I have a diesel pusher motorhome and I want to tow my 1g 5 speed AWD behind it. My plan is to use a t-bar attached to the bumper. I will be putting the car in neutral and rolling it on all 4’s. Does anyone have experience with anything like this? I’ve read all 22 towing related posts and I have not seen anything that would address long term towing on all 4’s.
The real question:
Technically is it feasible with the transmission? I’m not worried about the rear end or the transfer case, but since the input shaft in the transmission is not turning will the standard lubrication process take place in the transmission?
Read your manual, theres no way in hell you can do that. Get dollies or a trailer they're your only choices.
In the ideal world I would use a trailer, but I don’t have money to get one yet. My other 1G and Evo are killing the budget lately. Flat tow bars are very cheap and I can fabricate the connections to the bumper easily. I can be on the road in no time for around 125.00. That includes magnetic lighting.
Do you know why you cannot flat tow them, specifically? I don’t care what the Mitsubishi vehicle manual states, manuals are close to worthless to me in these obscure cases. I saw a pic of a member towing a boat with his 1G, I bet the manual frowns on that too.
If you have it in manual and tow it on all fours I do not see a problem with it. As stated all 4 wheels need to move at the same speed in which they are. No different when drifting it down a hill or anything to pop start. You will be alright.
Only thing I can see is your input shaft on the trans is not going to be turning. That might effect proper lubrication of some bearings. For a short distance it would not be bad, but for long distance it could hurt some bearings. Most of the AWD or 4 WD you see being towed behind RV's have transfer case they can shift to neutral. Plus they have a pump in the transfer case that is driven by the drive shaft that keeps it lubed.
My .02 on the subject.
Read your manual, theres no way in hell you can do that. Get dollies or a trailer they're your only choices.
It actually says flat towing is an acceptable means. If you where going to burn up your differentials by doing this, you would also theoretically do it by coasting to a light in neutral.
The factory service manual page 22 says specifially in the section "Special Handling Instructions for AWD models: Towing". "For AWD models the basic principal is that all 4 wheels are to be raised before towing." it doesn't say should, could or may, it says are to be raised. The abject ignorance in this thread about how differentials work is astounding. You can never safely turn a differential by the wheels without ruining it, period. They do not work in reverse. Coasting in neutral isn't the same as being drug around.
The owners manual also says to change your oil every 10k miles, wear your seat belt and let the car idle for 60 seconds after being on the highway...
I see plently of AWD cars being pulled by RV's. I'd assume half of them are 5 spd. Mainly CR-V's or Subarus.
I'm not saying you can go pull your DSM with your RV. I want to see facts and info on how it's bad to do so. So why is it perfectly fine to pull any other car behind a trailer, but not a DSM?
Skywise. The previous owner of my car, an obvious fuck-tard, pulled the rear drive shaft in my car, and put in a NT FWD trans. Only god knows how long he drove the car along like that. The rear dif and axles were left in the car.
By your logic, my rear end should be ruined. Right? I put in an AWD trans, t-case and drive shaft. Rear end works fine, the diff didn't implode...
The factory service manual page 22 says specifially in the section "Special Handling Instructions for AWD models: Towing". "For AWD models the basic principal is that all 4 wheels are to be raised before towing." it doesn't say should, could or may, it says are to be raised. The abject ignorance in this thread about how differentials work is astounding. You can never safely turn a differential by the wheels without ruining it, period. They do not work in reverse. Coasting in neutral isn't the same as being drug around.
The owners manual states that for "Towing" as in reference to a tow truck.
You cannot tow a vehicle the same as a 2wd/4wd truck car where you can disengage the front differential nor the same as a FWD vehicle.
Flat towing with a 5spd will be fine. An automatic would not as the oil is only pumped in an auto when the trans is being spun by the engine.
You will not hurt the differential. Driving around with non matching tire sizes. THAT hurts a differential. I've seen way too many customers do that to their vehicles. 3 weeks ago we had a guy who came in for a noise in his FWD trans. His donut sized spare tire had been driven on to the point of no tread left. Fried the differential in the vehicle from the non matched spider gear speeds.
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Colin
90 TSi AWD. G4CS/hta35r/Auto trans conversion. 10.54@129.74
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