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Towing four wheels Down
Four wheels down,towing four wheels, four wheel drive wheels
We all use 4-wheel vehicles and may need towing of the vehicle some day.
This may be a daunting task for a novice who knows less about the towing.
In this article I will discuss some tips for towing 4 wheels down safely
and without much damage:
Remember, a vehicle may be considered best tow vehicle if
a. It can be towed with its wheels on the ground.
b. It is lightweight. The lighter vehicles are less prone to wear and
tear.
c. It does not add miles while being towed
4-wheels down towing is also referred as Dinghy Towing or Toading and
considered the best form of towing. It is becoming popular day by day
due to following reasons:
a. It has no effect on handling of your coach.
b. No effect on gas mileage
c. No effect on overall wear of the coach
First of all you should be aware of gross combination weight rating (GCWR)
and tow rating of your vehicle. A minimum 10 horsepower is required to
carry each 1000 pounds of weight. You should take the following steps
before moving the towed vehicle:
Check that transmission fluid level is full.
Parking brake is released.
Engine is started
Transmission is switched from Park to Drive mode
Gear is shifted from Drive to Neutral
Turn off the engine and leave the key of the vehicle in Accessory (I)
position
Radio is switched off
All other accessories are turned off
When you are towing behind another vehicle always keep the steering wheel
unlocked otherwise it may be damaged severely. So you have to leave the
key in Accessory (I) position. If the vehicle is equipped with the automatic
transmission it is recommended to start the engine and shift automatic
transmission with the gears every 500 miles. It is also suggested that
you shift from Drive to Neutral before shutting the engine off.
When you are towing a vehicle with its four wheels on the ground, you
should use supplemental braking system which has a break-away feature
included for safe towing. Severe damage to automatic transmission may
take place if the vehicle is shifted from reverse to neutral and towed
with the drive wheels on the ground.
Keep the tow bar parallel to the ground while towing. This will help avoiding
much stress on hitch receiver as well as mounting brackets of your vehicle.
Your vehicle will not ride up or run under the back of towing vehicle
during emergency brakes.
Disconnect the speedometer of your vehicle to avoid adding miles in tow
condition. The newer vehicles are equipped with the electronic odometer
that works only if the key is in ON position. There is no need to disconnect
such odometers.
There is much possibility of damaging the tow bar or the towed vehicle
if you try to back up with a vehicle attached to your coach with tow bar. |
