jj3500

Is it safe...good idea to tow a 4x4 on a car dolly, just two wheels off the ground. My plan is to put the rear on the dolly and have the front on the street. I'll have the hubs free.

I'm trying to avoid a roll back to tow.

Comments...suggestions.

ofcmarc

It'll work but be careful. With the front end on the ground if the wheels aren't straight the towed vehicle will wander all over the place.

12valve@heart

Personally, I'd be more inclined to put it on the dolly forwards and just unbolt and wire up the driveshaft if you're transporting any distance. The big problem may be finding a dolly wide enough if you have oversize tires. May need to put stock width tires back on the front just to get it to fit on a large dolly.

haloman

Agreed. Just unbolt rear driveshaft.

Grit Dog

Never towed one backwards before. Why?
I've towed a couple 4x4 trucks cross country with a dolly. Put front wheels on the dolly, transfer case in neutral. (The 5sp truck I left the trans in neutral too. The auto truck, I had the trans in park).
No problems

12valve@heart

I suspect that the theory is that the unlocked front hubs would eliminate the need to drop the driveshaft.

Grit Dog

Yeah, but if it's a 4x4, putting the t-case in neutral will do the same thing. Could see it with a 2wd to not have to drop the driveshaft.

darkvader

will the rear xcase output bearing lube properly with xcase in neutral?
Clark

annabelle

Are you towing a CTD? U haul and Ryder would not rent me one to tow a CTD......said it was too front end heavy with the diesel.

Grit Dog

Uhaul won't rent you a dolly to tow anything bigger than a compact car! He!! they even turned me down once to tow a 4Runner...but because they said my Chevy 2500 4x4, 454 didn't have the proper towing capacity acoording to their books had to be a 3500!
Ended up going back to pick up the dolly with a F450 diesel, then they wouldn't let me out of the lot because the F450 didn't have 4 prong light plug (and no adaptor with me).
Last Uhaul dolly I used to tow a fullsize, I told them I was pulling a Honda Civic with it and they let me have it using a GMC 1500 as the tow vehicle.
BTW, the Uhaul dolly wasn't wide enough to put a 2nd Gen Ram 1500 with 285 tires on. Ended up towing the GMC 1500 because the front track width was a little narrower.
Uhaul sux! (Got more Uhaul horror stories!)

Grit Dog

?? I dunno for sure, but have towed 4x4 pickups on dollies, GM Ferd and Dodge and never ahd a problem afterwards.I don't think t cases have oil pumps, just an oil bath like a manual trans, plus with the front end up on the dolly, teh t-case oil should be swamping the rear output bearing.

Alvin Gardner