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Car Dolly Question

2K views 18 replies 6 participants last post by  mrnecsteve 
#1 ·
Hey All, I'm needing to use a Dolly to tow a rear wheel drive 1985 Mercury Marquis (about 4400 pounds) about 15 to 20 miles. I lost 3rd and 4th gear in the AOD tranny in the Merc and need to tow it to the shop. Anyway my question is this: Should I worry about towing this car w/ the transmission in Neutral for this distance or should I go ahead and pull the drive shaft out? I've heard that you can mess up Automatic Trannies by pulling/towing them on the drive wheels. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't go over 35mph if you tow it from the front. Can't you just tow it on the back wheels on the dolly?

If you need to go over 35mph, I'd drop the driveshaft.
 
#4 ·
Tow Trucks tow rear wheel drive vehicles all the time at highway speeds with the trans in neutral, with the driveshaft in place with no damage done. He will be fine towing it the distance he is towing it with the driveshaft in.
 
#3 ·
You can pull it with the tranny in neutral your not going far. Besides tranny sounds like it going to be completely rebuilt. You will be fine. I myself do not like tow dollys and I rather use a trailer.
 
#5 ·
I have replaced 7 auto's in my old GMC Jimmy that we towed behind a motor home. The dealer even said to put the transfercase in neutral, didnn't help. Fortunatly for me, I had it in writing, so no cost to me.

But, if the tranny is already shot. 20 miles might not hurt it any more. Or you could run the car and leave the tranny in neutral, that way the pump is running and everything stays lubed.
 
#6 ·
Towing long distances at highway speeds numerous times is completely different then a one time trip to the repair shop.
 
#8 ·
:ditto:

My Brother in Law own's a tow truck company. I asked him a minute ago, and He said that is why he invested in the flat bed. And if he uses the tire lift, he tows by the drive tires.
 
#9 ·
Wow, you all really jumped on this one quick, thanks! I actually like the idea of leaving the car running in neutral, I never thought of that. I would have to go over 35 mph, it would be speeds of 35 to 55 mph the whole trip. I'm not totally sure that this tranny is junk yet, it MAY just need a new valvebody. I have a junkyard tranny in the bed of the truck just in case though, I was told it was good, we'll see.
 
#10 ·
Actually after thinking about this more I may just go rent a car trailer, either way thanks for all the advice!
 
#11 ·
Leaving the car running in neutral is not a good idea either. Why what if you hit a bump and it shifts into drive or reverse. Or what if you get into an accident and the thing comes off the dolly and then shifts into drive and rolls down the road.
 
#12 ·
Ended up using a car trailer

I spoke w/ the guys at U-Haul and they said they don't even recommend dollys anymore and are getting rid of them. So I rented a nice car trailer and pulled it that way. The stroker handled that car and trailer perfectly. There even was a nice long steep grade I had to climb before I got to this guys shop, so I wound it up to about 2600 rpm and really let the straight pipes do some talking. When I got there he says "you didn't have to floor it up the hill, I already heard you anyway!" hahaha. Ok thanks for the help on this from everyone.
 
#15 ·
Does AAA still produce the books every year Marty? I haven't been a dispatcher since the mid-90s and just wondered...They were really helpful. Of course, they also showed how to "sling" cars, which hardly anybody does anymore. Wheel lifts and flatbeds now...:)
 
#16 ·
Yes, they do. Even still they're not always correct. The tow manual states from AAA that you can transport a 2006 AWD Volvo Cross Country with wheel lift and dollies or car carrier equipment. This is incorrect, per Volvo and even if the vehicle is stuck in park, it requires a flatbed and we have to find either go-jacks or a driver with 4 skates. We had a huge damage complaint a few months ago...
 
#17 ·
The trans might not need that much. That could be a simple plunger swap.Old school method of towing a long distance is to periodically engage the transmission and let the engine turnover to pump the fluids...other wise your wear out the tailshaft components. Some transmissions would not engage till the speed was too high.

Modern trans's complicate it even further.Uhaul rents car hauling trailers at a pretty decent price also.
 
#18 ·
Yeah you're now the 3rd person that has told me it may be a simple fix on my old transmission. It's nice to know there are still honest people out there. Of course all of the transmission shops I've called tell me that it will require "no less than a total rebuild of the whole tranny" which I would expect them to say since it's about 1000 bucks in their pocket. The cheapest quote I found was 1300 dollars, which is still about 300 dollars more than the whole car is worth!
 
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