The balljoint broke while my dad was borrowing my RT civic wagon. He decided to have it towed and did not disengage the 4wd and had it towed by the front wheels. Somehow it didn't lock up but i'm scared to get into it. Now i have a ball joint and possible transmission issues.
EDIT: Ball joint in with new cv and bearing. Car felt smooth with no noticeable issues, alignment seemed right on. Need to do a VC test.
The balljoint broke while my dad was borrowing my RT civic wagon. He decided to have it towed and did not disengage the 4wd and had it towed by the front wheels. Somehow it didn't lock up but i'm scared to get into it. Now i have a ball joint and possible transmission issues.
Your VC is most likely dry allowing the rear wheels to turn as if the 4wd is disengaged.
Did you ever do the 4wd VC test? There is a thread here on how to test it out
Hey guys. So I'm trying to decide what would be the best method for towing my 88 rt4wd wagon from Asheville NC to San Francisco CA. I have a 96 International short bus (22') with a dt466 engine that I plan to tow with. I would prefer to flat tow (4 wheels down) but haven't been able to find information on how to instal a tow bar on the wagon yet (I really don't want to alter the bumper in any way). This option would be the most convenient when I want to leave my bus or car somewhere by itself. The other options are renting a tow dolly or flat bed trailer from U-Haul etc, or maybe just shipping it.
I have found that I can easily disengage and reengage the 4wd/2wd lever on the transmission by reaching behind the fuel injection with a 10mm socket, no extension needed (engine cold). I've done this a few times and drove about 1k miles in 2wd with no issues. It can be tricky getting it back into 4wd though. I put it in neutral with engine off and had to roll the car about a foot before it would go back in (not always necessary). So it seems that using a tow dolly with my car in 2wd and not disconnecting the drive shaft would be fine, but some conformation on this would make me feel better as it's a long haul.
But there are other things to consider for such a long trip. A flat bed trailer is probably the safest and easiest to back-up with, but weighs more, costs a bit more and will reduce my fuel economy the most. The trailer would also be better if I hit a pothole or something (I think?). A tow dolly would be easier to return to U-Haul by towing it with my civic wagon but not as safe on the road. I think they're more likely to create swaying in high winds. Flat towing would run up the mileage on my wagon, wear the tires, suspension and be the most difficult to reverse, but I like this option the best as I plan to be living in my bus for awhile and then I could easily move both vehicles without needing to go to U-Haul every time to rent a trailer or dolly.
So which option would you choose? Any foreseeable problems with either methods? Any advice? And does anyone have information or links on attaching a tow-bar to the Wagon. Specific brands that will work? I've been searching with no luck yet, so thanks if you reply with anything useful. This is going to be a big adventure and a life long dream coming true. Wish me luck!
Here are some picture with my bus in them, because we all love pictures right?
As per Tail-Wagon-The-dog's request, has anyone any clarity on towing a 4wd car long distances with it disengaged? I am traveling from Denver to Portland and would be ideal to just get the dolly instead of the full trailer (due to tow weight).
Comments
Yes, you can. No, it won't.
EDIT: Ball joint in with new cv and bearing. Car felt smooth with no noticeable issues, alignment seemed right on. Need to do a VC test.
Did you ever do the 4wd VC test? There is a thread here on how to test it out
I have found that I can easily disengage and reengage the 4wd/2wd lever on the transmission by reaching behind the fuel injection with a 10mm socket, no extension needed (engine cold). I've done this a few times and drove about 1k miles in 2wd with no issues. It can be tricky getting it back into 4wd though. I put it in neutral with engine off and had to roll the car about a foot before it would go back in (not always necessary). So it seems that using a tow dolly with my car in 2wd and not disconnecting the drive shaft would be fine, but some conformation on this would make me feel better as it's a long haul.
But there are other things to consider for such a long trip. A flat bed trailer is probably the safest and easiest to back-up with, but weighs more, costs a bit more and will reduce my fuel economy the most. The trailer would also be better if I hit a pothole or something (I think?). A tow dolly would be easier to return to U-Haul by towing it with my civic wagon but not as safe on the road. I think they're more likely to create swaying in high winds. Flat towing would run up the mileage on my wagon, wear the tires, suspension and be the most difficult to reverse, but I like this option the best as I plan to be living in my bus for awhile and then I could easily move both vehicles without needing to go to U-Haul every time to rent a trailer or dolly.
So which option would you choose? Any foreseeable problems with either methods? Any advice? And does anyone have information or links on attaching a tow-bar to the Wagon. Specific brands that will work? I've been searching with no luck yet, so thanks if you reply with anything useful. This is going to be a big adventure and a life long dream coming true. Wish me luck!
Here are some picture with my bus in them, because we all love pictures right?
As per Tail-Wagon-The-dog's request, has anyone any clarity on towing a 4wd car long distances with it disengaged? I am traveling from Denver to Portland and would be ideal to just get the dolly instead of the full trailer (due to tow weight).
Anyone have any actual experiences?!