Would a tow bar be safe?

[Primered_69]

I am towing maybe five miles. City streets for two miles and three to five in country. Are these things relatively safe? What can I do to make them safer?

[Primered_69]

I am afraid to tow by rope. This is the contraption that bolts to the bumper.

[Longhorn Man]

yes, they are safe, as long as the tow vehicle has good brakes, and the towed vehicle can roll and steer easily, and has the weight of the engine under the hood.
If they weren't safe, they wouldn't be legal.
And also, if they weren't safe, the gov wouldn't do it with all there millitary vehicles, the rail road (who is totally anal on safety) wouldn't do it, the schools wouldn't do it with busses, and grandpa and grandma wouldn't have ther ecar hooked to the RV with a tow bar.


The naysayers will say you can't or shouldn't do it becouse the towed vehicle won't have brakes... but, they don't work when on a tow truck either, and the older tow trucks didn't have upgraded brakes.

Hook up, go easy, keep your distance, and be carefull.


I have thousands of miles of tow bar towing under my belt, and the only incident was from my stupidity. (no engine in the towed vehicle, hell, no cab or front clip, just a bed full of junk and wheels locked straight forward) I was askin for it, but even then, i was able to controll the trucks with no damage other than my ego.

[71SWBChevy]

What are you towing? I know you need weight in the front end so if the motor is out I wouldn't do it without adding alot of weight up front. There are alot of guys that have towed alot farther using a tow bar, one of them will chime in sooner or later.


Dammit Andy you bet me to it!!!

[Longhorn Man]

heh heh heh I sure did. I saw tow bar in the title and I zeroed in on it.

[69-350]

I think it should be fine. It's been done safely before. There's a few tips for it, I'm sure, but it should be straight forward.

[Longhorn Man]

back in the day, it was the only way to go, ask anyone over 60 yrs old.

[Primered_69]

I will be towing a 1972 Chevy long bed with manual steering, all steering compnents still there, 350 installed and bad clutch...using the company 1 ton truck.

[71SWBChevy]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

heh heh heh I sure did. I saw tow bar in the title and I zeroed in on it.

Actually Andy when I said one of the experts would weigh in soon enough you were the guy I was talking about you are all over these tow bar threads!

[low'n slow]

I towed a 67 stepside with a riding mower in the bed from Colorado Springs through the mountains and all the way to Nampa Idaho with a 4-Runner. Take it slow, keep your distance, make sure all the connections are tight. Make sure your lights (you will need them) work.

Good luck, you should be fine.

[krue]

5 miles? I'd use a tow bar in a heart beat. Actually I'd probably call my brother and we'd grab a chain and a piece of pipe and make "redneck towbar" and snatch it to the house, but I don't recommend it to an amateur 'cuz it takes coordination and practice.

[passthebuck]

everybody has beat me to it, but ya it's safe. The wire in the pic is going to the tail lights on the towed truck & i installed safety chains later. Watch it on the wet though-allow plenty of stoping distance.

[chevybill]

When using a tow bar on an older truck without a column lock, how do you guys get the wheels to stay straight?

[bw4sale]

I think everyones right on the money...as long as you hook it up right and are really careful it should be ok.

However, I'm still not too fond. I was pulling a little sedan once and almost lost the car (the car was junk, so i wouldn't have cared unless it hurt somebody else or messed up my truck). I think it wasn't properly attached. It was the kind that grabs the front bumper. Well, it was a plastic bumper. You see where this is going. You obviously won't have that problem.

[northerngmc]

Yes, it sounds like you are doing it safely by pulling a truck with a 1 ton.

I have used a tow bar a few times and put many miles on it.

First time I pulled my 59 GMC 1/2 ton 800 miles with my 98 1/2 ton Suburban. Went a reasonable speed and did not make sharp turns. All went well until the C clip came out of the rear end on the 59 and the right axle came out. Not the tow bars fault.

Second time I towed a 70 GMC 3/4 ton with my 98 Suburban 150 miles and it went well. Well maybe not 100% as the 70 GMC 3/4 ton had a flat tire half way. Again not the tow bars fault!

