Community Forums

MnTom · 01-21-2015, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEHartman

I will try some of the strap and rope techniques some of you offered. My only concern is cinching the strap to the brake pedal too tightly causing the steering wheel to deform.

Give me a couple days and I'll report the good or bad.......

Thank you all......

Keep in mind that for a bungee cord all you need to do is wrap the steering wheel and pull on it a little bit. then shut the door on it. If you are deforming the steering wheel you have it way too tight.

Glenn and Kathy · 01-21-2015, 10:18 AM

How will your aux braking system work if you have the brake pedal attached to the steering wheel?

Glenn

wa8yxm · 01-21-2015, 10:26 AM

Locking steering wheels on most cars did not come out till what, the late 1960s when they switched to column locks,, Used to be the ignition was in the dash and the few cars that had interlocks.. Well.... Let's just say they were major trouble sources (Not unlocking for example).

So with a rear wheel drive, you need to lock the front wheels when you tow it.. So how did they do that back in say the 50's or early 60s?

Simple they tied the wheel off

In fact if you are dolly towing front wheels down they tell you to do that today. EVEN WITH LOCKING WHEELS.

Page 2: it is Front wheel drive, this means the Front wheels are on the dolly, If the Car is tracking "off to the side" I do not think this is due to lack of a steering lock.. I think there is another issue at work here.

But without eyes on I can not be sure. But basically the position of the steering should not matter, it should be "locked" to the dolly by the straps.

Brockx · 01-21-2015, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MnTom

When I ran wrecker (many many years ago) we used a bungee cord the same way. Never did have any problems.

Nobody walks away with an old piece of rope

and it always fits.

cwj212 · 01-21-2015, 02:13 PM

I towed my 2010 Fusion to Florida and back as well as many other trips. I too had a karkaddy 450. The fusion's wheel does not lock either. I used a ratchet strap from Home Depot. Hook one end under the seat (seat all the way back), loop twice around the wheel and hook the other end back under the seat. Just snug it up tight. All you need is a small strap. Works great. Tows straight as an arrow. It adds a couple minutes to the hook up time but you get used to doing it. The karkaddy tows great.

wa8yxm · 01-21-2015, 02:33 PM

Re-reading parts of this.. I think you have an alignment issue on the car, or a suspension issue.. NOT a steering wheel lock, for one thing, I do not think locking, or securing the wheel, will fix that problem, May cause other issues (Stress related).

I think your towed needs a good suspension/alignment guy.

DEHartman · 01-23-2015, 05:52 AM

UPDATE 2:

OK, I had the car's (2008 FWD Impala) rear alignment checked this week. It was set perfect to factory specs. I did previously have front alignment problems, but that's a moot point since the front tires are on the dolly. The car's tires are almost brand new - about 3K miles. Yes, by all logic, the car should track straight on the dolly when going straight, but it didn't. all your alignment suggestions made a lot of sense so that's why I had it checked this week.

I have not yet retried to dolly up the car and tow since rear alignment was checked. Was hoping to do this weekend but a friend passed this week so my wife and I are headed south for the weekend to attend memorial service and funeral, so will be next week before I can try it again.

I can see the entire dolly with or w/o car from the rear camera minus about 18" of the tongue. With or without the car, dolly tracks perfectly straight when Im going straight. I could see the car's rear skew to the right from the camera. This model Kar Kaddy has the "steering wheels" that turn in the direction the RV turns a curve or corner.

When I do try another run, Im going to try some of the steering wheel strapping techniques many of you had mentioned to see if this will hold the car straight. More to follow next week.

Thank all of you for your suggestions. More to follow.......

spritz · 01-23-2015, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEHartman

UPDATE 2:

OK, I had the car's (2008 FWD Impala) rear alignment checked this week. It was set perfect to factory specs. I did previously have front alignment problems, but that's a moot point since the front tires are on the dolly. The car's tires are almost brand new - about 3K miles. Yes, by all logic, the car should track straight on the dolly when going straight, but it didn't. all your alignment suggestions made a lot of sense so that's why I had it checked this week.

I have not yet retried to dolly up the car and tow since rear alignment was checked. Was hoping to do this weekend but a friend passed this week so my wife and I are headed south for the weekend to attend memorial service and funeral, so will be next week before I can try it again.

I can see the entire dolly with or w/o car from the rear camera minus about 18" of the tongue. With or without the car, dolly tracks perfectly straight when Im going straight. I could see the car's rear skew to the right from the camera. This model Kar Kaddy has the "steering wheels" that turn in the direction the RV turns a curve or corner.

