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Need towing help or a tow bar

fasttruck

fasttruck

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tires inflated, oil in all 3 differentials and transfer case ? Transfer in neutral ? Some of these things do not track well and it may necessary to tie the steering off unless turning a very sharp corner. Safety chain between towing and towed vehicle ? Light bar on rear or chase vehicle behind tow ? No garbage in bed to blow out on road ? Grease all u-joints ? Flange bolts tight so you don't throw a driveshaft out ?
 
VPed

VPed

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Not all need the steering tied. If you can, check out how it tracks in an empty lot by making an "S" turns or two.
 
M35A2-AZ

M35A2-AZ

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I have towed a Deuce a number of time and have never tied the steering wheel. Works ok on pavement, but not so good on soft dirt.
Air the front tires up to max psi. Watch front tires in a turn.
 
Floridianson

Floridianson

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Before locking steering and we lift towed from the rear then we tie the steering wheel. Keep your tow bar short and as for the chains. Make a hard right turn and tighten one chain. Make a hard left turn and tighten the other chain till pretty tight but never bind up. You do not tie the steering wheel on a flat tow from the front.
 
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Floridianson

Floridianson

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Do what you will but you do not tie off the wheel on a flat tow. I have recovered 20 trucks bigger than a Deuce and never tie off the wheel. Just think about it for a while you will see the steering wheel needs to turn when the tires do. How many other post said they do not tie off the steering wheel?
 
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USAFSS-ColdWarrior

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

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When I recovered our XM818 I flat-towed it 130 miles from Midland, TX back home to San Angelo, TX using our Deuce as a tow vehicle.

(The whole story is in the link below in my signature block if you'd like to read the details.
You MUST READ Post #76 in that thread before attempting your flat-tow!!!)

The recover was a success, however, I will NEVER again do that. The 13,500# Deuce was too light for the 19,000# XM818 even with 1000+ lbs of ballast in the back over the drive axles.

PLEASE be absolutely sure that your tow vehicle is HEAVIER and has MORE TRACTION on its back end than the towed vehicle has on its front end to avert DISASTER.

DO NOT tie down the steering when flat-towing.... unless you are trying have a crash. The towed vehicle's steer axle MUST be allowed to follow the lead vehicle's direction of travel. PERIOD ! ! !
 
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fasttruck

fasttruck

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Reference to posts 12, 13, and 14: having done several drawbar tows in an earlier life it is my experience certain vehicles will not "track" or follow the leading vehicles. M37s were the worst, the steering would travel from one extreme to the other and back if the steering wheel was not secured. If it was necessary to make a sharp turn as into a driveway you would have to release the wheel. But interstate on-of ramps and such were not an issue. If you go over a bump, cattle guard, or railroad crossing and the tow starts to hunt at 40mph this is definitely a character building experience. As alternative on a short trip is to have soldier B sit in the tow and help it if necessary.
 
Floridianson

Floridianson

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Lets look at it this and I will also tell you why I stopped using the tow bar. First I had the TM for the tow bar but gave it to Joseph in Ga. If I remember it says tow speed 35 but it might be 25. Ok first if it is 35mph the min. on any interstate is 45mph so we are 10 mph over to start with. I never did 45 closer to 50 / 55. and that's not good. Now if we inflate the tires to what they call for when we carry the max GVW then this could cause the front end to bounce if we are going to fast and hit a good pot hole. Now we go to the brakes on the truck we are towing. The op never asked about how to modify the Deuce we are towing brakes so the towing truck has control over it or can apply it's system brakes. I can only hope he did the modification. You never want to tow something that heavy and not be able to apply it's brake system. Now we have a truck that we can apply it's braking system but is it strong enough. I was towing with my 920 a 5 ton tractor and I out weighted it buy double but had a problem. Rain on the exit curve ramp and just a little to much speed. Lightly touched my brakes but the 5 ton tractor brakes did not come in strong enough and gave me a little push. Now with the tractor not right behind or tow bar not straight that little push cause the 920 rear to kick out just a couple of inches. I knew right away something bad was going to happen if I did not let off my brakes. I let off but hit the Jake brake low setting and crossed my fingers. Well it worked and the 920 gained traction on the rears and I was able to regain control of what was happening. So bigger machine does not always count if there is the right conditions and the tow has enough weight to just give the tow truck a push. This is when I stopped towing my own trucks and called Pete with his tractor and step deck trailer to recover what I bought. I do not believe the TM said anything about tying off the steering wheel. Just because you think you are only going to go straight it does not leave you the option to do something else in an emergency. Please be care full when you tow with a tow bar. As we seem to be the only ones that are doing it and is it correct that we do with the weights the trucks are. Also if you ever saw the police do the pit or TVI maneuver this can happen when you least expect it as said even if you tow truck out weights the tow.
 
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fasttruck

fasttruck

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As post 16 suggests trailering a dead horse is the safest way to move it. Also eliminates pesky issues with registration and insurance.

In an earlier life I survived a 300 mile tow of a dead M813 with a M62 (gas) wrecker from Ft Drum, NY to NJ. The throttle on that wrecker was wide open every inch of the way. At Preble, NY, the steepest upgrade on the route, in 2nd lo I told the assistant driver 1 more downshift and he would be out pushing. I believe we did not tie the steering wheel off on that trip and of course being braindead youth did not have the airlines looked up between the wrecker and the tow. Fortunately it was a dry, sunny day.

Some posters imply that tieing of the steering wheel will make the tow impossible to guide around a corner. Having towed various M37s including my own with drawbars it has been discovered they will not track if the steering wheel is left loose. They will go back and forth lock to lock. Usually the towing vehicle was a M818 which is heavier than an M37 so they will follow along on all but the sharpest curves with the wheel ties off usually with rubber bungee cords. They can also be guided in reverse steering as if the tow is a trailer.
 
Monkeyboyarmy

Monkeyboyarmy

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I'll agree with VPed. I've towed deuces and 5 tons and some of them need tied and some dont. Deuces are worse. First few turns will tell the story. If you turn left and the towed truck turns right, the the wheel straight and let the tires scrub through the turns.
 
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