towing a Geo Tracker question.

OP here again. Like I said, I do have the manual for this 97 Tracker. I have found that there is indeed, a short section on "Recreational Vehicle Towing". Basically it says:
If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle with manual freewheeling hubs, it can be towed from the front with all four wheels on the ground. Follow these steps.
1. set the parking brake
2. Turn the ign. key to ACC.
3. Leave the trans in PARK
4. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAl
5. set the hubs to FREE
6. Release the parking brake

--- BUT it prefaces the whole thing by saying:
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has automatic freewheeling hubs or two-wheel drive, do not tow it on all four wheels. If you do, your transmission could be damaged.

SO, I guess I get manual lock out hubs. I wanted them anyway, just didn't know why. .. might re-install the automatic hubs in the winter if not planning to tow anywhere.

The only thing that I can Add is to always have The Transmission in Driveand in Two wheel drive for a few feet before hooking up! NOT in reverse or in Four wheel drive!

mowermech wrote:
The ignition switch in a 1997 vehicle should have the "OFF, NOT LOCKED" position, usually one click from "OFF, REMOVE KEY" position. If it does, THAT is the switch position to use when towing. Yes, you will have to leave the key in the switch. Yes, that position does unlock the steering.
I simply do not understand why the design engineers decided to eliminate that position from the switch!

X2
it is very easy to have it in the wrong position on these Trackers. Mine had 2 positions for acc. One locked the steering wheel one did not.

When I picked mine up from an RV shop after having all the towing equip installed THEY had it in the wrong position and when I pulled away the steering wheel was locked tires skidding.:R

I always gave the steering wheel a turn each and every time I hooked it up to make sure it was not locked.

The ignition switch in a 1997 vehicle should have the "OFF, NOT LOCKED" position, usually one click from "OFF, REMOVE KEY" position. If it does, THAT is the switch position to use when towing. Yes, you will have to leave the key in the switch. Yes, that position does unlock the steering.
I simply do not understand why the design engineers decided to eliminate that position from the switch!

OP here. My Tracker is a 1997 Geo Tracker with an automatic transmission and a transfer case than can be shifted into NEUTRAL. I'm not concerned about towing with the transfer case in neutral. The reason I posted was to ask about the steering wheel lock -- I guess I'll turn off the radio and turn the key to ACC. While remembering to keep another key outside the locked car. I do have the manual and while glancing through it, only saw info. about emergency type towing. Thanks everyone for the replys.

I would be willing to bet the auto trans eliminates towing 4 down, unless you are willing to disconnect the drive shaft.

If the Tracker is an automatic trans AND also a 4x4, you then have the 4x4 shift to move into neutral which disengages it allowing towing 4 down. We don't know what the OP has.

OP needs to post year, make and model of his Tracker.

OP also needs to check the owners manual to see if the vehicle is towable 4 down. Look under recreational towing in the owners manual.

I hope you bought one that is.

Many transfer cases don't offer Neutral anymore. Our Nissan Frontier is 2WD manual shift, but the manual shows the 4WD transfer case as 2WD, 4HI and 4LO. That's it and 4WD manual shift is to be towed in the 2WD mode, essentially same as our 2WD version. No flat towing the automatic.

I should have asked whether your transfer case has a neutral position, as my ROCKY does not and I didn't think of it.

Gonzo42 wrote:
I would be willing to bet the auto trans eliminates towing 4 down, unless you are willing to disconnect the drive shaft.

Put the ignition key in "ACC" position.

CA law specifies you must have a braking system for anything over 1500 lb, and I think your tracker is over that.

As a few have already said, easy to tow four down if you have manual hubs.

California is a stopping performance state not a weight state. It takes three CHP or other LEO's to make the test so you won't be likely to be stopped. Look for my post from a few years ago and it gives chapter and verse.

A TRAILER over 1500 lbs. must have brakes.

If you check the towing guide books you will find they are written by either manufacturers or dealers or both and are usually blatantly lying about the laws in many states..

Better check to see if you have automatic lock out hubs or not.

If you do you HAVE to change them out to manual hubs BEFORE towing it.

Tracker went thru a ton of production changes over the years. Each one is different info.

You really NEED to do a search on the year and model of your Tracker to get the right towing information. Some of them you have to start every 250 miles to circulate the trans oil, AND you might have to put it back in gear to do so.

Also buying the correct base plate to fit which production model Tracker you have can sometimes be a problem. I know it was for my Tracker.

What year and make do you have? If it matches mine I can give you the links for the towing info.