Towing with a car dolly?

R

Ross6860

Senior Member
Can I safely to my 36 with a car dolly, or do I need to use a trailer or flatbed? Factory 3-speed.

I know some vehicles are not recommended to be towed with the transmission in neutral and the drive wheels rotating. Lubrication problems when the input shaft is not spinning.

Thanks, all.
 
Loaded question as we don't know what dolly or what the tow vehicle is, how far & how fast.
Best scenario would be to consult a U-Haul dealer or the company you are gettting the dolly from. Some info to read:
auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/equipment/.../tow-dollies.htm
 
Ross6860 said:
Can I safely to my 36 with a car dolly, or do I need to use a trailer or flatbed? Factory 3-speed.

I know some vehicles are not recommended to be towed with the transmission in neutral and the drive wheels rotating. Lubrication problems when the input shaft is not spinning.

Thanks, all.
Click to expand...
Flatbed is of course the best option. If you must use a dolly, there are a number of things in my opinion to consider. As has previously been suggested, distance, speed, etc. are a few things. I'd also be very careful in choosing a dolly. U-haul is known more for their LACK of maintenance than anything else. BE CAREFUL please.
 
I used a H'haul tow dolly to tow my '38 coupe from Wis. to La. 25 years ago behind a '80 Buick Riviera with no problems. I had the back wheels on the dolly and the front wheels locked. Kept towing speed at 55. You must stay focused just as with a trailor behind you.
 
The only safe way to haul an old vehicle is a trailer. If the axle or driveline seize on the hiway, or a tire pops, you will have the risk of a disaster. We have rented U-Haul car trailers for years with no problems. In any case, be sure you have a heavy duty hitch on your towing vehicle. The quantity and speed of today's traffic leave no room for error, and check with your insurer to be certain you are covered. Some policies exclude towing.
 
I towed a '41 pickup from San Diego to eastern WV with a tow bar with no problems with a '70 F-1.
 
I would use a trailer WITH BRAKES...

You WILL be converted to this as soon as you have an emergency stop situation.
From 65mph to zero, on the freeway, no warning.

I was, tandem axle trailer, with steel on it... 2000lb. Surge brakes worked well...
Added electric brakes on the other axle just after this...

Karl
 
When I checked u haul there wasn't that great a differance between a dolly and full trailer, rent the trailer.
 
If you use a tow dolly the rear wheels of the car your towing are on the ground so that means the car has to be licensed. If you go that way disconnect the driveline, but I would put it on a U-Haul auto transport trailer for a safer trip. I've used them several time and never had a problem.
 
If you tow with the front wheels on the dolly, there will be no splashing of lube in the transmission which might cause a problem with the front of the main? shaft turning in the end of the input? shaft. I seem to recall that some have recommended overfilling the trans to keep lube up to that area. IMHO
 
I have had the front tire strap harness on the tow dollies to work loose on two different occasions. They are not designed very good in my opinion. I quit using them. The trailers are light weight, have brakes and are easier to maneuver than the tow dollies. You can drive faster and will feel more secure and confident with the trailer.
 
I have rented a car trailer from Penske several times. Beautiful equipment, fair rental price. I would worry about a two-wheel dolly because of all the lube questions mentioned above. The full trailer isn't that much more. I moved two cars from Maine to Pennsylvania last year using a Penske car trailer with absolutely no problems.
 
I used one once and had to stop quick. The car broke the straps and drove right up over the dolly. Not a good situation and had a hard time getting the car back up on the dolly. It will not happen again to me.
 
Thanks, all.

I'll find a trailer to borrow.

I was really only concerned with the possible damage to the transmission from not having the input shaft spinning. All of your points are well taken, but you guys must really know some boneheads...you mean I can't tow a #7500 trailer with my 1977 Corolla and a bumper hitch?

My tow vehicle is a 2500HD.
 
I have flat towed over a modest distance (less than 50 miles). I used a wooden prop from the column mount down to the clutch pedal to hold the clutch pedal down. I left the trans in neutral, so the innards of the trans could rotate if they wanted to. Doing it like this allows the oil to circulate inside the box.

Towing on a dolly would be the same, as the back wheels would be turning.

When I fetched my coupe (300 mile round trip) I hired a trailer.

Mart.
 
Many years ago I used a tow bar and then a tow dolly and a salvage yard style wrecker all worked ok except for stopping, a few years passed and I was advised by a memeber of the wrecker assoc, in my state the towed vehicle was supposed to be insured and that I would have to be the registered owner, so I invested in a tandem trailer with electric brakes the law defined a vehicle on a trailer as dunnage and the reg. and insurance law didn't apply.I couldn't be happier I can use the trailer for other purposes as well and the trailer does not need to be tagged for private use.
Fordestes,
 
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