Best Way to Tow a Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicle

As a professional towing company, we are experts in all kinds of towing methods. Whether it’s done by tow bars, tow dollies, flatbeds, or сar carrier trailers, you can count on Tow Cars to meet your towing needs. That being said, we’re aware that not all towing is done by professionals, and that’s why articles like this one are meant to educate the inexperienced and ensure they are following all safety procedures. Today we’re going to explore some of the options when it comes to towing a two-wheel-drive vehicle. If you want to find out what’s the difference between towing rear-wheel-drive and front-wheel drive vehicles, then this is the article for you.

How to Tow a Front-Wheel-Drive Car

First and foremost, сar carrier trailers are always the best option as they keep all four wheels off the ground, so it doesn’t matter if you’re towing a two-wheel or four-wheel drive car. That being said, not everyone has access to these kinds of towing trailers, so let’s explore other more available and affordable options. 

Tow dollies are a popular choice because you don’t need any additional equipment besides the actual dolly. Also, it’s suitable for vehicles that have a lower towing capacity. Towing a front-wheel-drive car on a dolly is viable because it keeps the drive wheels off the ground while the rear ones remain on the ground. This is not an issue for front-wheel-drive vehicles; however, if you attempt to tow an automatic rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive car, you’re definitely at risk of damaging the transmission.

What About Automatic Transmission?

A question that pops up frequently is, “can you tow an automatic car in neutral?” It’s very important to understand that towing an automatic car in neutral will most definitely damage the transmission. However, there is a workaround where you disconnect the driveshaft to prevent transmission damage. If you’re able to do that, then you should be fine with using a dolly. 

Towing a front-wheel-drive car with a tow bar is also an option, but you’ll either have to disconnect the front axle manually or use an axle-lock. This device will disconnect the automatic transmission for you, allowing you to tow the. When you’re done with it, just twist the axle back to default, and you’re ready for driving.

How to Tow a Rear-Wheel-Drive Car

The greatest challenge when towing a rear-wheel-drive car is not damaging the transmission. If you’re driving a manual transmission car and you’re using a tow bar, then simply putting it in neutral should be sufficient. However, if you’re using a dolly or you’re dealing with automatic transmission, then you’ll need to disconnect the driveshaft. There is also the option of using additional accessories such as drive shaft couplings and lube pumps. If you use a drive shaft coupling, then you don’t need to remove the driveshaft itself. Instead, it allows you to switch between two modes – driving(where the drive shaft is engaged) and towing(where the drive shaft is disengaged). It’s a quick solution for an otherwise time-intensive process of disconnecting the driveshaft. 

Lube pumps provide much-needed lubrication to the automatic transmission, thus ensuring it gets the cooling it would otherwise get if the car was running normally.

On a final note, we would recommend that you always consult your owner’s manual for instructions and safety precautions. The towing capacity of the vehicle you’re using for towing plays a key role, so make sure to be aware of it and choose your towing method accordingly. If you’re not confident doing it by yourself, you can always give us a call, and we’ll handle it for you. Tow Cars offers a variety of towing methods, so make sure to check our page or call us directly for more information for 24hr towing near me.