Towing a 914 - Just front wheels raised

[Tidybuoy]

I just purchased a 914 for parts and I haver to tow it 160 miles. I was planning on using a front dolly to tow (vs a complete flat bed).

Will there be any issues doing this (other than possible clearance which I can deal with). Somebody told me that this could mess up the transmission and so I was thinking that I would remove the rear axles but I thought I would inquire with the experts.

Thanks.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Leave the axles in, you will damage things more by trying to roll it with them out than you possibly could with them in.

Leave the transmission in, put it in neutral. It won't be a problem as long as there's still fluid in the trans. Assuming you have clearance, of course.

--DD

[jhora]

Do just as Dave says....not a problem...I have flat towed and dolly tow many 914s for lots of miles this way with out one problem....keep in Neutral and make sure the tranny fluid is to proper level....

[Tidybuoy]

Thanks guys.

I borrowed a tow dolly but I also bought a tow bar. I won't be able to use the tow bar until I make some type of mounting brackets but that will be for another day & car.

Now on to my next parts car....just what I need, another car.

Vern

[mcbrems]

jhora,

I am debating whether to use a tow dolly or flat tow to take my stripped 914 to be soda blasted. The big question is where to attach the tow bar to the 914. Most tow bars these days have brackets that have a standard spacing between mounting holes that won't readily attach anywhere to the 914. Where do you attach the tow bar?

Thanks,
MarkB

[mcbrems]

I'm posting this for the benefit of the entire forum so nobody makes the same mistake. The only mounting place I could find for my tow brackets on my stripped down shell that didn’t involve any added fabrication was on the body panel under the trunk lip. It worked fine for a while - even on the freeway - but during some slow maneuvering on side streets and at slow speed, I experienced some erratic steering oscillations, and the tow brackets mangled the body tin. Here's a shot:

I was able to pound it back out again, and it will involve some minor sheet metal work to return it to paint-ready condition. I got to thinking about custom fabricating a towing bracket that would attach to the front bumper mounting holes. Then I decided that the bumper itself could be that bracket. I had to drill two additional holes in the bumper to mount the tow brackets. Here's another shot:

Now my question. Has anybody attached the tow brackets to the bumper as such? Is the bumper strong enough, or will all of those spot welds just eventually rip apart and send my project flying into opposing traffic? Am I insane?

Thanks,
MarkB

[racer]

The front bumper ios so thin, I wouldn't think of pulling the car by it..

Look here: Rennenmetal.com

[mcbrems]

Originally Posted by racer

Look here: Rennenmetal.com

In fact, I was already trying to figure out a way to attach the tow bar brackets to the torsion bar end caps. They seem like the strongest point on the front of the car. This tow bracket already does it.

I think that the oscillations arose from where the tow bar attaches to the tow brackets via pins. There is about an inch of side-to-side play where the bracket slips sideways on the pins. It allowed the car to wiggle by an inch or so, rather than holding it straight. That wiggle quickly escalated into the oscillations that tore up the front of my car. Some sort of spacer could be provided by the tow bar maker to take up that slack. It looks like Rennenmetal's tow bracket even includes a spacer.

I'm going to rent a tow dolly from U-Haul to get the shell around, and then wait till after the car is painted to permanently install the Rennenmetal bracket.

Thanks for the link.
MarkB