Car towing tips

[Guest Tygarys]

Does anyone have any tips on towing a car over a long distance?

I'm going to be towing my Mom's car out to her, about 1k miles or so. It is front drive and I was looking at using one of those 2-wheel tow dollies for it. My Mom's car is about 2600lbs and the tow vehicle is a V8 Dodge pickup rated to tow up too 7k. Is there anything special I will need like extra lights, a trailer brake setup, etc. ?

[-boatman-]

Brakes Brakes Brakes. I do not like to tow anything without brakes. I assume those tow dollies have surge brakes and your Dodge should have a 4 wire light hook up from the factory. If the dolly has electric brakes and your truck has a trailer towing package you should be able to just plug in a brake controller for that. Now days they are electronic so you don't have to plumb into the brake system. Very easy. The dolly will have the lights. Just make sure they work.

[peejman]

Ditto, brakes are priority 1. I've not seen a dolly with brakes. For a trip of that distance, I'd upgrade to an actual car hauling trailer with brakes. You'll need an electronic brake controller, which should be plug-n-play. Check the brakes on your truck and make sure there's plenty of pad left.

Priority 2 is the transmission in your truck. If it's an automatic, I'd install an auxillary trans cooler. They're $50 or so at the autoparts places and generally pretty easy to install.

Make sure the cooling system is up to the task as well... flush/fill, check hoses etc. Don't plan on setting the cruise at 80 mph. Check the air pressure in your tires and make sure they're up to the extra load.

Have you looked into having it shipped? That might save you some $$ unless you just want to make the trip.

edit... also look at the dolly. Some have a pivot that allows the rear tires to track better behind the truck. That's nice, but it makes backing up a PITA.

Edited September 2, 2010 by peejman

[gsbell]

the u-haul car trailers have surge brakes on them no controller needed

A full size truck with a decent V8 is not going to struggle with a 4,000 load, +1 on tires run them at max sidewall pressure.

Edited September 2, 2010 by gsbell

[Guest jackdm3]

I'd heard all of the above, but also that the transmission should be put in "D" (one past "Overdrive"). Not the usual "Overdrive."

[vontar]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I believe the car being towed need to make sure the drive wheels are the ones off the road. Since that car is front wheel drive you probably already had it in mind to have the front lifted anyways.

I understand your question about using Drive, verse Over Drive and I can not answer that.

[peejman]

I'd heard all of the above, but also that the transmission should be put in "D" (one past "Overdrive"). Not the usual "Overdrive."

"D" is 3rd gear, "OD" is 4th gear (assuming 4 speed trans). The torque converter will lock up in either gear. If your transmission has a "tow/haul" mode, use it.

It's something to play by ear.... if the truck is shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th gears frequently, then manually move the shifter to 3rd gear. Frequent shifting (over-cycling) can over-heat the trans and/or cause rapid wear. If the terrain is hilly, 3rd gear is likely to be best. If it's flat and the truck will cruise comfortably in 4th gear, fine.

This is related to why cruise control is a bad idea when it's hilly. Let it roll a bit down the hills so you have a little more momentum to carry you up the other side. Let it slow a bit going up so you don't have to push the truck really hard. Is that somewhat annoying to other drivers? Possibly. I'd rather annoy them than have to spend $3000 rebuilding my transmission.

It's not so much the drive wheels as it is the heavy end of the car must be on the dolly. That's generally going to be the front whether fwd or rwd.

[-boatman-]

If overdrive is used at all you really need to pay attention. If you are likely to forget about it being in OD don't do it. Like was stated it builds a lot of heat. I will switch back and forth myself and that way I can hold it in drive when I need to or go to overdrive in a level cruise or down hill. I think a good way to check if D is better than OD even if it is not shifting back and forth is to without moving your right foot, switch to D. If the truck picks up speed when you do this you were lugging your engine just a little on OD. I think lugging a engine while towing is worse than a few more RPM's any day. I think your fuel mileage would be better in D at that point even though your engine will be spinning a little faster. Instead of lugging your engine RPM's below the torque range you will get it into the range where it makes power and it will be more efficient.

