I'm considering towing a 79 4WD wagon 900 miles with an adjustable tow bar. Has anyone tried this? What experience has anyone had? any suggestions regarding whether or not to disconnect the shafts all around? just the front? Thanks, Cricket

If its a 5 speed, you should be ok. Towing with a bar = 4 down. put it in neutral and away you go.

I'm considering towing a 79 4WD wagon 900 miles with an adjustable tow bar. Has anyone tried this? What experience has anyone had? any suggestions regarding whether or not to disconnect the shafts all around? just the front? Thanks, Cricket

 

the old ones with manual trannies like that can be flat towed without removing any shafts. just make sure you are in 2WD and Nuetral. and make sure the steering wheel isn't locked.

 

lots of soobies were flat towed behind motor homes in the 70's/80's.

Yeah, forgot,, it's a 5 spd manual. How about connecting the tow bar to the bumber, any experience/suggestions? Thanks.

towing world sells brackets to attach the tow bars. Just search their on line catalogue.

To repeat what everyone else said.. leave it in FWD, shifter in neutral and ride. Keep up with those tires though, and make sure the steering is unlocked.

 

BTW, its a 5 speed? I remembered reading that the EA71s came with 4 speeds. Am I wrong?

Well, now I don't remember if it's 5 or 4 speed. I'm looking at a tow bar that supposedly attaches right to the bumper bolts and doesn't need a "bracket." Which is why I was asking about it.

 

 

 

To repeat what everyone else said.. leave it in FWD, shifter in neutral and ride. Keep up with those tires though, and make sure the steering is unlocked.

 

BTW, its a 5 speed? I remembered reading that the EA71s came with 4 speeds. Am I wrong?

4WDs are 4 speeds in the Gen 1s. It's doesn't matter though. You can tow with all 4 down, in neutral/2wd/steering lock key in and unlocked.

 

As for brackets, thats custom.

 

Todd

i towed a sedan from fort wayne indiana to hillsdale michigan with my ea82 sedan, in the snow, 4wd and 45 mph. did ok

 

towed a wagon to the junk 20 miles 55-60 mph no problem

 

future plans involve towing a wagon across iowa 400 miles, with the ea82 sedan, 5spd dual range no driveshaft lo when needed

 

the tow bar i have was modified to fit any ea82 body in a non permanent fashion, to tow with an ea82 or ea81 with a hitch. or anything with a hitch for that matter

just make sure its in neutral... a guy towed a sami behind a motor home while the car was in 1st... went up to like 20000rpm... not good...as long as its not an automatic you can tow it as far as you want...

Just remember ....

 

 

You can NOT back up while the car is connected to the

 

tow vehicle.

 

 

some lessons in life are learned the granite way

Just remember ....

 

 

You can NOT back up while the car is connected to the

 

tow vehicle.

 

 

some lessons in life are learned the granite way

 

 

Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral.

" Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral."

 

If this comment was directed at my statement??

 

Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do

with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle.

 

But is directed at the fact that....

 

The front wheels will cock and jack the knife

will occur within meters.

 

as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with

Gibraltars

" Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral."

 

If this comment was directed at my statement??

 

Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do

with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle.

 

But is directed at the fact that....

 

The front wheels will cock and jack the knife

will occur within meters.

 

as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with

Gibraltars

 

It was a question,not a comment.

I see, said Helen K.

 

you are therefore welcome for an answer

" Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral."

 

If this comment was directed at my statement??

 

Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do

with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle.

 

But is directed at the fact that....

 

The front wheels will cock and jack the knife

will occur within meters.

 

as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with

Gibraltars

How about if someone gets out and helps keep the wheels from cocking?

P.S. Flat Towed an 84 brat from San Diego to Tucson behind a 1-ton F250 Turbo Diesel.

If the person in the towed vehicle tries to correct ...

 

the towed vehicle will try to streer the towing vehicle via

 

the tow hitch

 

This is not good in some situations.

 

P.S.

Sorry guys,I thought this thread was about the tranny diff. not jacking with the wheels locked,my mistake.

you could be excused as it is a bit burried

in the orig post

 

i.e.

"What experience has anyone had?"

 

The expierence being related it that of

reversing when towing four down.

Update. See thread about towing disaster (which had nothing to do with the tow bar setup): http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=37058Anyhow, I drilled four 1/2" holes (2 per mounting bracket) right through the front of the bumber, as close as possible to the bumber's brackets. Then I attached the tow bar brackets at the holes. Hooked everything up and it worked just fine. I even went up a pretty steep incline in Colorado Springs just before the mishap described in the other thread. My biggest concern was whether or not the tow bar bracket bolts would come right through the bumper metal under pressure. The bolts/brackets held up just fine.

 

Thanks for all the help about towing. I'll be back in Colorado Springs next weekend to bring the wagon. Again.