First time I’ll be towing and I have no clue!

Hello everyone I want to tow my 1984 Toyota pickup 4x4 with my 2010 ram 1500 4x4 I don’t have space for a trailer to put my truck on and tow it. I was thinking more like a tow bar? Is there anything I need to disconnect from my toyota before I tow it? I’ll be towing it for about a 4 hour drive. Any tips on what to buy and what to avoid will be appreciated thanks!

 

Front wheels on a wheeled tow dolly and rear drive shaft disconnected

 

Tow bar is do-able, but not as much fun as a dolley or flatbed.
Tow bars have no tongue weight, which means that you aren't getting the extra pressure down on the rear wheels of the tow vehicle. That means that you need to be careful about braking -- no hard braking around curves in the road, keep the braking to straight lines, and as gentle as you can. If you can, brakes on the towed vehicle are very useful, since they'll prevent it from jackknifing the tow vehicle.

Contrary to other recommendations, DO NOT take the driveshaft apart. Just put the transfer case in neutral and go.

 

OP is the taco to be towed an automatic or manual??? You haven’t told us that. If it is an auto does the transfer case have a neutral switch or lever? I know second gen do not have a neutral transfer case switch but I don’t know about your year truck.

 

thanks for the info!

 

My Toyota pick up is manual transmission

 

Since it’s manual just put the transfer case in neutral (if you can) and tow it where every you want to go.

 

Check owners manual if you have it. Photo is from 03 4WD Tacoma owners manual Emergency Towing.

 

Originally Posted by Marlin Crawler
On all auto chain driven and manual gear driven t/cases, if it is towed in two wheel drive, the output shaft will turn, but there will be no way for the oil at the bottom of the case to get to the top where the output shaft is. On the chain driven cases, the input shaft turns the planetary housing which drives the oil pump. Gear driven cases use the input gear and low range gears to throw oil on the inside of the housing that collects the oil via gutters and directs it to the rear of the case by gravity. Both style of cases, must have the input shaft spinning to lube the output shaft, speedo gears, and rear seal of the t/case. The rear driveshaft must be removed.Marlin

 

Toyota motor co. Says none of their trucks can be towed flat. But what do they know ?

 

Here’s what I think, it appears none of us (including me) really absolutely definitively knows the answer to your question. I think the best you can do is go by what the owners manual says. Unless it states it’s ok to flat tow your truck then you shouldn’t flat tow it.

 

I see the bad "Tow it flat transfer case in neutral" advice has been deleted by numerous previous posters.

 

I didn’t delete, I admitted after my first post that I did not know the answer for sure.

 

The vehicle in question is an '84.
Not a 2020, not a '14, not an '04, not even a '94.
It was made before the birth of 98% of the people who use this forum.

NEUTRAL AND FLAT IS FINE.

 

Cool thanks man