Best Way to Dolly Tow a 4x4 Ranger?

[BillRod]

What is the Best Way to Dolly Tow a 4x4 Ranger?

Hi All

What is the best way to tow a 4x4 ranger with the rear wheels on the ground without removing the rear drive shaft?

Tranny and Tcase both in Neutral?
Tranny in Neutral and Tcase in 4hi or Lo?
Or something else?


Thanks
Bill

 

[darkspork]

If you are able to put your t-case in neutral I would think your best bet would be both t-case and transmission in neutral. Any particular reason you can't use a flat bed trailer though? I'd only use a dolly on a 2wd vehicle and have the drive wheels off the ground, but that's just me.

 

[Speedwagon]

Towing a vehicle with a transfercase in 2hi really isn't any different than towing a 2wd vehicle. But I do believe I've read in an owners manual in the past, that the recommended way to tow is neutral/neutral. If you have your owners manual, it will tell you the best way to tow it. Same rules as using a tow truck, since they would pick up the front of the vehicle and leave the rear wheels on the ground.

 

[Jon581]

we rented one of those from uhaul 3 weeks ago to take to Virginia and half way through NC the bearings blew up and the wheel came off going down I-95 at 65 mph we sat on the side of the road for 4 hours waiting for them to come get it so never again will i use one of those.

 

[BillRod]

Hi Guys

My big concern is the Transfer case bearings getting lubricated properly.
I have heard that on some transfer cases the oil is moved around properly because of the input side of the tcase.
IF the case is in neutral and the input is not turning but the output is turning because of the driveshaft, then the rear bearings are spinning but not getting lubed properly.
Therefore the rear bearings in the tcase may be at risk of burning up.

I have heard that it might be best to have the Transmission in neutral but the tcase in 4hi, that way the gears moving in the tcase spash enough oil around to keep everything lubed.

I was hoping someone here might have a definitive answer about this.

Thanks
Bill

I just bought this 89 4x4 5speed last night, (Now we have 3 Rangers ) I used a flatbed uhaul to tow it home just about 80 miles.
But I almost had to use a dolly because the place I first tried was out of flatbeds and it took him a long time calling around to other uhauls to find a flatbed. That's why I am asking, just in case I might get stuck in the future with a dolly instead of a flatbed.

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[Nhaz]

Drive shaft removal is a 12 millimeter 12 sided spanner and a propane torch and a side cutter for the steel clamp on the slip yoke boot. 5 mins work.

to put it back just have a ziptie/tiewrap ready for the slip yoke steel version you had to bend badly or cut off. Put the bolts back in the flange with red or blue locktite.

 

[Hahnsb2]

I would tow with the T-case in nuetral and tranny in gear, that way any resistance in the t-case, even though it's in nuetral, wont spin the tranny. I believe that's what ford recomends and if I'm not mistaken the fluid pump in the T-case is output driven, not input driven.

 

[TRX501RYAN]

We towed my 95 4x4 when i bought it 2 years ago, with the truck just in neutral, and didnt have any problems, on a dolly and that was 50 000kmd sgo

 

[Beanmachine7000]

I would tow with the T-case in nuetral and tranny in gear, that way any resistance in the t-case, even though it's in nuetral, wont spin the tranny. I believe that's what ford recomends and if I'm not mistaken the fluid pump in the T-case is output driven, not input driven.

+1... Transmission in gear - t-case in Neutral...