Any experiences towing our cars with a towbar?

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Ed Hall

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I'm going to be relocating shortly and was wondering if anyone has towed a Mark VIII with a towbar and how did it work out? Do these cars track well when towed or there is lots of sway? The tow vehicle will be a 3/4 ton Cummins powered Chevy Suburban that weights approximately 7000 lbs. The distance will be approximately 1500 miles through CA, AZ, NM and TX. I assume that I'll need to disconnect the driveline and remove the bumper cover and attach the towbar to the frame rails. Is it OK to attach the towbar to the bumper shock absorbers?
 
These cars can't be towed by front wheels only or on tow dollies unless the driveshaft is removed. Best bet is a car trailer, all four wheels stationary. The reason is because the transmission tailshaft bushing is splash lubricated. You will screw it up if you tow it the way your talking about.
 
Chris_Murder said:
These cars can't be towed by front wheels only or on tow dollies unless the driveshaft is removed. Best bet is a car trailer, all four wheels stationary. The reason is because the transmission tailshaft bushing is splash lubricated. You will screw it up if you tow it the way your talking about.
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How would it screw it up towing with 4 wheels on the ground if the driveshaft is removed? I've towed other rear wheel drive vehicles with 4 wheels on the ground and nothing was damaged? Is there something special about these cars that's different than other RWD cars?
 
Ed Hall said:
How would it screw it up towing with 4 wheels on the ground if the driveshaft is removed? I've towed other rear wheel drive vehicles with 4 wheels on the ground and nothing was damaged? Is there something special about these cars that's different than other RWD cars?
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Sorry I missread that it will damage it if the drivershaft ISN'T removed. Also assuming all of the suspension is in good shape no leaks, bad bushings, decent alignment, etc.
 
removing drive shaft also includes removing fuel tank, get a trailer
 
Nah, the half assed way is perfect for that car. Only had 66k on it so may as well tow it a couple thousand miles. Hell, it has slime in the air bags already so screw it right?
 
LaserSVT said:
Nah, the half assed way is perfect for that car. Only had 66k on it so may as well tow it a couple thousand miles. Hell, it has slime in the air bags already so screw it right?
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Air bags are still holding air marvelously since the treatment and car is working well for providing cheap transportation from point A to point B.
 
oh is this the slime guy?? just tie a rope to the front sway bar, its all good
 
...he asked a question, no need to beat an old dead horse that has been long buried.

I can't help answer the question. While I have towed with the Mark VIII, I've never had to tow it.
 
its all in good fun.. look how long ago its been since the RC ordeal with the hammer, its my internet, i laugh at whom i want!
 
yes just trailer it, too much work to remove the ds the way a mark is layed out is as follows
body
drive shaft
fuel tank
you could pull the rear diff and slide the shaft out but you would need to put the diff back in to support the half shafts or they would beat them self to death on the drive, not to mention pulling the front cover so theres somewhere to attach the tow bar. hell by that point might as well dissemble the car and just put it in the suburban lol
 
I would do 1 of 2 things, pop the front sensors off the ball stud on one end so that the car raises higher than normal. Make sure you domt let it lift high or you could pop a bag, or it will ride too rough. Use your judgement on height then shut off the air ride switch. Back it on a tow dolley and see how straight you can get the wheel. Also, i thought the ds yoke had enough slide front to back to umbolt it from the diff and slide it forward and strap it. I have never done either of these methods but they are what I would try.
 
I saw a guy towing a truck from the rear tires on the freeway, needless to say it made me a bit nervous watching that truck slowly swaying left and right
 
I towed my Mark from Nashville to Huntsville, AL. with a dolly! I put the back wheels up on the dolly and fastened it! Then I pulled it a few feet to get the front wheels as straight as possible. Then I took a little ratchet strap and strapped the steering wheel to the bar that is under the front of the seat! That kept the steering wheel locked down pretty good. I thought I was going to break the steering column when I was ratcheting the strap but it did'nt hurt it. I did'nt have any problems! The car towed just fine, I did 80 to 85 all the way down I-65 lol!!!
 
Calabrio said:
...he asked a question, no need to beat an old dead horse that has been long buried.

I can't help answer the question. While I have towed with the Mark VIII, I've never had to tow it.
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Thanks for all the helpful responses. I've decided that it's too much trouble to tow this car with a towbar so I'm going to go the other way and use the car to tow another car using a tow dolly.
 
Ed Hall said:
Thanks for all the helpful responses. I've decided that it's too much trouble to tow this car with a towbar so I'm going to go the other way and use the car to tow another car using a tow dolly.
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special-kind-of-stupid.jpg
 
Here's a chip for the Mark VIII to transform it into even a more serious tow rig.

http://www.engineperformancechip.co...3-performance-chip-with-o2-sensor-control-p-6

"The X3 performance chip is a revolutionary fully adjustable, programmed performance control unit. It is simply the best performance chip available on the market. Our unique X3 chip will increase power by up to 20% or 50 horsepower.


The X3 performance chip is the only one of its kind that automatically adjusts to provide you with maximum horsepower or maximum efficiency depending on the driving conditions. If you tow a trailer, this product will help you get more power for the on-ramps and more fuel efficiency when you are cruising. If you are a casual driver, this product will give you a great blend of maximum power and fuel economy when you need it.

If you want the best - only the X3 chip will do!"
 
no.. that just :q:q:q:qs with your o2 sensor and iat readout before it goes to the computer.. lying to the computer is not gonna do you any good at all.
 
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