confused

[michowski]

Ive been reading a lot of posts lately about people wanting to tow and every post comes with the a nuetral tow kit. What is that? Im not familiar with that. Whats the difference between electric t case and manual? Just like auto and manual hubs?

 

[Sunk]

A manual transfer case has a shifter similar to the transmission, but much shorter and the position are marked on the knob. A electric shift transfer case just has buttons on the dash for 4x4 and 4-lo. In later years ('95 I believe) the buttons became a knob.

 

[michowski]

so what exactly is going on when people are saying to put it in neutral for towing? What does that do and whats going on?

 

[Sunk]

A manual t-case has a neutral position just like a transmission. It just disengages the rear drive shaft so if the truck it being towed with rear wheels on the ground, the transfer case and transmission are not spinning. I know with an auto tranny this will damage it since the front pump is not pumping, and I would imagine it is similar with a manual. I guess a neutral tow kit would be a kit so that you can put your auto t-case in neutral to tow it. I've never heard of one though.

 

[Will]

I've never heard of this 'neutral kit' either. I don't know what that means.

The only Ranger that can be safely flat towed is a 4x4 with a manual shift case. You could install a manual shift transfer case on a 2wd to make flat towing easier. The lube part of the t-case is mounted on the rear output part so the t-case will be lubed when the rear driveshaft is spinning. The electric shift is the same, except there is no neutral and the tranny tailshaft will be spinning--not good when the pump isn't running--as was stated in a previous post.

Make damn sure that if you have auto hubs they are actually unlocked before flat towing. If you pulled the driveshaft from an electric shift case and the front hubs were secretly engaged, that would piss you off a couple thousand bucks later.

The limit on flat towing is 35mph/50miles max is you don't have a manual case. I know of a Ranger that went 100,000miles with occasional use behind an RV with the driveshaft on. I don't know how many actual miles it was towed but it did kill the tranny eventually.

 

[jason_paul]

There is a Neutral tow kit availible from Ford. My father has one in his 2003 Explorer sport, He's put about 30K miles of flat towing on it behind his RV since new.

They are availible, check your owners manual for the part number if the local ford dealer doesnt know what it is.

 

[Will]

I found this. I also found it's the same thing for the 2006-2008 Ranger. I don't see a kit for earlier ones.