Hey guys, I need to tow my 88 dl 4wd 1000 miles and I'm wondering what kind of trailer to rent from U-Haul. She is a 4wd but when not engaged isn't she front wheel drive? They have a low cost "Tow Dolly" option for front wheel drive vehicles in which the front wheels are up on the dolly and the back wheels spin free on the road. They also have a "Auto Transport" on which all four wheels are on the trailer. Can I use the "Tow Dolly" or should I use the "Auto Transport" because it is 4wd (and maybe rear wheel when not engaged). Thanks

You can use the dolly, BUT you MUST disconnect the driveshaft if you do. Just because it is in fwd doesn't mean that the driveshaft isn't turning. The turning onf the driveshaft will have an impact on the internals of the tranny. If you don't want to get under the car, just get the other trailer.

Good to know sir, thank you. Save $200 by disconnecting 4 bolts (maybe 6 if it won't slide out of the cross brace) sounds like the option I'll go with.

take off the rear and the front four bolts and leave the carriet bearing in place.

If it's a 5 speed, can't you just take it out of gear? Or is the drivetrain dropping for standard transmissions as well?

You can take it out of gear, but the rear drive train is still turning with the wheels. It is not a recommended practice to allow just the rear drive train to turn. The front diff is what gets the oil around the tranny and I personally wouldn't want to take the chance of damage. it only takes a 12mm wrench and a long screw driver (to hold the shaft from turning) and about ten minutes to drop the shaft. Cheap insurance as far as I am concerned.

If it is not full time awd but truly part time 4wd and a manual you can flat tow it with the car in neutral and in FWD. This is done all the time on cars with manuals and manually selected four wheel drive. If it had full time all wheel drive then you could not. The car in neutral the output shaft is still turning, to which the gears are attached. This will sling around lubricant like it normally does. All Neutral does is disconnect the input shaft from transmitting power to the gears then the output shaft.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=120204&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=117220&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=103190&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=114255&highlight=towing

Copy that mdjdc. I don't know why I said "cross brace", I just had all that off 3 weeks ago when I replaced the clutch (thanks for the advice on that one man on the moon). Never undid the 4 bolts at the carriet bearing but I see them now. I just took the carriet bearing off and slid the whole thing out of the tranny. So 8 bolts leave the carriet bearing and I'm good to go. This is a 1000 mile tow so the less stuff moving the less chance of something messing up. thanks again

Edited May 2, 201213 yr by Jasper

If it is not full time awd but truly part time 4wd and a manual you can flat tow it with the car in neutral and in FWD. This is done all the time on cars with manuals and manually selected four wheel drive. If it had full time all wheel drive then you could not. The car in neutral the output shaft is still turning, to which the gears are attached. This will sling around lubricant like it normally does. All Neutral does is disconnect the input shaft from transmitting power to the gears then the output shaft.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=120204&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=117220&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=103190&highlight=towing

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=114255&highlight=towing

 

Ah, that makes sense. Flat tow=bar, right? Not a dolly.

The obvious solution is to back the car onto the dolly, of course! That won't make ANY more problems than...oh. Never mind

Can't do a "flat tow" because I need an alignment and the 2 front tires lost most of their tread driving her out here. Still have 2 good ones on the back. I also need to be on the road tomorrow so no time to fix now. I got a new truck and refuse to trade in the Subaru, we're in love. She got 26mpg on the way out here and only has 106,000 original miles.

Edited May 2, 201213 yr by Jasper

It doesn't take more than a few minutes to undo the driveshaft. If you don't have a jack, you can pull onto a curb or...dolly (not recommended) to get a little more clearance. Just toss it in the back and put it together again when you get to the other end. Np on the clutch.

or, swap the back wheels to the front so the front has nice rubber and tow that **************** backwards

If he needs a front end alignment, why would you want to tow it with the front wheels doxn. Also, that keeps the front diff spinning. The best way to do it is the way we have told him, taking the drive shaft off. Less drag too.

if 4wd is disengaged, how would towing it w two wheels hurt it? this IS a pt4wd car right? ya, so i know itll spin one diff and not spin/wear out the other. so what. it a l series, bunch of miles on it anyway right? that stuff pretty stout. me if need be.

 

 

RV

I understand that it is okay to spin the diff, but why do that if you can decrease the load on the tow vehicle by just having the rear diff spinning. To me it is an issue of how much stuf the tow vehicle has to move. Also, I am always one to err on the side of safety and to minimize the chance of extra wear.

 

My previous comment was aimed at the desire to tow with the front wheels down. If the front is out of alignment, then you will just destroy another two tires.

ya, i gotcha. i just figured the tires would be collateral damage. if the other two are boned, wouldnt you replace all 4 anyway?

depending on how old they are, you can keep a matched pair on the front and the back. That only works if it spends the majority of it's time in fwd and is only in 4wd for off road or snow conditions. That way there is no bind.

When the car is being flat towed (all four wheels down, with a tow bar or strap) the axles are spinning in front. That in turn spins the bits inside the transmission that fling the oil around. When you lift the front wheels and only spin the rear, you spin the rear drive shaft.

 

This may or may not spin the bits that fling the oil around, based on what I've read I guess 'no', but haven't pulled one apart or bothered to ask (I'll take an answer if someone gives one!). But not all parts stop spinning. I don't understand how this works if the 4wd is disengaged, but like I said--I haven't torn one apart.

 

Front wheel towing is fine if you are just going around town, but over the course of a thousand miles that is a lot of heat and wear and tear if the oil is not being fling around to lubricate things.

 

You can also tow it with the rear wheels up, and escape all the above problems, though you create another if the 1--alignment is off (tire wear), and 2--if the steering wheel spins...have fun. It shouldn't, but not worth risking, especially if the alignment is off. You want her to track true, and not off to the side. I saw a wrecker doing just this today, in fact, I was fully expecting the car in tow to angle over onto the shoulder, wondered why he didn't at least strap the seat belt to the steering wheel!