towing a rear wheel drive car - front or rear wheels up?

[cantdrv55]

A friend who just bought a beater 912 for its motor/tranny needed to have the car towed to his home. The tow truck driver had it on the dolly with the front wheels up. My friend argued that the drive wheels should be on the dolly so the rears should be strapped down. The driver said it shouldn't make a diff if the tranny is in neutral but my buddy was finally able to persuade him to take the car off and pull the rear up on the dolly.

When I had my SC towed last year, the tow truck driver asked me if the car was front or rear wheel drive so it mattered to him which wheels he can drag. I'm looking for a definitive answer to this. Of course, a flat bed is the way to go.

[dvkk]

Your friend's fears on the 912 are completely unfounded. It matters not one bit which end is off the ground. In fact, if you are towing long distances, do not tow the car backwards, you will prematurely wear out the front tires.

[svandamme]

i don't see how having the front end used to tow makes sense

usually the front end is way lower than the rear end, so you have more risk of scraping something

then there's the steering rack, how do you lock it? with the normal steering lock? that wasn't designed to keep the wheels locked during towing, it was theft protection... that's stress to your steering rack... no thanks

[vash]

and if the steering lock let go, you will be wonder who that idiot trying to pass you on the wrong side will be. that would be a scary site indeed. front wheels on the dolly please.

[KobaltBlau]

well said vash

[Jim Richards]

I can't see any other than a flat bed for towing.

[nostatic]

yup...call another tow truck. When mine had to be towed, I turned away the first one that showed up and got back on the phone telling them to send a flatbed.

[SC-targa]

I believe that for long tows, it makes a difference. Most trannys are lubricated by the spinning of the input shaft, not the output shaft. My brother routinely flat tows a vehicle long distances behind his motor home. He has a electric pump to circulate the tranny fluid in his towed vehicle.

Jerry Kroeger

[mwbaum]

Not P-car related.....but if you tow an auto-tranny you better disconnect the driveshaft. A friend towed a Pathfinder crosscountry and learned this lesson the hard way......fried the transmission.

[unclebilly]

Depends on the car. Why not dolly it tho, just to be safe, most wreckers have the dollies on the rig and they only take a few minutes to pop under the tires.

I do know that S-10 trucks with the T-5 tranny can't be towed with the back wheels on the ground.

[brittbolen]

Flat bed. I waited 4 hours for one on saturday... AAA pays for it...

B

[vash]

nice points! maybe in neutral, it would be good for short distances only, i know in a jeep, this is the case. even with the tranny and transfer case in neutral, you get tranny damage.