When I do try another run, Im going to try some of the steering wheel strapping techniques many of you had mentioned to see if this will hold the car straight. More to follow next week.

Thank all of you for your suggestions. More to follow.......

Very interesting can't wait for the results of your next test.
Condolences to your wife and yourself,
Tim

PDR John · 01-23-2015, 10:39 AM

Anybody else notice that those with experience (tow truck drivers, other owners of the same dolly, etc...) and the dolly owners manual all say this:

If the car does not have a locking steering column
the steering wheel must be tied securely with front tires
in a straight position.

All those with theory say different.

I will stand by to read the test with the steering wheel strapped down.

Brockx · 01-23-2015, 01:07 PM

I suggested the OP tie off the steering because of the Dolly having steering capability. My dolly does not have steering nor does my Toad have a locking column. I think he just has too many moving pivots. It really doesn't surprise me the car is trying to follow the camber of the road with 2 pivots in play.

cwj212 · 01-24-2015, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEHartman

UPDATE 2:

OK, I had the car's (2008 FWD Impala) rear alignment checked this week. It was set perfect to factory specs. I did previously have front alignment problems, but that's a moot point since the front tires are on the dolly. The car's tires are almost brand new - about 3K miles. Yes, by all logic, the car should track straight on the dolly when going straight, but it didn't. all your alignment suggestions made a lot of sense so that's why I had it checked this week.

I have not yet retried to dolly up the car and tow since rear alignment was checked. Was hoping to do this weekend but a friend passed this week so my wife and I are headed south for the weekend to attend memorial service and funeral, so will be next week before I can try it again.

I can see the entire dolly with or w/o car from the rear camera minus about 18" of the tongue. With or without the car, dolly tracks perfectly straight when Im going straight. I could see the car's rear skew to the right from the camera. This model Kar Kaddy has the "steering wheels" that turn in the direction the RV turns a curve or corner.

When I do try another run, Im going to try some of the steering wheel strapping techniques many of you had mentioned to see if this will hold the car straight. More to follow next week.

Thank all of you for your suggestions. More to follow.......

Sorry to hear about your friend. If you strap the wheel, it will tow straight.

Craig and Joan
2010 Itasca Suncrusier, 2014 CRV toad

slhicks · 02-11-2015, 12:43 PM

I am facing the same problem with my 2014 Ford Edge. In fact I was told today that all new Ford products no longer have the locking steering column to allow for either flat or dolly towing, at least according to the Ford dealership from whom I purchased the vehicle. I cannot say what the other Ford owner manual say but the Edge is towable either 4 down or Dolly. Again according to the dealership the lack of a locking steering column is what makes this possible.

Based on the research I have done over the last three months the situation is to many pivot points. You (we - those having front wheel drive cars) have two choices: 1) if you have a tow dolly with a swivel tray or steerable axial you must tie down the steering wheel; 2) purchase a tow dolly without either a swivel tray or steerable axial, leave the steering wheel free and let the towed vehicle be the single pivot point.

The problem I have run into is finding a tow dolly that does not have either a swivel tray or steerable axial. Any suggestions?

twinboat · 02-11-2015, 01:32 PM

The Acme tow dolly has neither steering or swivel plate and advertises on this site.

On your point of to many turning points, I dolly tow a Kia Soul, with no locking steering, on a swivel tray Sthel Tow dolly.

It tows straight and true. I have towed it over 5000 miles.

Some will say I have locking steering but I broke and then, removed the lock pin after a sharp turn when I first started towing, getting out of a gas station.

Just my experance

Old Radios · 02-11-2015, 02:13 PM

Acme tow dolly with 2014 Ford Focus (no locking steering column) works fine. Dolly has no pivot point and the Focus's Front wheels are the pivot point.

You should have only one pivot point. Either the tow dolly tray pivots or the front wheels pivot, not both. Some dollys with a pivot tray can be locked so they don't pivot when towing a car that does not have a locking steering column.

Locking steering columns are disappearing fast. If you are looking at dollys with a pivot tray make sure it can be locked when towing a newer car without a locking steering column.

Just a note from a comment about the Ford Edge above:
When I checked the Ford Edge Front wheel drive was not flat towable and has to be on a dolly. The All Wheel Drive Edge is only flat towable and can't be towed on a dolly.