Towing with a Car Dolly
 

I'm going to be picking up a 90 T/A with an auto trans. I want to transport it using a car dolly so the rear wheels will be on the ground and the fronts on the dolly. If the car is in neutral will it screw up the trans when I tow it? I've heard different opinions.......

Pull the driveshaft.

Yeah really didn't wanna do that.... Car has been sitting on this guys front lawn for 3 years so jacking it up in the dirt is not an option and he doesn't have a driveway I could push it onto so I could jack it up.

Kurt, are you going to be driving it up onto the dolly? If so, can you get the car over to a parking lot or some sort of hard surface that can support a jack?

Is this particular 90 t/a awd? You'll be fine.

Car isn't running and the stone driveway is an incline to the street.

[QUOTE=sweetbmxrider;879630]Is this particular 90 t/a awd?

Haha, you're funny...... But seriously it's not going to screw it up? I mean it's only 25 miles what could happen right?

[QUOTE=zuuhlsT/A;879634]He likes to ruin AWD cars all the time.

Why not just rent a full trailer and winch it up?

Not sure if it's the correct way to tow but I've seen quite a few RWD cars loaded on dollies using the back wheels with the front wheels on the ground and the steering locked. If you completely remove the driveshaft with the front wheels on the dolly your going to have a nice puddle of trans fluid.

Only car I have pulled using a tow dolly was an 87 T-Bird. Drove the car on the dolly and left the transmission in neutral. Never had an issues with the trans.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I was towed home in my Trans Am with one of those trucks that grabs the front wheels. You should be fine leaving it in neutral.

If I were to show up with a wheel lift, I'd either grab it from the front and put it in neutral whilst running the seatbelt through the steering wheel with the seat forward then pulling the seat back to cinch the belt since the steering lock will be disabled with the car in neutral and key forward.....OR.....I'd grab it from the rear and repo that mother.

will be fine if you keep car running. if not itll burn the trans.

[QUOTE=LTb1ow;879635]I would but it would be a stone cold bitch to get that thing into the yard. Not a lot of maneuvering room.

Ok lets review. I got one that says pull the drive shaft, I got one that says if the car ain't running it'll fry the trans, I got 2 that say no prob, and 2 for the repo tow.... Anyone else???

I wheel lift cars on a weekly basis, haven't had to buy a trans yet.

it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Why would you buy some car you repo'd a trans after you fry it?

I like my cars to shift etc :nick:

Depending on distance, I would unbolt the rear u joint and secure the driveshaft leaving the yoke in the trans.

I did it with a trans plug.

I used to tow my Vette to the track all the time using a car dolly. I never pulled drive shaft and never had an issue. I mounted a hand crank boat winch to the dolly I bought for $25 from a boat supply store and cranked the car up myself. The 3.90 gears in the rear and the th400 worked fine for years after doing that probably a hundred times. They still work I just have to put the engine back together.

That was drag racing on a budget when you saw more cars in primer than paint.

I'm towing it by the rear tires just so it doesn't get messed up. Ill just strap the steering wheel so it doesn't wander around. Thanks for all you're input.

You won't have to if the car is left in park and keys aren't turned in the ignition AND the column lock works :lol: Just give it a twist and make sure it does. Strap the wheel if you are extra cautious though.