Third time was a disaster. I attempted to pull a 72 GMC 1/2 ton across town and this truck had no engine or tranmission. What a pain, I do not recommend this. Moving a vehicle without an engine is almost impossible without a trailer.

Go for it and be safe and I recommend having tow lights as well.

[highboy_04]

chevybill you dont want the column to be locked. the towed vehicle will just track behind the vehicle towing it.

[Greaser]

Curious, What Happens W/o The Weight In The Front?

[meathead95]

this sounds like bs but it is true. my father and i left central illinois for truckboy's house in sterling nebraska to pick up a 72 3/4 ton truck with no motor. we had to detour through saint louis because they are the only ones that said they would rent us a trailer since we where pulling it with a 1/2 ton dodge ram. so when we got there all they had was tow bars, so we rented one and was on our way. by the time we got to sterling a blizzard had hit and they had 3" of ice with 14 inches of snow on top of that. so we get there and snow is up to the middle of the door glass, so we dig out the truck hook it up and off we go. within 5 miles we where in the ditch twice thanks to my fathers stupid driving lol............ but after we got out the second time it was smoothe sailing all the way home in sow and ice, with a tow bar, and a truck with NO ENGINE. we counted over 100 vehicles in the ditches on the way home including semis it was crazy!

[Palf70Step]

Without weight in the front end is not bad, just different. I pulled the 69 parts truck 120 miles home at around 55 on 2-lane roads. Not a problem. You just have to remember it's there and allow more braking room and remember you can not take turns as fast as when you don't pull (ask me how I know )

I have pulled mine around alot with out an engine. No real problesm. Worse I would say you will deal with is your front tires (on the towed vehicle) will scuff up or wear a bit quicker, if you can even notice it, because they don't track quiet as well without the weight pushing down on them.

[northerngmc]

Originally Posted by Greaser

Curious, What Happens W/o The Weight In The Front?

Well the thing would not turn, the front wheels pick a direction and skid or slide or howl...........

[sneakysnake]

Originally Posted by krue

5 miles? I'd use a tow bar in a heart beat. Actually I'd probably call my brother and we'd grab a chain and a piece of pipe and make "redneck towbar" and snatch it to the house, but I don't recommend it to an amateur 'cuz it takes coordination and practice.

Nothing like a chain and piece of pipe for brakes and a pair of "vise grips"for a steering wheel.LoL

[chevybill]

If no one is steering the towed vehicle, what keeps the wheels from turning then locking either to the right or to the left as you pull?

Originally Posted by highboy_04

chevybill you dont want the column to be locked. the towed vehicle will just track behind the vehicle towing it.

[Longhorn Man]

bill, it just does. You attach the tow bar on two points, if you just attach it in the center with a foot between the 2 attaching point, then yes, it'll wander.
If you DO lock the wheel, when you turn, the towed vehicle will go straight and push you into a jack knife spin out.
Ask me how I know. I was able to pull out of it though.

We had this cat when i was in the army, insisted on needing some one to steer the 2 1/2 ton cargo truck I was towing... even though I showed him in the manuals where he was wrong, he out ranked me and he couldn't be told otherwise... so i said to hell with it and started towing the tard. He tried to steer around a corner, bound up the tow bar, snapped it, and the steering wheek kicked back as the tow bar snapped, and broke his arm and about 5 bones in his hand. The dumb ass ended up in the ditch.
So me, being the smart allek punk that i am, pulled out the book, and showed him where the regulation says no one is to ride in a vehicle being towed.
He wasn't amused.

[84 400]

Well if it is nutral then it would not be in the lock position.

I got a question for yall. I want to pull a 1969 Cadilac coup devile. It has no motor in it but does have a trans. I was thinking of renting a 2 wheeled dolly from u haul to tow it. Thing is they say the car is to heavy for any of there stuff. I know it is a caddy but it is at leas 500 pounds lighter. Should i just tell them i am pulling a bug or somthing? also on the two wheeler am i going to have to lock the wheels or should i since the ball will be the piviot point?

Thanks

[chevybill]

Thanks for the clarification, Longhorn man. I see with pulling from two points on the front how it should follow along behind.

Do local parts houses (NAPA) carry these tow bars? I might purchase one to bring my 70 home from the body shop. How much do they cost?