cricket Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 I'm considering towing a 79 4WD wagon 900 miles with an adjustable tow bar. Has anyone tried this? What experience has anyone had? any suggestions regarding whether or not to disconnect the shafts all around? just the front? Thanks, Cricket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 If its a 5 speed, you should be ok. Towing with a bar = 4 down. put it in neutral and away you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 I'm considering towing a 79 4WD wagon 900 miles with an adjustable tow bar. Has anyone tried this? What experience has anyone had? any suggestions regarding whether or not to disconnect the shafts all around? just the front? Thanks, Cricket the old ones with manual trannies like that can be flat towed without removing any shafts. just make sure you are in 2WD and Nuetral. and make sure the steering wheel isn't locked. lots of soobies were flat towed behind motor homes in the 70's/80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cricket Posted May 6, 2005 Author Share Posted May 6, 2005 Yeah, forgot,, it's a 5 spd manual. How about connecting the tow bar to the bumber, any experience/suggestions? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bustle Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 towing world sells brackets to attach the tow bars. Just search their on line catalogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RavenTBK Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 To repeat what everyone else said.. leave it in FWD, shifter in neutral and ride. Keep up with those tires though, and make sure the steering is unlocked. BTW, its a 5 speed? I remembered reading that the EA71s came with 4 speeds. Am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cricket Posted May 6, 2005 Author Share Posted May 6, 2005 Well, now I don't remember if it's 5 or 4 speed. I'm looking at a tow bar that supposedly attaches right to the bumper bolts and doesn't need a "bracket." Which is why I was asking about it. To repeat what everyone else said.. leave it in FWD, shifter in neutral and ride. Keep up with those tires though, and make sure the steering is unlocked. BTW, its a 5 speed? I remembered reading that the EA71s came with 4 speeds. Am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBARU3 Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 4WDs are 4 speeds in the Gen 1s. It's doesn't matter though. You can tow with all 4 down, in neutral/2wd/steering lock key in and unlocked. As for brackets, thats custom. Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 i towed a sedan from fort wayne indiana to hillsdale michigan with my ea82 sedan, in the snow, 4wd and 45 mph. did ok towed a wagon to the junk 20 miles 55-60 mph no problem future plans involve towing a wagon across iowa 400 miles, with the ea82 sedan, 5spd dual range no driveshaft lo when needed the tow bar i have was modified to fit any ea82 body in a non permanent fashion, to tow with an ea82 or ea81 with a hitch. or anything with a hitch for that matter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zefy Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 just make sure its in neutral... a guy towed a sami behind a motor home while the car was in 1st... went up to like 20000rpm... not good...as long as its not an automatic you can tow it as far as you want... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 Just remember .... You can NOT back up while the car is connected to the tow vehicle. some lessons in life are learned the granite way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 Just remember .... You can NOT back up while the car is connected to the tow vehicle. some lessons in life are learned the granite way Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 " Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral." If this comment was directed at my statement?? Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle. But is directed at the fact that.... The front wheels will cock and jack the knife will occur within meters. as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with Gibraltars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 " Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral." If this comment was directed at my statement?? Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle. But is directed at the fact that.... The front wheels will cock and jack the knife will occur within meters. as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with Gibraltars It was a question,not a comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 I see, said Helen K. you are therefore welcome for an answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 " Not even if the tow'd vehicle is running?As in idling in neutral." If this comment was directed at my statement?? Please be advised, the comment I made has nothing to do with the drivetrain of the tower vehicle. But is directed at the fact that.... The front wheels will cock and jack the knife will occur within meters. as I said - the the path to knowledge is sometimes strewn with Gibraltars How about if someone gets out and helps keep the wheels from cocking? P.S. Flat Towed an 84 brat from San Diego to Tucson behind a 1-ton F250 Turbo Diesel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 If the person in the towed vehicle tries to correct ... the towed vehicle will try to streer the towing vehicle via the tow hitch This is not good in some situations. P.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 29, 2005 Share Posted May 29, 2005 Sorry guys,I thought this thread was about the tranny diff. not jacking with the wheels locked,my mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 you could be excused as it is a bit burried in the orig post i.e. "What experience has anyone had?" The expierence being related it that of reversing when towing four down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cricket Posted May 30, 2005 Author Share Posted May 30, 2005 Update. See thread about towing disaster (which had nothing to do with the tow bar setup): http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=37058Anyhow, I drilled four 1/2" holes (2 per mounting bracket) right through the front of the bumber, as close as possible to the bumber's brackets. Then I attached the tow bar brackets at the holes. Hooked everything up and it worked just fine. I even went up a pretty steep incline in Colorado Springs just before the mishap described in the other thread. My biggest concern was whether or not the tow bar bracket bolts would come right through the bumper metal under pressure. The bolts/brackets held up just fine. Thanks for all the help about towing. I'll be back in Colorado Springs next weekend to bring the wagon. Again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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