Best Combo for towing?

[Telefunken]

Hi all, new here. I've read and read but still have a few questions. I have a 99XJ that I have started collecting parts for a stroker. I use my XJ to tow a 5000 lb. travel trailer lots of weekends, so I am at the limit of towing. Right now, it lacks power and runs hot when towing. Hence the need for some more torque. And, no I do not want to do a SBC swap (too complicated in CA), nor buy a "real" truck. I'll do some cooling mods too like Taurus fan and flowcool pump too.
So, I am thinking of doing the "poor man's" stroker, but with the 4.0 rods and KB pistons.
Since heat is an issue, I figure keep the stock cam and compression low.
However, when I read up on quench height, it looks like that combo would ping or detonate with such a high quench. Is the .088" quench of that combo prone to that? Or would I be better off choosing a different combo?
Next, can I use the basic rebuilt rods or do I need to upgrade to ARP bolts, shot peening? I will have them balanced though.

Thanks for your help. Great site too.

[Cheromaniac]

The modified 4.6 "poor man's" stroker with the IC944 pistons and 4.0 rods has a 9.3:1 SCR and a quench of 0.071" (same quench as stock 4.0). Stock rods would be fine, and ARP 112-6001 rod bolts plus shotpeening the rods would be a good idea.
Since you do a lot of towing, I advise that you install the largest external tranny cooler possible with an electric fan, and bypass the radiator heat exchanger altogether (assuming you have AW4). Keeping the tranny/torque converter heat away from the coolant will allow the engine to run cooler. You might also want to consider adding an oil filter sandwich adapter with engine oil cooler, and install gauges to monitor both engine oil and tranny fluid temp.
Your biggest enemy is heat so managing that will help prevent pinging. You could also stick a Thermotec heat blanket to the underside of the intake manifold to ward off radiant heat from the header.

[Muad'Dib]

Cold transmision fluid is just as bad if not worse than hot transmission fluid. If you live in a cold climate i would recommend keeping the heat exchanger in the loop when adding a transmission cooler. The routing would be like so:
Transmission --> External Cooler --> Heat Exchanger --> Back to Transmission.

[montelibre]

There is another possibility to lower the Compression Ratio, with a good quench but more expensive, this is a custom forged pistons.
I have bought custom pistons for my Jeep with CR about 8.5 (the dish is 34 cc) from Bulltear.com ($825 plus shipping).

http://www.bulltear.com/catalog/product ... ea845385d7

[Cheromaniac]

If you live in a cold climate i would recommend keeping the heat exchanger in the loop when adding a transmission cooler. The routing would be like so:
Transmission --> External Cooler --> Heat Exchanger --> Back to Transmission.

You could even find a clever way to route the tranny fluid through the heat exchanger during the winter months and bypass it during the summer.

[SilverXJ]

There are thermostats for transmission coolers as well.