Towbar tips?

[josh]

picking up a donor car tomorrow and will be using a towbar dragging it home. never used a bar before but have towed lots of trailers before..............anything I should know?

Searched the web a bit and came up with a few;

-don't back up
-bungee the steering wheel
-keep 'er under 100

got some trailer lights and saftey chains

anything else??


Thanks Josh

[kirin]

Make sure the wheel lugs are tight and that the brakes don't drag. Don't ask how I know...

[GRK]

Check all tires on the vehicle being towed are tight. I towed one for a fellow once and one of the front tires passed me! It was Stephan Feegs first bug just fresh painted. The tire came off bounced off the hood of his shinny new paint over the roof of my truck and into the weeds!!!! Easy to laugh now at the time not so funny

Gary

[josh]

no doubt

all 4 tires are flatter than piss on a plate right now but I have 2 good ones to bring along and hope that 2 of the other 4 will hold

[Randy]

I always put a sign in the back window "CAR IN TOW" as an extra prrecaution.

Randy

[72vwtype2]

I am not sure what you will be salavging off the car. But if you are planning on saving the tranny and it doesn't have a motor, you could trash the tranny.

[neil68]

Hi Josh,

You may not remember me, but we met a couple years ago at the DVKK Strip Show (2007)...I'm from Calgary.

Anyway, based on my considerable tow bar experience, I would not recommend a bungy on the steering wheel...the front wheels really need to follow "freely" as you turn corners.

You're right about not backing up if you can avoid it, especially with dropped spindles

I've use my Passat to tow my race Beetle on trips of up to 400 miles at a steady 105-110 kph with the cruise control (Calgary-to-Edmonton return trip), etc.

What car are you bringing home?

[70's Looker]

wouldn't a rope stuck under the trunk lid be easier? 

[josh]

sign is a good one

I won't be using the trans but why could you screw it if has no motor

hey neil, yeah I remember you............18mm deep spark plug socket right? How's things?......makes sense on the wheels following tow vehicles on a turn. I just remembered it has no steering wheel/shaft in it anyways.

[72vwtype2]

I couldn't remember exactly why you shouldn't tow without an engine, I just knew you shouldn't. I found the thread. It makes sense.

Good point Hans.  If it didn't have an engine, the input shaft would whip around damaging the trans case.  To alleviate this, take an old clutch disc and drill a hole in it so you can tie the input shaft to the case to prevent it from turning.

[josh]

huh, never thought of that one

[josh]

well made it home with the 58........barely

about to turn off the hyway a couple blocks from home and limped it to the shoulder on one lug nut with the drivers rear tire flopping around 10" back and fourth. managed to pull a couple lugs from other wheels and get it home.

Note to others even though a rim doesn't rock when you reef on it it doesn't mean the lugs are tight...........I know better

I'll be hacking this one up......it's pretty complete so if anyone needs anything let me know soon

pics to come