Thread: Towing a Vette

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Hello -
I was just wondering if anybody has ever towed an '84 vette (or any C4 for that matter) using a tow dolly. I only need to go about 150 miles, so I figure it's possible, but I was hoping for an experienced opinion. I was planning on towing it backwards, provided I don't run into too much of a clearance problem. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Because of clearance issues I recommend against it. I would rent a car hauling trailer.

I guess I should have mentioned, but one of the problems is that the car isn't running, so I'd have to get a trailer with a winch to use a trailer. The reason I was thinking of using a tow dolly is that I could jack the car up and slide the dolly under it.

Thanks again.

Originally posted by mviscito
Hello -
I was just wondering if anybody has ever towed an '84 vette (or any C4 for that matter) using a tow dolly. I only need to go about 150 miles, so I figure it's possible, but I was hoping for an experienced opinion. I was planning on towing it backwards, provided I don't run into too much of a clearance problem. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

if you are towing a auto. trans. it don't make any dif. how you tow it . as long as you have fluids in the dif. and trans. some people will say pull the drive shaft and i say it wont make any dif. if you leave the drive shaft in, it will turn the trans. planetary gears and lub. the trans the same as it would if you were driving the car down the road. as long as there is oil in the dif. and the gears are turning then it is the same as driving down the road. it wont hurt anything. if its a stright shift then you have to pull the drive shaft to tow from the front. towing from the front used to be a problem with the auto. trans. because the trans. had a front and rear pump. if you left the driveshaft in, it would turn the rear pump and lock the conv. up and try to turn the motor over. that was back in the day when you could push start a auto . trans. car.

you can always pull the drive shaft to be sure, but you dont have to on a auto. trans. stright shift yes. 55 mph

For the mileage listed, i would be "one of those people" who would suggest pulling the driveshaft something about coasting the tranny for 150 miles in N, ugh. As for the car dolly question, its actually very easy. Just pull the car up onto the dolly and check for clearance. As long as you have say 3-4 inches of clearance and your not driving down any goat paths, it should be safe.

And make sure your front wheels are locked straight ahead. Backwards caster gets interesting.

My 'Vette manual says tow no more than 50 miles at no more than 35 mph with rear wheels down.

Originally posted by techinspector1
"you dont have to on a auto. trans. stright shift yes."

Mike, I musta' been living in a lead cave all my life, 'cause I thought it was just the other way around.

gears in a straight gear trans. are- input shaft, rear main shaft. cluster gear, and rev. idler.

time to come out of the desert tech on a straight shift trans in order for the rear main shaft to get any oil for lub., the input shaft has to be turning, which turns the cluster gear in the bottom of the trans and the cluster gear is what slings grease up to the rear main shaft and shift forks and that's the only way to get oil on the main shaft and into the top of the trans. if you put the straight shift in neutral and tow the car down the road with the drive shaft in the car, the only thing turning in the trans is the top rear main shaft which is above the oil and has no way to pick up the oil for cooling and lub., it will run hot and burn itself up for lack of lub. the cluster gear can not turn if the input shaft is not turning. you cant tow a straight shift trans with the drive shaft in it very far before it runs hot. you could put it in neutral and let the motor idle while going down the road. that would work.

in a auto. Trans the planetary gears (output shaft) has to be turning to get lub. so going down the road with the drive shaft turning (being towed) then the planetary gears are slinging oil all over the place, doing the same thing it does normal driving. the planetary gears are not pressure lub.but splash lub. you can tow a autu. with the drive shaft turning and full of oil anywhere without it getting hot. you don't need the front cooler if the motor is not running the conv. creates most of the heat.

a long time ago you couldn't have done that because the trans. had a rear pump that turned with the dive shaft and you couldn't tow it without pulling the shaft. far as i know that is where the "cant tow a auto, theory came from." when in doubt pull the drive shaft.

I drove wreckers for Gold City Towing, just outside FT. Knox. What I remember from most manuf. is no more than 50 miles at 35mph also. We always used a roll back for Vettes, couldn't take no chances. You would think that as low to the ground as a Vette is a car dolly would be cutting it close on the front end rubbing.
If you do take a small motorcycle type ratchet strap and go from the brake pedal to the steering wheel. If the column lock fails the strap will hold it straight.
Just my experiance.

PS: I have a 2000 F-250 SuperDuty, w/6-speed standard tranny. It can't be towed because of the pump. Has to put on a rollback.

This wasn't funny at the time but it kinda is now. Was towing a car for a guy, he was with me of course, column lock failed and I forgot my straps. Needless to say it wasn't pretty seeing that car whiping around behind that wrecker at 55mph. I alomost lost the darn thing. Learned my lesson about tieing off the steering wheel though.

I agree that the trailer is the best solution. In absence of a winch you can buy an inexpensive come-along at most any hardware or farm supply store. They have enough cable to pull a car onto a trailer. It will be slow, but that's a good idea anyway.

A come-along is a handy thing to have around anyway, now you'll have one

By the way, if he was gonna tow it backwards with the rear wheels on the dolly, there would be no reason to pull the drive shaft, no matter what transmission he has.

Pat

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jramshu
This wasn't funny at the time but it kinda is now. Was towing a car for a guy, he was with me of course, column lock failed and I forgot my straps. Needless to say it wasn't pretty seeing that car whiping around behind that wrecker at 55mph. I alomost lost the darn thing. Learned my lesson about tieing off the steering wheel though. [/QU


i drove a 5 ton wrecker in the army, (1968) going up a long mountain, 2 lane rd. in GERMANY towing a tractor and trailer loaded with tank motors, running about 30 mph and the tow bar bolts pulled out of the wrecker body and the tractor, trailer, and about 6 tank motors rolled back down the rd. and went off of the side of the mountain before I could stop it. now that will get your attention. about 200,000.00 or more of stuff

all 18 wheels on the rd.