Towing car on all fours

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Thanks, Just found out from a welder that harbor freight has the tow bars for $59. Welder said to take a piece of angle iron and bolt across the bumper supports and then attach the tow bar to it. Now I need to get my a/c fixed that I've been putting off.

Are you towing a Turbo Buick?
Why would you need to remove the bumper?
Why not just pull the bumper and leave the bumper support?

If i didn't already have a towbar and light set up. i would go with the U-Haul car carrier.
U-Haul quoted me $50.00 for one day returning it at the same place of the original rental.

this is the best idea
"TURBOTWIN2 My vote is for a U-Haul drive on trailer. Quicker set-up, safer and fairly cheap for a one time deal. You get to drive it off ready to go. While your son is returning the trailer, you be can taking your buddies for a ride to the Dark Side."

 

[Mike70gtx]

I don't think that the tow bar would hook to the bumper. I just checked for uhaul prices. $110 for a dolly and $220 for a trailer. The tow on all fours would be $60 for bar another $10 for some angle iron and probably some more to rig up lights. I don't know how the u haul dollys are, but one I borrowed from someone was a pain. The car didn't have a motor in it and kept wanting to come out when I turned corners too sharp.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

I don't think that the tow bar would hook to the bumper. I just checked for uhaul prices. $110 for a dolly and $220 for a trailer. The tow on all fours would be $60 for bar another $10 for some angle iron and probably some more to rig up lights. I don't know how the u haul dollys are, but one I borrowed from someone was a pain. The car didn't have a motor in it and kept wanting to come out when I turned corners too sharp.

take a look at the picture in post #5

the bar sits on the top of the bumper and in front of it
the chains pull the bar against the bumper

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

a bigger picture

 

[Mike70gtx]

I'm going to go to frieght harbor tomorrow to take a good look at the tow bar. I don't think it has the setup like yours that grabs onto the bumper. It looks like it bolts on. I'm sure a more expensive tow bar would grab the bumper. The bumper is also freshly painted so I wanted to avoid rubbing or scratching the paint.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

I'm going to go to frieght harbor tomorrow to take a good look at the tow bar. I don't think it has the setup like yours that grabs onto the bumper. It looks like it bolts on. I'm sure a more expensive tow bar would grab the bumper. The bumper is also freshly painted so I wanted to avoid rubbing or scratching the paint.

My first tow bar was a "Grab" the bumper type but it was a POS
It had a clamp on top and one on the bottom. The problem was that when you pulled the car it had a good tight grip but when you would press the brakes and the towed vehicle bushes against it and it would start to come loose.
Your choice dude.
The one you see in the picture has towed cars with plastic bumpers and metal bumpers.
Suburbans and the most recent a 2000 V8 S type.

The chains hooked up to the frame of the towed vehicle plus the ball on the towing vehicle hold the bar in place.
Good luck anyway you go just be careful with the grab type of tow bars stopping is the when the danger shows up with them.

 

[GoldHawg]

I have towed my 71 Cutlass across country several times, most recently this summer when I moved from DC to Alb, this time behind my 96 Impala SS. I have a setup that mounts to the frame under the bumper, and attachs to a regular tow bar. I always remove the driveshaft. I just take the small jack and jackstands. Takes only 20 minutes to have the driveshaft back in. The driveshaft fits fine in the trunk. I use the magnetic tail lights. I would like to do a similar thing with my GN that is in AR when I get ready to bring it out here. I don't like towing the extra weight of the trailer. But if I did have a bigger suburban type vehicle, I probably would just rent a trailer. But it is a lot easier to tow it w/o, even w/removing the driveshaft. I don't like the uhaul car haulers--makes the car being towed want to fishtail more. my .02 cents.

 

[stack1]

a bigger picture

Dude...... What happened to your face?!?!?!

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Dude...... What happened to your face?!?!?!

My wife says I am too good looking to put my picture on the net. :biggrin:
And yes she need eye glasses.

 

[Mike70gtx]

My welder recommended that I take off the bumper and use a piece of angle iron bolted to the two bumper extensions. Then I would bolt the u-shaped bracket from the tow bar to the angle iron and then attach the bar with the pins that go through the brackets.

 

[49-blues]

Mike70gtx- thats the same towbar i bought - bolt it to the chassis brackets and put the driveshaft in the trunk -i drove over 100 miles with a grand caravan in third gear -no problem.

 

[Mike70gtx]

I'm not at the car to look now, but will I need to remove the bumper to get to the chassis? Are there existing holes? It seems like bumper and air dams are in the way.

 

[Alky V6]

If you remove the driveshaft, and you should, don't forget to put a plug in the back of the trans.

I too don't like the idea of towing the car other than on a flat bed.

 

[Mike70gtx]

Thanks for the reminder. My driveshaft is a little hard to remove through my 3" dual exhaust. I was wondering about unhooking and wiring it up real good, but I'd have make sure I can get it totally out of the way of the yoke.

 

[Alky V6]

I should add. Being in the transmission business, I've seen plenty what can happen when you tow with the driveshaft not removed. Even on vehicles that were considered immune to damage from towing.

 

[XLR8]

For the expense that towing is going to be, I would look at either a one way car/truck rental or just fly home.

 

[Alky V6]

I was thinking more of the expense that towing 'could' end up being.

 

[Mike70gtx]

Update: Got my a/c fixed, tcc solenoid replaced; so I'm going for it. Got an employee discount (from friend) of 20% at harbor freight. Tow bar and magnetic lights for $57. I've got he bumper off and brackets bolted to the bumper extensions. I'll pull drive shaft tomorrow and do a "practice" tow. My biggest question now is; Are the bumper extensions strong enough to pull it? It seemed like some of you have towed hooked to the bumper, so that would put all the "pull" on the extensions.

 

[Alky V6]

Those are collapsable bumper brackets. I don't know how that would work out with the pulling and pushing from towing.

 

[49-blues]

I bolted mine right to the bumper brackets and towed my gn 105miles in third gear-no problems.