fawking newbie tow bar Q&A

[james west]

just picked up a 79 1/2 ton ford with a 302 and auto tranny...then it occured to me that i could probably flat tow my scout with it...

heres the Q...who makes a decent tow bar/whats the right price on a (used?) bar setup?...what controls the steering on the vehicle in tow?...

sorry: i have no experience with this towing method, and you guys dont have to answer me...but any heads-up about the described senario would be appreciated

thanks:D :flipoff2:

[proletariat]

Flat towing is a marginal way of transporting another vehicle, at best. But, you probably could do it w/ what you have. Basically, flat towing sucks because you have no toungue weight on the towing vehicle, so the "toad" vehicle tends to push the ass end around. That being said, I bought a tow bar from miley.com for a reasonable price. I've towed my S-10zr2 from NC to PA and NJ with my 3/4ton dodge. I sold the zr2 and bought a 4runner and towed that to NC. I had a pulse-quickening experience once when the zr2 tried to push the ass end of the dodge around at 70mph on a particularly sharp interstate curve, and another when I made a left turn onto a highway while braking coming down a ramp from the interstate. If I were you, I'd put 1000 pounds in the bed of the ford when I towed. The toad vehicle just follows the tower if you leave the steering unlocked, and you cant back up. Use safety chains.

[Haole]

I was surprised at how much the towed vehicle will push around the towing vehicle. I flat towed my Yota with a F350 Dually. THe Yota weighs under 4000#, yet it I could still feel it pushing my 7000# PSD in turns. Use chains, and cross them. You may or may not be required to set up lighting on the towed vehicle, depends on the state your in.

[james west]

grasias

i just cant fathom the towed vehicle following with the steering unlocked...i tried to pull my parts truck with a strap around the yard and with no steering box, no way to steer it just went off in its own direction...so i attached the ends of the straps to the knuckles and the middle to the rear bumper of my rig...it followed nicely that way...

but i'll take your word for it

and...by the time i throw 4 swampers and all my gear in the bed of the pickup, it should help with the weight issue

thanks again

[jaluhn]

It steers because the bar is hooked onto the bumber, so it acts like an extendion of the frame. Essentially, it's a standard trailer with a set of wheels under the front end as well. One trick I've heard to reduce it wandering, though, is to put a bungee cord on the steering wheel, where it will center the wheel for you. Helps keep it straight.

To me, thought, flat towing is just downright scary. You figure you've got the entire weight of the towed rig pushiong on you, no traqiler brakes, and no waeight on the axle. Not only that, but with all four wheels on the ground, the towed rig will tend to want to wander more than a traler would. Ideally, I would recomend having enough weight on each axle to equal the towed rig, so total weight of the toing rig should be double the towed rig. I don't know what a scout weights, but I would guess at least 3000#, and that f150 most likely isn't more than 5000# light, probably about 6500-7000 loaded. Might be enough if you fill the bed up with junk, but I would definetly hesitate using it light. No wieght on the rear axle.
~John

[Jeepdude_Jay]

For it to follow correctly the alignment on the towed rig need to be pretty dang close. If the camber is not right you're screwed. I flat tow my flatty with a 1/2 ton extened cab Ford 2wd and it's not bad, except that you need to think ahead and not make sudden moves. I could see it being pretty western in an emergency situation if your tow rig is not quite a bit heavier than what you're pulling.

[Ben W]

I flat tow my 5000# scout with a '93 F250 diesel. Like Jay said, you have to pay attention to what is going on, and the faster you go, the more the towed rig wanders. I have had a couple close calls, once the scout pushed the tow rig sideways turning into a gravel parking lot, nearly jacknifed. Another time I blew through a red light because I wasn't paying close enough attention when the light turned yellow and I didn't have enough room to stop.

If you pay attention, be careful what you do, don't follow too closely and don't try to go too fast flat towing is OK. I'm looking forward to getting a trailer though, it will cut down on the stress a bit.

[Haole]

I flat towed my Heep for 900 miles this last weekend. Didn't even know it was there except for going up a couple of grades and trying to excape the smell of goatshit in Benderville. There's other factors that will affect it. Wheelbase of the towed vehicle, the length of the towbar, size of the tires on the towed vehicle and difference in weight between the two vehicles that all make a difference.

My Heep follows better than the Yota. Shorter wheelbase. The Heep weighs 400# less. Yota 31's. Heep 35's. The Yota might tow better if I had a longer towbar. I also know that my alignment is dead nuts on with the Yota and it's off on the Heep.

[james west]

thanks again

[Two Dogs F..king]

Do the differentials on the towed vehicle have any impact on the problems of towing?

[Jeepdude_Jay]

Originally posted by WD-Offroad
Do the differentials on the towed vehicle have any impact on the problems of towing?
My Jeep is welded in the rear. No problems.

[Two Dogs F..king]

would it be better to have the towed vehicle sitting backwards, so that the steering wheels are in the back? I know I am probably wrong, due to the fact that everybody else does it forwards. But I'd like to know why.

[kwrangln]

Originally posted by WD-Offroad
would it be better to have the towed vehicle sitting backwards, so that the steering wheels are in the back? I know I am probably wrong, due to the fact that everybody else does it forwards. But I'd like to know why.

Lets think this one through. With a tow bar, when the tow vehicle turns, the bar pulls the front bumper of the towed vehicle in the direction of the turn forcing the steering of the towed vehicle to turn in that direction. If you didnt have a steering axle at the tow bar end of the towed vehicle (or had the steering locked) it would drag the tires of the towed vehicle sideways to complete the turn. Classify this as a bad thing.;)

[Two Dogs F..king]

okie doke:D