pretty good rep for reliability, and being cheap to operate.

[glennco]

In the days when this issue existed with the jeeps in question, they weren't the only company who put the tank behind the axle it was actually fairly common then. '04 was the last year they utilized this design

[jmh]

I have a WWII jeep and the gas tank is under the driver's seat, you lift the cushion to fill it.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If you're wondering, lay on your back and LOOK to see where the gas tank is on your tug... you may or may not be surprised.

I'm a former Pinto owner (GREAT CAR). It wasn't where the gas tank was mounted, it was HOW it was mounted. Bolts on the tank straps were aimed at the tank. Hit from the rear end and those bolts punch holes in the tanks. EXACTLY, like the TWO 1967 Ford Mustangs that I still own....

True...The Pinto(4CYL) is a Great Car, as is the 1967 Mustang(V8) but...

The Pinto tank is strap mounted below the floor of the trunk in a conventional manner.The Pinto has a regular trunk floor and the tank is removed from from underneath like most cars.
On your 1967 Mustangs, the floor of the trunk IS the top of the tank with a flange to bolt it into the opening... no straps. A stock 1967 Mustang tank is removed from inside the trunk leaving a huge opening in the trunk floor.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gmw photos

...Nissan Frontier has the tank well in front of the rear axle ( about 18" ) and INSIDE the ladder frame ...

That's normal now, just as placement behind the axle (but still within the frame) was normal for decades... and still used in some medium-duty trucks and who knows what else. GM got a lot of flak for putting the tank(s) of pickups outside the frame rails under the box and cab for a decade or more, but that's where most medium-duty and heavier trucks have always put them - makes for interesting side-impact collisions.

Originally Posted by floyd

On your 1967 Mustangs, the floor of the trunk IS the top of the tank with a flange to bolt it into the opening... no straps. A stock 1967 Mustang tank is removed from inside the trunk leaving a huge opening in the trunk floor.

Excellent design trivia!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Chrysler has now changed directions on the issue of vehicle fires in earlier models of the Grand Cherokee and Patriot SUV's following rear end collisons.

The proposed "fix" is to install a trailer hitch to act as a buffer to add additional protection for the gas tank in rear end collisions. If this works the engineer at Chrysler that thought of it deserves a big bonus for avoiding a much larger retrofit/recall expense.

A safer idea might have been to add not only the hitch, but to give every one a new 13' FGRV to tow so as to provide an even bigger buffer zone to rear end collisions. (LOL)

My Ford Escape was struck from the rear few weeks ago, hard enough to bounce my head against the headrest. The Class III hitch prevented any significant damage. This sounds to me like a viable solution to the problem.
I'm just sooo happy that the Scamp wasn't attached at the time.

[stevebaz]

The mustang was far worse than the pinto. In the mustang the filler neck went into the trunk and then into the tank connected by a rubber hose. in impact the filler neck seperates from the tank and compressing the tank shoots the fuel into the trunk into the rear seat and through the rear deck cardboard cover, there is no firewall. In the pinto at least the gas is under the car and not inside it. On our Liberty the tank is out of the passengers compartment protected by a skid plate and the trailer hitch since ours is a 4wd model. I do not feel that the Liberty is inhearantly dangerious and this is all mamby pamby BS. Want to go after something dangerious I would be attacking the smart car not too smart in my opinion where the human body is in the crumple zone. Their attacking a car thats already out of production.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

......... I do not feel that the Liberty is inherently dangerous and this is all mamby pamby BS. .......

+1 - Basically ambulance chasing. Look at the speed of impact in the problematic cases - we are not talking about a tap.