Towing Toyota Tacoma on Dolly Backwards
I know towing four down is much easier and better but the DW and I have been going around and around about a tow vehicle we both like toyota's and I will always have a truck so could be an answer. A...
Forum Discussion
I definitely recommend NOT towing a vehicle backwards on a dolly.
Wrecker operators get by with it because they *usually* know and remember to add some sort of secondary securement to the steering wheel. The steering wheel lock was never intended to hold the wheels stationary on a moving vehicle, and could easily be broken by a pothole, curb, or other road hazard. Also, because they lift the rear end so far, that usually creates enough caster to keep the wheels pointed straight anyways, Finally, if the wheels do turn, it just makes the vehicle crab. Not the end of the world unless you're driving down a tight alley.
On a dolly, the shallower angle means the steer wheels on the towed car can start oscillating like loose shopping cart wheel, and the whole dolly will start swaying out of the control. It's a rare occurrence, and has to be initiated by the steering moving, but it can happen and the outcome usually isn't great. One of my friends lost his Mercedes, when it suddenly started doing the dolly dance. Towed perfectly find up until it didn't. Lucky for him, it broke free of the dolly and flipped on the side of the road. Otherwise it probably would have taken the truck for a ride too, possibly into oncoming traffic.
Wrecker operators get by with it because they *usually* know and remember to add some sort of secondary securement to the steering wheel. The steering wheel lock was never intended to hold the wheels stationary on a moving vehicle, and could easily be broken by a pothole, curb, or other road hazard. Also, because they lift the rear end so far, that usually creates enough caster to keep the wheels pointed straight anyways, Finally, if the wheels do turn, it just makes the vehicle crab. Not the end of the world unless you're driving down a tight alley.
On a dolly, the shallower angle means the steer wheels on the towed car can start oscillating like loose shopping cart wheel, and the whole dolly will start swaying out of the control. It's a rare occurrence, and has to be initiated by the steering moving, but it can happen and the outcome usually isn't great. One of my friends lost his Mercedes, when it suddenly started doing the dolly dance. Towed perfectly find up until it didn't. Lucky for him, it broke free of the dolly and flipped on the side of the road. Otherwise it probably would have taken the truck for a ride too, possibly into oncoming traffic.
