Tow Dolly

[Stretch Cab]

I need to move a Rdst. PU and a Roadster a few miles on back roads. I can go slow. Neither vehicle runs at this time and using a tow dolly would seem to be the easiest.

Have you done this? Tow with front wheels off the ground?

I will let this ferment over the weekend and check back on Monday.

Thanks!

[Fairlane514]

Did it with a 29 Tudor, front wheels on dolly. Top speed was about 50.

Wasn't too bad, make sure tires are inflated properly.

[AYooperA]

I used a tow dolly to tow my Tudor 350 miles. I put an about a 6” pipe nipple in the trans filler and topped it off. Then capped it so gearbox the cluster gear was still getting oil with car on an angle. Also purchased some magnetic turn signals/running lights with harness to place on rear of A. Got it at a fleet farm or Harbor Freight kind of place. I also place cardboard over the headlight lenses and tape to prevent a crack due to stones. I think that was about it, others may also have some good measures to take to prevent damage.

[Brentwood Bob]

Hope the transmission remains in neutral. When the car is in gear, there will be consequences. An otherwise intelligent, and knowledgable club member towed his car with a front wheel dolly with a freshly rebuilt motor, the car slipped into gear along the way, I now have the motor minus a rod, and a venting Hole in the side of number Two cylinder. Suggest putting the rear wheels on the carrier. Seems the oil pump ran dry.

[AYooperA]

Bob, Yes certainly something to be cautious of. A Model A friend of mine had mentioned to tie the gearshift off in neutral as well as adding the extra gear lube before attempting this trip. I had forgotten that I did that as well, it was 15 years ago. As I kid my Dad would tow bar cars. I remember having to steer around sharp corners in the towed car. Different times then.

[jeepguy1948]

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I put the rear wheels on the dolly (I have a dolly of my own). I do not like the risks of towing with the drive wheels on the ground (I tow my FWD Sienna with the front wheels on the dolly) there is not really any downside that I have found with the rear up and the front on the ground.

[Brentwood Bob]

Amen.

[ronn]

pull the shaft and zoom zoom!

[nkaminar]

I would recommend borrowing or renting a car trailer. Safer and kinder to the car.

[JayJay]

A word to the wise: at least out here on the left coast, U-Haul rental car trailers come with pre-sewn web slings that go over the front tires and ratchet down. I’ve had two occasions where those have slipped off Model A tires because the tires are too tall. That leaves the front end unsecured on the trailer, not a good thing. So now I don’t use them, instead I do the old fashioned way with four ratchet straps (one on each corner, to the axles). Plus the U-Haul supplied safety chain.

[larry harding]

talk about towing brought back a memory from years ago. i was at the local honda dealer and noticed a rear wheel that had flat places all around it, almost like facets. the tire was gone and some flats ground deep into the rim. someone had used one of those carriers that you sat the front wheel in and let the rear roll. they didn't remove the chain and must have driven for miles with the rear wheel sliding down the highway after he tranny locked up yup! trailers are a better way for cars or bikes..

[ronn]

Larry- that was the beginning of "drifting"


now a mainstay sport! lol

[w.michael]

A few miles, on back roads, low speed.
No problem. All (well, most) of the advice is good, but in your situation it’s more than is needed. Tow dolly will be fine.
W. Michael

[Keith True]

Yes,he's talking a few miles,not a road trip.In the 70's I flat towed an A from N.H. to Florida and back.I used a tow bar for a VW,and hauled it with a 70 Blazer with a 307 and a 4 speed.I did check the oils and kept things greased.I only ran about 12 hour stretches,at night.I holed up during the days because I was running about 50 MPH.I was too stupid to know I couldn't do what I just did.

[Stretch Cab]

Thank you everyone for the help. I believe the tow dolly will work for me since I am only going about 5 miles or less.
We are in the midst of a huge mid-life crisis selling our house and shop and building a small Barndominium with equal size shop and house. It is my wife's idea and I can't wait to get moved out of the big house where all I do is repairs and move into a small place with very little maintenance! I may actually get to enjoy my cars!

[Bob-A]

Stretch Cab,


How about some pics of your "Barndominiumn" when completed?
Sounds like the kind of place I would like to live in.


Bob-A


"Skirts are for Women not Car Fenders"

[ronn]

the big house



so youve been paroled?

[Stretch Cab]

It will be some time before we actually start our Barndo (got to sell what we have) but if the attachments come through, this is close to what we are looking at. The footprint will be a little bigger and there will be a large covered porch on the back for working under.

It will be a red steel building with interior petitions in the living area. The whole area will be heated/cooled.

It is just my wife and I so we are going with one bedroom. Everything will be set up for growing old in place so I am looking forward to getting out of the big house that requires constant work and getting into something new where I can work on what I want.

[jeepguy1948]

JayJay, I had the same problem and it occurred when I was bringing home the RPU the day I bought it. I came sooooo very close to losing it, thank God for the safety chain! It would have been dang embarrassing to wreck it on the way home.

[jeepguy1948]

I was going to bring it home with my own dolly but the seller refused to let me take it unless I used a trailer so I had to take my dolly to a Uhaul place, leave it there, take their trailer, go back to the sellers house, load up the RPU, almost lose it off the trailer, manage to get it home, return the trailer to my local Uhaul place, and then the following day drive back (3 hours plus a ferry ride) and retrieve my dolly. I have since used the dolly for Model A’s and it works fine.