[Guest jackdm3]

I've long wondered: While driving the interstate (and not carrying anything) above 50 or 60, if you discover you had it in "D" and you need to be in "OD", will it hurt the tranny to change gears at that speed?

[Il Duce]

Dont connect the tow cable to the grille. You wont be going far.

[Mike.357]

definitely don't use overdrive on the trip. Drive slower than normal and try not to forget there is another 15 feet or so that you control going where you go when you change lanes. I have seen people with trailers forget they are there when they go to change lanes.

[Guest jackdm3]

"Dont connect the tow cable to the grille. You wont be going far."

I miss the days when they made grills that could take that for a few miles.

[dats82]

I've long wondered: While driving the interstate (and not carrying anything) above 50 or 60, if you discover you had it in "D" and you need to be in "OD", will it hurt the tranny to change gears at that speed?

No, it is no different then if you kick it, and it down shifts. When you get off the gas, it shifts back to OD. Just make sure not to over shoot past OD.

[Guest 1817ak47]

I have towed many cars to wi and back. first truck was nissan frontier with a 03 2.4 16v dohc 4 cyl 5 spd, and that would have enough torque to pass semis in the steep hills on 75 going thru tn and ky. it had alot more power than the domestic 4 cyl trucks

I currently have a 02 frontier 3.3 v6 4wd w auto overdrive that is equipped with a 3rd gear torque converter lockup for towing. only time i take it out of overdrive is going up steep hills. my master tow dolly weight about 475lbs according to master tow w/o electric brakes. my master tow dolly came with electric brakes which I have never had hooked up yet. I have towed cars from 2200~ to about 2900~ + dolly weight w/o issues.

you need good tires on tyour towing vehicle, uif you have mismatched the truck will kinda sway and waunder a bit.

makes sure the tires that are on the road HAVE EQUALL AND CORRECT PRESSURE otherwise it will sway bad, espcially from the wind of semi trucks.

you CANNOT back up a loaded tow dolly. weell kinda but at most about a foot as they will "jacknife"

repeatedly check the tiedown straps, as they kinda slide on the tire, one tip to help get these to seat is to go forward and backward a couple of times. but make frequent stops at first, like rest stop on/off ramps and check the tightness of the tie down straps on the front tires

I have found that tow dollys kinda push and pull a towing vehicle around more than a trailer does this is especially notice when there are those lane change manuvers where they are doing construction.

you will have a much larger turning radius too

Edited September 2, 2010 by 1817ak47

[Guest 1817ak47]

couple more things. the later 90 era explorers had large external trans coolers. I picked one up at at local pick a part yard for like 5 or 10$.

keep a safe distance

some vehicles will do better with and some better w/o using OD I am not going to make any recommendations on what to do there except see if the owners manual recommends anything.

[-boatman-]

One more thing to thing to think about if you may be thinking about doing this without brakes. Your manual will give a combined weight rating of truck and towed load where you will need trailer brakes. If you exceed this and and something happens you could be liable even if they pulled out in front of you because you were exceeding the weight limits which made it unsafe to stop in a normal distance.

[Guest Tygarys]

My truck is a Dakota, with the 302hp version of the 4.7. Transmission is a 5-speed auto with tow/haul mode. According to Dodge, my truck has a maximum tow rating of about 7k. It already has the towing package on it along with extra cooling/bigger battery/better alternator. The manual says nothing over 2k without brakes, but does not state what type is needed. The truck itself is new, less than 6k on it, so tires/brakes/etc. are good.

[gsbell]

I had a Dak with 4.7 and towed a 5,000 pound travel trailer. A car on a dolly or trailer is no problem for you. You can rent a car trailer with surge brakes. Run the trans in haul mode and if it starts to shift up and down excessively pull it down a gear. The extra shifting causes heat which will shorten the life of a trans, the extra rpms will not hurt the motor. Also don't be concerned if your fan-clutch locks up, it will be louder than hell and probably scare you if you have never had one do that. It is simply doing its job to keep the motor cool.