NUTZ

Howdy All, I just purchased a 1989 F-150 4x4 and I need pull it home becase of a bad head gasket. My question is - can I use a car dolley to pull it if I put the transfer case in neutral? Has any one out there used a car dolley? The reason I ask this is because I don't have access to a trailer.

Thanks

91mustang

yes i believe so. I know in the owners manual they say if towing behind an RV put the transfer case in N and the trans in N

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

I would pull the rear driveshaft. You are only supposed to pull vehicles on a car dolly facing forward, that is with the front tires on the dolly. Removing the driveshaft will ensure that there will be no problems. If the truck has large tires then the dolly straps may not be big enough to fit over the tires. They are usually sized for cars which don't have such large tires.

bcmontgomery

May be possible but you wont be able to rent one. Most tow dolleys are set up for cars and aren't wide enough for a truck. I had to tow my 91 2x home and had to rent a trailer. If you do have a dolley that will work I would unbolt and tie up the driveshaft unless you are going just a couple of miles. Standard Uhual car trailer will fit a reg cab long bed. Check on tow bar rules, 91m may be right on, but you can blow up a trans towing with 4 wheels on the ground if you do it wrong.

wde3477

Suggest to investigate the potential of using a tow-bar. I believe U-Haul still has them - but they are getting harder to scrounge up in these days of aluminum foil and plastic bumpers.

Just be sure to set the tow-bar 'arms' at the points where the bumper bolts up to the frame, else you'll end up with a bent bumper.

Would recommend, as other members have suggested, to put the transfer case and transmission both in Neutral if towing a short distance - say, less than 25 miles - and to remove the rear driveshaft if towing further than that.

13Fox150

definately remove the drive shaft. I had a buddy pull a similar truck on a dolly and he thrashed his rear-end. Even after he put trans and transfer case in N. But the truck did fit fine on the dolly with stock tires.

tonkatruck66

then he had rear end problems BEFORE he started pulling.

N and N will work just fine. ive down that 3 or 4 times on my old truck and never had any problems...

wde3477

Just a note here - 2WD with auto trannies really should have the driveshaft dropped whenever towed.

And for the 4WD with auto trannies - I meant OK to leave the driveshaft in only for lower speeds and short distances. At higher speeds, could get enough 'whirring' of the fluid to drive the headshaft of the transfer - putting the auto tranny at risk.

tonkatruck66

agree on the first one.

and ive never pulled an auto tranny, just manuals, so i cant really comment on that, but sounds resonable.

bcmontgomery

If you are spining the driveshaft in N parts in the trans are turning but it is not cooling ie moving any fluid. I have heard dealership stories of RV owners blowing holes in transmissions because they were too cheap the buy the RV trans kit. Manual should be ok, no cooler system anyway.