Towbar'ing an M35 w/o steering gear

[clinto]

Clinto g/f has this parts deuce that a good friend has very graciously allowed to graze on his fine field grass for a while and I need to get it home.

But it's missing all the steering gear other than the drag link-steering box, column, etc. It has the drag link, so both wheels are connected.

Which means if the wheels "fall" all the way to one side on a turn, I have to pull over, jack up the front axle, straighten the wheels and take off again. If the truck were 20 miles from home, I would not worry about it. But it's a hair over 200.

Question is: Since I haven't found a screaming deal on an equipment trailer big enough for a deuce, I will be using the trusty medium towbar to get this sucker home. Should I go through the herculean effort of driving out 200 miles, install the steering linkage, box, column, wheel, etc. and then drag it home or just pull it as is and take reaaaaaaallllllllllyyyyyy wide sweeping turns?

Advice? Opinions?

 

[gunboy1656]

Seems to me it would be less hassle to go out and put the parts on. Your not always going to be able to make those really wide turns. You know other drivers have no patience.

 

[54reo]

Install the steering gear, you will end up being glad you did so.

One quick evasive maneuver may not go so well if the wheels suddenly go to lock on one side.

 

[avengeusa]

install the parts

 

[Armada]

Clinto, Westfolk will probably chime in, but he recently towed a 5T from MI to PA under the same circumstances. Front wheels were connected to each other and that was about it. No steering wheel/column. He had a big arse bar for inserting into the rim to turn the wheels if needed. He never had to resort to that. The truck tracked all the way home, including going from gravel to asphalt. The engine was missing from the truck too, although it had a winch hanging off the front. I thought that would make the towing/turning worse by not having the front end weight, this based on my experiences towing an engineless deuce. It worked out fine. I'd say try it!

 

[Alredneck]

Check the toe of the vehicle being tow, ussually when the toe is out the towed vehicle doesnt want to return to center. If you measuer the front and then the back from the same reference points it should get you pretty close. Im not sure what the factory spec are but have used a tape to get it pretty even front to back. Worse case scenario we could trailer with the gooseneck if you want and I get some free time. Let me know and goodluck on the recovery.

 

[nhdiesel]

I would say go for it. No different towing without it hooked up than with, except for those times you would have to get inside and move the wheel...which is extremely rare. As was said, bring a big bar with you just in case. About the only time you would have a problem would be on a tight turn in the dirt- so stay off the back roads. Also no turning around in McD's parking lot. As far as safety, which is the main concern, there is nothing more unsafe about towing this way than with it hooked up.

Jim

 

[drgreg]

Sounds like a good time to buy an 816.

 

[rmgill]

Hey Clinto, I have access to an M818. It's mostly road ready, if you can assist me in going over the truck and finding any other problems, you can use it for picking up your dodgy front steering deuce. We can tow it on the 5th wheel like Kenny did his other Deuce.

 

[Monty]

Another SS member and myself towbared an M810 around 75miles, with an818 the truck was missing engine, trans and transfercase. Without the draglink installed the trucks steer tires would swing violently left/right going anything over 10mph.
We swapped in a draglink and we towed it back no problem.
I would recomend that you get it trailered or swap in the needed steering parts to flat to it safely.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[BFR]

tow bar , with a sledge hammer & big prybar to straighten the wheels if necessary.

 

[70deuce]

My experience is that a towed 5 ton tracks like a dream. A deuce definitely does not. Put the parts in. The deuce front end tends to head top a stop when you take a turn.

 

[poppop]

The 5 tons do tow well. bob130 towed two 600 miles and had no problems. The duece on the other hand does not like dirt and the wheels will lock all the way in one direction. Clint, Kenny towed that 109 to the Rally last yearwith the steering wheel tied and drug it around turns. Maybe you could use some chains under the truck to limit the travel of the front tires. Leave enough so it will track straight and not wear the tires but limit sever movement. If you can stay on pavement all the way it is probably possible, but I drove 50 extra miles to last years Rally because I missed two turns and had to drive untill I found a paved lot large enough to turn around in.

 

[Recovry4x4]

There you have it from Lloyd! If it were me (hehe) I would head down with an assortment of ratchet straps and the good ole medium towbar. Hook up, get yer wheels straight and use 2 ratchet straps to secure the front axle. For the sake of easyness (not a word), I would go from the left leaf spring to the right steering knuckle arm just in front of the tie rod and another strap from the right spring to the left steering knuckle arm just on front of the tie rod. Tighten these incrementally, keeping the axle straight then go for it. If it sounds like I've done it before, it should!

 

[nhdiesel]

Excellent advice! That sounds like a great way to do it. Ratchet straps (compared to chains or something solid) should allow enough movement, even when pulled tight, to let the wheels adjust a bit. I just wouldn't over tighten them, and also use strong straps. Just picture what would happen if 1 strap were to break...

Jim

 

[Floridianson]

I perfer tow bar to axle hook up over running to the bumper shackles. If you have any double chain axle clamps I would run them.

 

[BFR]

For the record, no.

 

[clinto]

For the record, no.

BFR speaks from experience. We attempted this yesterday.

What we found was the straps simply couldn't hold the front tires tight enough to keep them dead straight. A chain binder might work, but we won't be attempting it. In a turn, even when the tires didn't fall all the way over, the would go far enough so that they couldn't return to center.

Plus, above about 30, the tires began to get an awful oscillation, which we agreed was due to no steering box being there to dampen the left/right movement.

So the next time you ask for advice and everyone tells you not to do it, LISTEN!

 

[rmgill]

Fiddle sticks Clint. I gotta get on that 818 and trailer project.

 

[gimpyrobb]

MMMmmmmmm, dropside!