towing without a trailer.

[nate213]

im worried about having my 66 bronco towed if it ever breaks down. i dont want to have to pay for a tow truck, and was wondering if there is anything i could buy that mount on the front of my frame. like a front hitch that connects to a truck like a trailer would?

 

[joel]

I saw a Bronco tow bar for sale. I thought it was on this site, but I did a quick search and couldn't find it. I think it was a Smittybuilt. But you can find tow bars that attach to the front bumper. I'm not sure whether it's OK to tow without disconnecting the rear driveshaft (maybe thats for an automatic only). I have seen full floater kits for the 9" rear end that put locking hubs on the rear axel. Then you can just unlock the rear hubs and tow.

 

[Scoop]

Search for "flat tow" and you'll get all the info you need.

 

[needabronco]

Yes you can flat tow, with a tow bar. You do have to remove the rear driveshaft to avoid starving the output bearing in the D20 of oil. The reality is removing a driveshaft is a 3 minute job so it's not a big deal! The other thing about flat towing a Bronco is that you should really avoid backing up.

Where are you located? I have a tow bar and wiring harness that I may be willing to sell. The wiring harness plugs into the rear harness of your Bronco and allows you to have running and brake lights on the Bronco...

 

[marshall godron]

Flat tow

I've been flat towing mine for about the last 3years c4 Dana 20 I just put the t case in neutral I've never took out the rear drive shaft but now you have me concerned I'm going to fry my t case ? :-[has anyone else had a problem with the t case output barring?

 

[blubuckaroo]

I've been flat towing mine for about the last 3years c4 Dana 20 I just put the t case in neutral I've never took out the rear drive shaft but now you have me concerned I'm going to fry my t case ? :-[has anyone else had a problem with the t case output barring?

The owners manual spells it out pretty well. You need to pull the driveline. Some of the bearings only get lubed when the front of the transfer case is turning. It's not just the issue of damaging the bearings. There have been horror stories of the drivetrain actually locking up and causing a wreck. What I've done is to completely remove the rear driveline and keep it in a trash bag in the back of the car. I use the car for short trips in front wheel drive and only reinstall the driveline for wheeling and longer rides.

 

[marshall godron]

Flat towing

Good to know ;D looks like ill be pulling out my drive shaft form now on thanks for the info!

 

[okie4570]

I know some only remove the rear drive shaft at the rear axle, tape up the ujoint ends, and tie the drive shaft up high........transfer case in neutral of course.

 

[nate213]

Yes you can flat tow, with a tow bar. You do have to remove the rear driveshaft to avoid starving the output bearing in the D20 of oil. The reality is removing a driveshaft is a 3 minute job so it's not a big deal! The other thing about flat towing a Bronco is that you should really avoid backing up.

Where are you located? I have a tow bar and wiring harness that I may be willing to sell. The wiring harness plugs into the rear harness of your Bronco and allows you to have running and brake lights on the Bronco...

i live in west jordan, just outside of salt lake. where would be the best place to buy a tow bar?

 

[Timmy390]

Interested in a tow bar too. Does anyone make them or does everyone fab their own?

Tim

 

[Scoop]

HF has them on the low price end. Or any RV place will have the higher end ones.

 

[okie4570]

HF has them on the low price end. Or any RV place will have the higher end ones.

Have you seen the one from HF in use or any reviews? I saw one a month ago when I was in a HF store, didn't know if there had been any dependabilty issues.

 

[Bajabrewer]

I know some only remove the rear drive shaft at the rear axle, tape up the ujoint ends, and tie the drive shaft up high........transfer case in neutral of course.

I've got a Stroppe with a towbar & they put a bracket welded to the frame to hold the towbar in the up position

 

[needabronco]

Mine is a Reese tow bar, I bought it from a member here. I also see them on craigslist all the time.

 

[blubuckaroo]

Make sure your tow bar angles up slightly from the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle otherwise it won't tow right. Also there is less chance of the hitch coming off thee ball during a hard stop. It's hard to set it up that way if your Bronco is really tall.

 

[miikee73]

I tow with a Reese tow bar.I disconnect the rear shaft. I have a stainless steel push bar on my Bronco and just made some brackets to hook together.

 

[blubuckaroo]

Go job on that bar! It looks like it comes off easily too.

 

[prosys1]

Interested in a tow bar too. Does anyone make them or does everyone fab their own?

Tim

I bought my Reese at Autozone for just over $100.
I've used it to tow my '68 twice, both times about 600 miles round trip. I do disconnect the rear of the rear driveshaft, tape the caps, and wire it up to the frame rail.

I will make new rails for the tow bar before I use it again. I don't like the two piece style. I think they did this so the parts would all fit into a smaller box. I don't like how much slop the whole assembly has...

The bumper brackets bolt right onto your existing bumper. Mine is a custom job, but they will bolt to the stock bumper.