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Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:51 am
by jchipper
not sure if this is the right forum but since it's kinda related to the drivetrain I thought it might go here, is it possible to tow my 90 legacy with a tow bar for 800 miles w/o damage to the tranny? it's a 5 spd... or will i need to remove the drive shaft and axels?

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:21 am
by 555BCTurbo
2wd or 4wd?

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:36 am
by jchipper
4WD

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:42 am
by 91legacyawdturbo
4WD or AWD? if it s AWD disconnect both front cvs and disconnect the drive shaft. you don't want the trans rotating.

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:47 am
by jchipper
well it's the 5 spd and it says on the dash full time 4WD not AWD

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:52 am
by 91legacyawdturbo
well either way you'll have to disconnect everything or you'll screw something up!

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:57 am
by 555BCTurbo
All US Legacies are either FWD or AWD...I suppose I assume everyone knew that...


You could get away with taking out the rear driveline methinks

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 8:23 am
by smh0101
How about a Uhaul trailer? Thats my suggestion, easiest!

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 2:27 pm
by jchipper
yeah but it's $420 :O

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:30 pm
by CCorsair
I was told that (by the tow truck drive I just used last week ) not to tow my wagon with out the tow dolly as it will damage the tranny.

And with the damage I have now I think someone towed my wagon before I got it with out the dolly or put it up on a flat bed to tow.
the drive said it can mess things up but I do note it saids this in the manual as to how to tow and how not to.

CC

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 10:47 pm
by ericem
Can't do it needs to be all 4 on the ground or none.

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:00 am
by Murphy
with my 4EAT, we towed it about 200miles with the front wheels on a dolly, the FWD fuse was in. that was about 5 years ago.

you could take out the driveshaft and put the front wheels on a dolly. you cant do any damage like that, because nothing will be turning except the rear end.
it would be like towing a FWD car

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:39 am
by Saskatoon Subaru
i towed my car behind a truck, with all 4 wheels on the ground, in neutral, with no damage.

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:57 am
by evolutionmovement
I would think a manual transmission car would be fine - in neutral of course.

Don't use U-Haul - they're high priced and everything they rent is junk. Ever notice they're always registered in AZ? That's due to lax DMV laws in that state. When the plates on their vehicles are confiscated for safety failures (in Canada, at least), they order up new ones from AZ claiming loss, and they're sent out. I've rented one of their car trailers and it was not legally road worthy, nor was the truck I had to rent to tow it. Everyone ducks your calls when you try to complain. The company should go out of business and the children of the executives starve.

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:42 am
by jchipper
evolutionmovement wrote:I would think a manual transmission car would be fine - in neutral of course.

Don't use U-Haul - they're high priced and everything they rent is junk. Ever notice they're always registered in AZ? That's due to lax DMV laws in that state. When the plates on their vehicles are confiscated for safety failures (in Canada, at least), they order up new ones from AZ claiming loss, and they're sent out. I've rented one of their car trailers and it was not legally road worthy, nor was the truck I had to rent to tow it. Everyone ducks your calls when you try to complain. The company should go out of business and the children of the executives starve.
I agree with you there! but who to rent from for a one way from San Franciscio to San Diego? not to many one way rentals out there..

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:28 pm
by James614
Budget Truck is cheaper than U-Haul, and their trucks are actually in decent shape. They do one-way moves I'm sure, and offer car dollys.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 5:37 pm
by Legacy777
If it's an AWD MANUAL transmission you can tow it with all four wheels on the ground or none of the wheels on the ground.

Manual transmissions are splashed lubed so things will be ok.

Re:

Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 5:14 am
by Falken-18c
Legacy777 wrote:If it's an AWD MANUAL transmission you can tow it with all four wheels on the ground or none of the wheels on the ground.

Manual transmissions are splashed lubed so things will be ok.
so it wont hurt to tow an awd 5speed with a tow bar

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:59 pm
by Legacy777
The owner's manual states "When towing with all four wheels on the ground, the traveling speed must be limited to less than 20 mph and the traveling distance to less than 31 miles. For greater speeds and distances, tow the vehicle with all four wheels off the ground."

So Subaru is not recommending towing the vehicle with a tow bar.

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 4:19 pm
by kodi3482
you can tow it with the front on a tow dolly, if you remove the rear driveshaft.. cheapest easiest way unless you want to pay for a car hauler to put the whole thing on.

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:44 am
by oskar_subaru
Legacy777 wrote:The owner's manual states "When towing with all four wheels on the ground, the traveling speed must be limited to less than 20 mph and the traveling distance to less than 31 miles. For greater speeds and distances, tow the vehicle with all four wheels off the ground."

So Subaru is not recommending towing the vehicle with a tow bar.
that is for the 4EAT, the 5 speed manual trans is just as well lubed when being towed with all four on the ground as it is just when driving...

tow it with 4 wheels on the ground or none, a tow bar will be fine on a 5speed, regardless off the length of the tow

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:19 pm
by Legacy777
The difference between driving and towing is that you're loading the gears on the opposite side that they normally get loaded. In theory it should be fine towing faster, but I'm just telling you what's in the manual.

http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... ns/088.jpg

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:41 am
by oskar_subaru
Legacy777 wrote:The difference between driving and towing is that you're loading the gears on the opposite side that they normally get loaded. In theory it should be fine towing faster, but I'm just telling you what's in the manual.

http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... ns/088.jpg
yeah, maybe, but the only load your putting on it is spinning the gears themselfs :)
i have seen old subaru´s on ebay that have done almost nothing in they´re life but being towed behind a mobile home, and the gearboxes seem to handle it :)

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:45 am
by oskar_subaru
almost forgot, i actualy have myself towed i think 7 subaru´s so far with this =

Image

Image

that red car i towed 800 miles at 50-60mp/h and it´s perfectly fine :)

Re: Towing 90 Legacy

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:36 pm
by Legacy777
I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm just telling you what's in the manual :)