Classic Mustangs List Archive

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Mail From: peterchase2 (Peter Chase)

Anyone have any tips on towing a mustang with a tow dolly? Front or back
up? How should I lock the steering wheel if back end up? Remove driveshaft
if front end up?
Thanks,
Peter

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Mail From: hiker_sue (Sue Appleyard)

Hi Peter

I have no personal experience with this but I'm taking
my car to a body shop next month via a car dolly and
the bodyshop said if I was towing from the front I
should remove the driveshaft.

Sue

--- Peter Chase <(email redacted)> wrote: >
Anyone have any tips on towing a mustang with a tow
> dolly? Front or back
> up? How should I lock the steering wheel if back
> end up? Remove driveshaft
> if front end up?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Peter
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Classic-mustangs mailing list
> (email redacted)
>
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs
>

______________________________________________________________________
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Mail From: walt.boeninger (Walt Boeninger)

Tow it with the front end on the dolly. Some dollys have a
pivoting platform so you will need to lock the steering wheel.
A soft rope around a spoke with the door shut on it will
work fine.

You *can* put the backend on the dolly, but then you have the
heaviest end of the car out there in the back as a great
moment arm.... swing.... I wouldn't tow this way.

Removal of driveshaft is a good idea. Turning the ouput shaft
does not turn the input shaft, and you can have a lubrication
issue. Don't know about AT. That being said, I towed my
GT500 to Riverside Raceway and back without removing the DS.
800 mile round trip. I did not notice any subsequent problem
with the top loader tranny... YMMV

In California, all 2 wheel tow dollys are now required to
have brakes, which is a good idea. I didn't when I towed
my Shelby with my 5000lb '71 Lincoln Tow(n)Car.


Walt
-----

Peter Chase wrote:

> Anyone have any tips on towing a mustang with a tow dolly? Front or back
> up? How should I lock the steering wheel if back end up? Remove driveshaft
> if front end up?
> Thanks,
> Peter
>
>
> _______________________________

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: peterchase2 (Peter Chase)

So front up it is. Would I need to remove the whole driveshaft or could I
just unbolt it from the diff and then wire/bungee/tie it up out of the way?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walt Boeninger" <(email redacted)>
To: "A list for owners of Classic Mustangs"
<(email redacted)>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: [CM] Towing w/ a tow dolly


> Tow it with the front end on the dolly. Some dollys have a
> pivoting platform so you will need to lock the steering wheel.
> A soft rope around a spoke with the door shut on it will
> work fine.
>
> You *can* put the backend on the dolly, but then you have the
> heaviest end of the car out there in the back as a great
> moment arm.... swing.... I wouldn't tow this way.
>
> Removal of driveshaft is a good idea. Turning the ouput shaft
> does not turn the input shaft, and you can have a lubrication
> issue. Don't know about AT. That being said, I towed my
> GT500 to Riverside Raceway and back without removing the DS.
> 800 mile round trip. I did not notice any subsequent problem
> with the top loader tranny... YMMV
>
> In California, all 2 wheel tow dollys are now required to
> have brakes, which is a good idea. I didn't when I towed
> my Shelby with my 5000lb '71 Lincoln Tow(n)Car.
>
>
> Walt
> -----
>
> Peter Chase wrote:
>
> > Anyone have any tips on towing a mustang with a tow dolly? Front or
back
> > up? How should I lock the steering wheel if back end up? Remove
driveshaft
> > if front end up?
> > Thanks,
> > Peter
> >
> >
> > _______________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
> Classic-mustangs mailing list
> (email redacted)
> lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs
>

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: walt.boeninger (Walt Boeninger)



Peter Chase wrote:
> So front up it is. Would I need to remove the whole driveshaft or could I
> just unbolt it from the diff and then wire/bungee/tie it up out of the way?

As long as it is *really* secure, that would work. Make sure it can't
slide backwards..

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Mail From: ffacker (Fred Facker)

I was told that you can tow a manual with the back
wheels rolling and it would be fine, but never to tow
an automatic with the back wheels dragging because it
doesn't lubricate correctly.

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Mail From: atrav (atrav)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Chase" <(email redacted)>
To: "A list for owners of Classic Mustangs" <(email redacted)>

> So front up it is. Would I need to remove the whole driveshaft or could I
> just unbolt it from the diff and then wire/bungee/tie it up out of the way?

