Re: Towing a Miata


"Sam Askins" <Sam_member@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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In article <dEXTf.34$8P5.3424@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Big Al says...


"Sam Askins" <Sam_member@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dvp9ug01gcs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <2iUTf.17$8P5.577@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Big Al says...


"Tom" <tomgorrell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2QMTf.56531$H71.54242@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Is anybody out there towing a Miata (4 down) behind their RV ?

Tim
What year is your car? We just bought an '06 with a six speed
manual
and
were told by Miata not to tow it four down. I don't know why a
standard
shift car can't be towed four down, but we plan to heed their
advice.

As far as I know you can't tow any rear wheel drive stick shift car
four
down. The output shaft spins inside the lower gears and will gall and
seize
up.

Al

First I've heard that one. For those who don't understand how a manual
transmission works go to this site:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission3.htm

As you can see the output shaft spins inside the gears and won't get
lubricated,
so all is needed is to start the engine whenever you stop to fuel up or
rest and
start the toad's engine in neutral and let it run for a minute or so.
That will
spin all the gears and lubricate all the bearings and seals.

Sam

Sam,

You can't stop every 200 to 300 miles and start it for a minute. Some
people
that don't know better may take your advice.

On some 4X4 vehicles, you can put the transfer case in neutral and it
will
survive. Rear wheel drive cars have to be towed with the drive shaft
removed
if you're going over about 50 miles. And, I wouldn't tow one that far.
It's
a very expensive repair.

Please don't take anyone's word for this, look in the owners manual.

Al

Here are some interesting quotes, Al:

"Last week, in Waco, TX, I saw and talked to a SECOND Class A owner who
towed
Miata 5-speed, 4-down. The first guy had towed over 50,000 miles, the
second over 35,000 miles with no apparent problems."

"The driver said that the Miata had about 40,000 miles on it and that he
had
towed it for about 5,000 with no special modifications, leaving it
running, or
stopping periodically to start the engine. He said that he just decided to
tow
it even though Mazda did not recommend it and has seen no problems."

The Blue Ox website doesn't even MENTION rear wheel drive standard
transmissions
as being a problem:

"Most front wheel drive manual transmission cars can be towed with all
four
wheels on the ground with no modification. Most front wheel drive
automatic
transmission vehicles will need a lube pump or similar device in order to
tow it
four wheels down. Rear wheel drive automatics will require a device to
disconnect the driveshaft in order to tow four down."

This site about European transmissions is more specific about standard
transmissions:

"...two wheel drive have a neutral position that will let the vehicle be
towed
and not hurt the transmission."

And this company that sells towing equipment says that very few manual
transmissions cannot be towed with all four down:


http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:zm-0kgskmggJ:www.sierraautoproducts.com/towable_cars.htm+towed+standard+transmission&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=30

"Most Manual Transmission Vehicles can be flat towed."

Of course no can say that ALL manual transmissions can be towed because
there
have been some weird stuff made like all wheel drive, all the time. In
those
cases all the drive train (front and back) would be spinning all the time.

You should be a moderator over in the Bounder Yahoo group. They come up
with
crap like you do all the time. Unfortunately they kick people off the
group who
disagree with them. People have been towing standard transmission
vehicles ever
since they've been made. AND, then comes along an urban legend that gets
spread
from newsgroup to newsgroup until it becomes fact and apparently you've
bought
into it.

Sam


OK Sam, I looked at the link you sent. Checked for Chevrolet Camaro, Ford
Mustang, Ford T-Bird, Dodge Viper, Pontiac Firebird, Pontiac GTO, Chevy
Corvette, Toyota Supra, Honda 2000, Mazda Miata and every other REAR WHEEL
drive car I can think of. Can't find any. Can you? Maybe I just can't think
of the right one??

Al


.

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