Towing question

[dwasson]

So, I'm at my niece's wedding and, one of my new in-laws, who I strongly suspect of being an idiot, is talking about flat towing a car at freeway speeds and how it isn't a problem. Not knowing for sure if he is right or not, I let it go. But, now I'm thinking about it and wondering if it makes sense or not.

So, the questions are:

Can a car with an automatic transmission be safely flat towed?

Would having an electronically controlled transmission make a difference?

The car he was talking about was a 93 Crown Victoria. Is there something special about that car that would allow to be towed safely?

Thanks.

[MENINBLK]

You should never flat tow any vehicle at highway speeds.
Short distances under a few miles (2 - 5) yes.

The reciprocating mass inside the transmission will be spinning without sufficient lubrication.
This can lead to premature clutch and/or gear failure.

Now if he drops the driveshaft, and caps off the transmission tail,
he can tow it just about anywhere he wants to,
anyway he wants to...

[RoyLPita]

You should never flat tow any vehicle at highway speeds.
Short distances under a few miles (2 - 5) yes.

The reciprocating mass inside the transmission will be spinning without sufficient lubrication.
This can lead to premature clutch and/or gear failure.

Now if he drops the driveshaft, and caps off the transmission tail,
he can tow it just about anywhere he wants to,
anyway he wants to...

What ^^^^^he^^^^^said.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what they said^^^

Back in the day, some automatic transmissions had both front and rear pumps, so they could be safely towed with the rear wheels on the ground. Not anymore, and that includes the '93 CV.

[grampaws]

Ditto ! No long distance towing...

[gpfarrell]

Here's a bit of nearly useless automotive trivia:

Many Saturns with automatics can be flat-towed... you'll see them behind RVs all the time... I think Saturn found a a niche market by doing that.

[grampaws]

Not useless if your looking for a car like it!!:)

[magindat]

Many RV'ers regulary disconnect drive shafts for towing.

There are other mfg's that sell 'towable' cars. One other example I am aware of is Honda's CRV.

[Cheeseheadbob]

If you would, since I am not what they call a "wrench", does disconnect mean "remove" and if so, is that a big job?
Many RV'ers regulary disconnect drive shafts for towing.

[dwasson]

Thanks a lot guys. That's pretty much what I thought. I hadn't heard about the Saturn though.

[RF Overlord]

does disconnect mean "remove" and if so, is that a big job?Disconnect can mean just that...remove the 4 pinion flange bolts and wire it up in place, or simply slide the front yoke out of the tailshaft and "wallah"...driveshaft removed. It's not a "big" job, but the pinion flange bolts take a LOT of torque to break loose, and you should use Loctite on them when re-installing, so it's not somthing you want to do every day.

[grampaws]

Buy a Mustang stick shift!! Hee Hee!!:)
Undoing the flange and hanging the driveshaft--
leaving the yoke in the trans will stop the oil spills..
This would be a royal PIA to do constantly..

[GreekGod]

If you leave the engine running, the trans pump is turning and lubing the trans.