I usually try to tie the end up, very securely. Some automatic transmissions will burp quite a bit
of fluid out of the rear if you remove the entire shaft, especially when angled up on a dolly.
Also, I usually use my dolly on the longer trips (my car trailer costs about 4 MPG), and basically
feel if the end of the transmission is unplugged, think of all the road grime that now has access to
the inner trans.
The reasoning with disconnecting the shaft is that with most modern automatics there is only one oil
pump, on the input shaft. Therefore if the input shaft is not rotating, then the oil is not
circulating, although I think there will still be some splash lubrication going on. Older
transmission like the Buick Dynaflow had a front and rear pump, so not an issue. But, I would
disconnect the driveshaft anyway just to reduce drag on the longer trips.
Manual transmissions are usually splash lubricated, so disconnecting the shaft is not as much of an
issue.

Really for short trips around town, you might consider just using a tow bar and flat towing it.

-Aron-

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: peterchase2 (Peter Chase)

Thanks for the info. As it will be a 1000 mile trip, I definitely can't
leave it connected, but it's nice to know I can just tuck the driveshaft up
out of the way and not have to leave one end of the tranny open.
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: "atrav" <(email redacted)>
To: "A list for owners of Classic Mustangs"
<(email redacted)>
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 8:59 PM
Subject: Re: [CM] Towing w/ a tow dolly


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Chase" <(email redacted)>
> To: "A list for owners of Classic Mustangs"
<(email redacted)>
>
> > So front up it is. Would I need to remove the whole driveshaft or could
I
> > just unbolt it from the diff and then wire/bungee/tie it up out of the
way?
>
> I usually try to tie the end up, very securely. Some automatic
transmissions will burp quite a bit
> of fluid out of the rear if you remove the entire shaft, especially when
angled up on a dolly.
> Also, I usually use my dolly on the longer trips (my car trailer costs
about 4 MPG), and basically
> feel if the end of the transmission is unplugged, think of all the road
grime that now has access to
> the inner trans.
> The reasoning with disconnecting the shaft is that with most modern
automatics there is only one oil
> pump, on the input shaft. Therefore if the input shaft is not rotating,
then the oil is not
> circulating, although I think there will still be some splash lubrication
going on. Older
> transmission like the Buick Dynaflow had a front and rear pump, so not an
issue. But, I would
> disconnect the driveshaft anyway just to reduce drag on the longer trips.
> Manual transmissions are usually splash lubricated, so disconnecting the
shaft is not as much of an
> issue.
>
> Really for short trips around town, you might consider just using a tow
bar and flat towing it.
>
> -Aron-
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Classic-mustangs mailing list
> (email redacted)
> lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs
>

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: ckelly (ckelly)

I'm out of town, so I kinda missed this thread. I tow the Falcon to the
drags on a dolly - about 1100 miles last year. I can back mine on as I use
the 5 point 3" wide shoulder harness to secure the steering wheel. Did 900
miles on one trip like that.

I did make arrangements to tow it forward. I made a small "hook" out of 1/8"
x 1" steel and bolted it to the floor pan in the center of the driveshaft
tunnel near the rear end. I can then disconnect the shaft from the rear and
use a large (3" or 4" worm clamp to secure the shaft to the hook. I use
some duct tape and a plastic ziploc bag to protect the u-joint caps and keep
them on the shaft. This arrangement pulls the shaft tight up against the
tunnel, but there is still evidence of the protective bag getting nicked by
the rear yoke on rough roads.

I never use that arrangement now because I'm too lazy and the other method
works well for me. If you cannot POSITIVELY secure the front wheel, pull it
forward. It will still need securing if you pull it forward to keep the
front wheels from twisting on the dolly. A dolly that pivots reduces that
tendency. I you pull it with the drivehsaft attached, don't go far and stay
under 45. We had to pull the 70 home after the pump died at the strip - 15
miles is a long way at a steady 40 MPH.

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 16:29:10 -0400, Peter Chase wrote
> Anyone have any tips on towing a mustang with a tow dolly? Front or
> back up? How should I lock the steering wheel if back end up?
> Remove driveshaft if front end up?
> Thanks,
> Peter
>
> _______________________________________________
> Classic-mustangs mailing list
> (email redacted)
> lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs
>



===================================
Chris Kelly
raceabilene.com
> Member <
Abilene Performance Car Association
Falcon Club of America
raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
===================================