Community Forums

mart0844 · 10-10-2014, 06:09 PM

Hello my name is John Nash and I'm new to this forum. I have a Forest River Sunseeker. I want to tow a 2007 Mazda Miata on a tow dolly. My question can I tow front wheels up and leave in neutral are will it damage transmission. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks John

Scarab0088 · 10-10-2014, 07:15 PM

Rear wheel drive on a dolly? Not usual, but will have the same answer as flat towing a Miata.

There are those that do that here...hope one stops by soon.

Best luck!

plasma800 · 10-10-2014, 07:32 PM

Towing issues - MX-5 Miata Forum

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...ow%20a%20miata

Healeyman · 10-10-2014, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mart0844

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi John,

I FLAT towed a 2000 Miata 5 speed over 35,000 miles and have now towed my 2010 Miata (until hit and totaled) and my 2012 Miata over 25,000 miles.

By providing answers to questions such as yours, I have also helped more than 75 other Miata owners to get their Miatas FLAT towable.

I have personally installed towing baseplates and done the tail light wiring on 3 NC Miatas including both of my own. ONLY manual transmission Miatas can be flat towed.

DO NOT consider towing either end of your Miata on a dolly.

If you want more information, please PM me with your Email address and lets start a dialogue to get you towing your Miata.

Tim

plasma800 · 10-11-2014, 06:48 AM

Right on Healy! Glad someone who's actually done it came along. Was not anticipating that

Rare car for a toad.

vraines · 10-11-2014, 07:08 AM

I have towed a 2000 Miata and now a 2011 model both four down with no problems. Roadmaster sells the base plates. I installed the base plates on both cars, but the 2011 was pretty much a different car. Healyman gave a lot of good advice which made the 2011 installation go pretty smoothly. As mentioned above, only the standard transmission can be towed. Good luck.

Healeyman · 10-11-2014, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vraines

Healyman gave a lot of good advice which made the 2011 installation go pretty smoothly.

Sonny,

We haven't "chatted" in just over a year. I hope things are well with you and your towing experience is still good.

Thanks for the kind words to the OP, John Nash.

Since you have a 2011, I have a question. My 2010 had a steering wheel lock, but my 2012 does not. Does your 2011 have one?

By the way... Just to UP the Miata fun level a bit, I recently added an Electric Super Charger.

The ESC adds 50 HP and 55 ft/lbs of torque, but only at full throttle. Unless the accelerator pedal is on the floor, it is still a Miata.

Floor it and it's a different animal

HERE is a picture.

Tim

Scarab0088 · 10-11-2014, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Healeyman

Hi John,

I FLAT towed a 2000 Miata...

DO NOT consider towing either end of your Miata on a dolly.

Tim

Please share why, if flat towing is possible - a dolly on the front end would not work.

Thanks

Healeyman · 10-13-2014, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Please share why...a dolly on the front end would not work.

Sorry for the tardy reply. We've been on the road.

In the 8 years that I have been helping Miata owners to get their Miatas flat towable, I have dealt with over 100 people. Most, over 75, went on to actually flat tow, some did not.

I usually ask them to report any towing related troubles back to me.

In that time, the ONLY SINGLE report of trouble caused by towing was a post in one of the RV forums (I think that it was THIS forum) by a guy, NOT one of my contacts, who said that he used to race Miatas and damaged several of the trannsmission bearings by pulling his Miata, front wheels up, on a dolly.

According to him, at the front wheels up angle, all of the transmission lubrication fluid ran to the tail of the transmission causing the front bearings to be lubrication starved and heat damaged.

Personally, I doubt that account, BUT until that condition is confirmed or refuted, I will continue to play it safe and recommend NOT dolly towing a Miata.

Of course, towing ANY car backwards on a dolly is NEVER advisable, but for other reasons.

Tim

vraines · 10-13-2014, 07:43 AM

Good year for towing a Mazda! We were on the road for over 5 months this year and towed the Miata over 4,000 miles. That is actually more than we drove it. The miles don't accumulate when towed.

Ours has a steering wheel lock, but it does not lock until the key is removed. I just don't remove the key when towing.

That blower looks to be a neat idea. Self-installed? I could use a few more hp, but it is not bad as is.

Good to hear from you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Healeyman

Sonny,

We haven't "chatted" in just over a year. I hope things are well with you and your towing experience is still good.

Thanks for the kind words to the OP, John Nash.

Since you have a 2011, I have a question. My 2010 had a steering wheel lock, but my 2012 does not. Does your 2011 have one?

By the way... Just to UP the Miata fun level a bit, I recently added an Electric Super Charger.

The ESC adds 50 HP and 55 ft/lbs of torque, but only at full throttle. Unless the accelerator pedal is on the floor, it is still a Miata.

Floor it and it's a different animal

HERE is a picture.

Tim

Healeyman · 10-13-2014, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vraines

We were on the road for over 5 months this year and towed the Miata over 4,000 miles.

Sonny,

Wow! That doesn't seem like a lot of miles for 5 months. We put on 5,000 miles in July alone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vraines

Ours has a steering wheel lock, but it does not lock until the key is removed. I just don't remove the key when towing.

That is the way all of the earlier Miata steering wheel locks worked. My 2010 was keyless (did not use a key) and I had to disable my steering wheel lock.

It appears that the 2012 is the first year without a lock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vraines

That blower looks to be a neat idea. Self-installed? I could use a few more hp, but it is not bad as is.

Being an old 50's Hot Rodder and a 60's Muscle Car guy, "Not bad as is" is NEVER good enough. We always want more.

Over the past 8 years that I have had 3 Miatas I have said that all they need is another 100 HP.

I was wrong. THIS 50 HP is perfect. To me, 100 would make it almost undrivable.

Yes, it is self installed. I have done 2. The first one took all day. I did the second one in 4 hours flat (Learning Curve)

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this Electric Supercharger, but let me know if you want to hear it and/or want more information. I've got your Email address.

Tim

capnqball · 10-15-2014, 12:23 AM

I'm looking at a 2001 Special Edition as a possible toad. It has the 6 speed manual. Should I expect anything different from the 5 speeds mentioned above as to possible damage? The miata is a 1000 lbs lighter than our CRV which we now tow and that would make a nice difference in our GCVW.

Healeyman · 10-15-2014, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnqball

I'm looking at a 2001 Special Edition as a possible toad. It has the 6 speed manual. Should I expect anything different from the 5 speeds mentioned above as to possible damage?

Ron,

I towed a 2000 5-speed over 35,000 miles with no trouble, including Dallas to Portland/Cannon Beach a couple of times.

Even the Miata towing naysayers agree that because of the design of the 6-speed, it is MORE safely towed than the 5-speeds.

I have now towed 2010 and 2012 6 speeds over 25,000 miles combined.

In the past 8 years, I have helped more than 75 Miata owners (many in this forum) to get their Miatas flat towable.

I don't make or sell anything. I only provide information.

If you want to know more, PM me with your Email address and we can start a dialogue to get you towing a Miata. You will LOVE it!

Tim