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Towing an RX?


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Is there anything to fear in towing my '88 RX to a new 'resting spot' so I can work on her using the "buddy with a truck and a tow strap" method? She'll be moving no more than 4 miles; the center diff will be unlocked (solenoid is blown, can't lock it up anyhoo), and the high/low lever will be in neutral. I'm just worried because I seem to remember someone saying it would burn up the front and rear diffs if it gets towed, but I don't feel like paying a tow company with a flat hauler $100 to do so.

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if the car doesn't have LSD's it should be perfectly fine just towing it in neutral gear (put the hi/lo selector in hi, you don't want that to slip into gear when driving)

 

towing it in neutral is the same load as coasting down a hill with the engine turned off, which is no problem at all.

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Is there anything to fear in towing my '88 RX to a new 'resting spot' so I can work on her using the "buddy with a truck and a tow strap" method? She'll be moving no more than 4 miles; the center diff will be unlocked (solenoid is blown, can't lock it up anyhoo), and the high/low lever will be in neutral. I'm just worried because I seem to remember someone saying it would burn up the front and rear diffs if it gets towed, but I don't feel like paying a tow company with a flat hauler $100 to do so.

 

There is no "neutral" in the Dual range. Subaru Literature, (and even the sticker under the shifter) say "do not to leave selector between Hi and LO" There is a spot in the levers action where it isn't quite in either range but that is not neutral. Besides, doing so would not have any affect at all in a towing situation because those gears are forward of the gearbox, on the input shaft. Which will be doing absolutely nothing while towing. Just put the gearshifter in Neutral. As long as the center diff is unlocked you should be fine, for a short distance. For a longer tow I would pull the rear section of the center driveline

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DO NOT LEAVE THE 4WD LEVER IN FALS NEUTRAL/ JUST LEAVE IT IN HIGH. LEAVE THE GEAR LEVER IN NEUTRAL.

 

sorry dam caps lock...

 

anyway towing with a rop,strap,chain is no different than the car driving naturally as far as what the driveline can tell

 

what you are NOT supposed to do is tow an awd on a tow dolly where the rear axl;es are turning on the road and the front wheels are on the dolly

 

basic rule for towing AWD:

 

all wheels on the road or all wheels off the road.

 

as far as the rope people will arguew if its safe or legal but if you are in the country or what not, and as long as the guy in ythe rx being towed has enough sense to keep the slack out of the chain then you will do alright

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