Towing Subaru Possibilities

[Quest]

I have a 1997 Subaru Outback (automatic). I recently pulled out the owner manual because another Subaru owner asked about towing. I always thought that you had to tow Subarus with all 4 wheels off the road. It appears that you can tow it with 4 wheels on the ground or 2 up... though all 4 off the road is the recommended way.

 

It indicates with 4 on the road that you only want to go a limited distance and speed... good luck getting a tow truck driver to go under 20 mph. It never really indicates any issues or restrictions with the 2 up and 2 down.... are there?

[Snowman]

A coworker of mine ruined his transmission by towing 2 up 2 down for about 30 miles.

 

If you disconnect the driveshaft, you can leave the rear wheels on the road with no problems...you just can't turn the tranny without the engine running because it doesn't lubricate the bearings and stuff properly. Same goes for flat towing...short distances are okay, but that's it. Most tow companies are switching over to those big flatbed trucks so that they don't have to deal with liability issues surrounding towing vehicles with wheels still on the ground and damaging drive components.

[subie94]

even when i had my gl with dual range (2 up-2 down),i still asked for a flat bed.

 

that reminded me of what i saw last week.tow truck driver was towing a jeep g/c with 2 up an 2 down.that in itself didn't seem weird but the fact that the front wheels(which were off the ground) were spinning.which means that it was in 4wd.

[zyewdall]

...you just can't turn the tranny without the engine running because it doesn't lubricate the bearings and stuff properly. Same goes for flat towing...short distances are okay, but that's it.

 

Hmmm. I've towed several older (80's) cars both FWD and old dual range subies, in four flat, or with just rear wheels on the ground, and assumed that because the transmission was in nuetral it wouldn't hurt anything, since there's no viscous coupling to get hurt like the new AWD's. Does the input shaft on the tranny have to be turning to lubricate the tranny? I thought that it was just the gears sitting in the gear oil, with no pumps or anything, so nuetral should be okay, but I've never taken a tranny apart so I honestly don't know. Are auto's and manuals different? Is this lubrication issue also why people say not to coast with the engine in nuetral... I do that all the time unless I need the engine braking.

 

Zeke

[Snowman]

Hmmm. I've towed several older (80's) cars both FWD and old dual range subies, in four flat, or with just rear wheels on the ground, and assumed that because the transmission was in nuetral it wouldn't hurt anything, since there's no viscous coupling to get hurt like the new AWD's. Does the input shaft on the tranny have to be turning to lubricate the tranny? I thought that it was just the gears sitting in the gear oil, with no pumps or anything, so nuetral should be okay, but I've never taken a tranny apart so I honestly don't know. Are auto's and manuals different? Is this lubrication issue also why people say not to coast with the engine in nuetral... I do that all the time unless I need the engine braking.

 

Zeke

 

It's probably okay for short distances, but yes, the input shaft and countershaft must be spinning in order to fling lubrication onto everything.

[nipper]

Flat bed. Even subaru changed thier procedures and now recomend a flatbed. They used to say put the FWD fuse in and tow with the front wheels off the ground or 4wdN . Now they say flatbed.

 

 

nipper