Towing without an engine....

[2ndGenGuy]

Okay, so I'm moving this weekend. I need to tow my 1g over to my new house, but the engine isn't in it. My plan was to just make sure the brakes were good and tow it with a tow rope.

A problem came up though, my friend says that without the front axles bolted into the hubs that you'll mess up the front wheel bearings. He says that they hold the wheel bearing in there night and tight. Is this true? Or can I just tow it anyways? Any other ideas what I can do besides get some dummy axle ends and bolt them into the hubs?

Thanks!

[mkymonkey]

what are you going to tow it with? another car? a truck? and how were you planning to break? oh and i would make sure that its not illegal to tow like that in your state.....it is in ca

i'd rent a dollie if i were you, safer, legal...and you dont have to worry about the axels....here in ca its like 20 bucks for a day

[ZackieDarko]

you gotta get a dolly or flat bed it is very very illeagle to tow anything with a rope in WA

[A18A]

cant you just bolt the cv into the hub?

[2ndGenGuy]

I can bolt the CV into the hub, but then the other end of the axle will be hanging there... not good.

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's illegal here, but I've never had a problem. I've towed many other cars on a rope past Police. They don't seem to mind as long as you're not being a total dumbass. (It's kinda unsafe, and dumb, to tow this way, I know...)

I would rent a tow dolly if I had a vehicle with a tow hitch. I knew I should have kept my Bronco II. It was the ultimate Honda hauler.

Basically, if it won't mess up the front wheel bearings, it would save me a lot of hassle to just sit in the car and work the brakes, while someone pilots the van that would be towing the now-1500lb car.

[2oodoor]

risky business but then that is what makes life interesting

I dont see how you would damage the bearings, there ain't no weight to bear. They are perm sealed/lubed, they are just gonna roll. Otherwise I would not plan on towing it like fifty miles or something that would make for a long unpleasant afternoon.
brakes should work but they will be hard. call AAA...
2cents

EDIT: the car may be a bit squirly cause of of the pos camber

[race12001]

yea i would use a dolly well i wouldndt i would use my rollback but yea use a friends trailer to haul it

[88LXi68]

I have heard the same thing, but when I was doing the swap for my car I had no axles in the hubs and I haven't had any problems.

[2ndGenGuy]

Ok thanks for the info guys. I didn't see how it could damage the bearings by not having the spline bolted in.

I'm only towing it across town (10 miles MAX), it seems like a mega-hassle to drive around all day looking for trucks to tow with, and dollies to hook to, hook it all up, tow the car, then return everything.

[offthahook]

I would think 10 smooth miles wouldn't be a problem. Ideally, it wouldn't have to roll, or just roll on the rear wheels. Have your hand close to the parking brake just in case. Rope towing can be an adventure. I wouldn't do it during the am or pm rush hour either. Slow, safe, and easy.

[MessyHonda]

put in the corvette engine in it and dont worry about it.

[offthahook]

put in the corvette engine in it and dont worry about it.

Nah, tow it with the Vette. Pics of that would own.

[2ndGenGuy]

I think the best thing I've ever seen was a Geo Tracker towing a HUGE lifted, 4 door Chevy Silverado down the freeway. Needless to say the guy in the Silverado didn't look happy.

Shoulda gone back and taken pictures. That would have been classic.

[forrest89sei]

I think the best thing I've ever seen was a Geo Tracker towing a HUGE lifted, 4 door Chevy Silverado down the freeway. Needless to say the guy in the Silverado didn't look happy.
Shoulda gone back and taken pictures. That would have been classic.

ROFL!!!

[Catalyst]

Yeah you should be fine, but man, its extremely sketchy getting pulled by a rope.... my buddy had to pull me in my 91 civic hatch with his huge dodge ram diesel, for about 7 miles, ( civic fried the distributor ), and it was really scary. The brakes sucked as it is... and without power they sucked 10x worse. I live in the mountains so it was all up and down, and that dodge had so much torque he would just be yanking me around as the rope slacked up the tension up a hill. Not fun, but do what you have to do. I don't recommend doing it that way.

[Civic Accord Honda]

illegal pfffftttttttt that how we towed the 3ge to the shop from are place good ole tow rope and kyles truck it was about 8miles

[forrest89sei]

illegal pfffftttttttt that how we towed the 3ge to the shop from are place good ole tow rope and kyles truck it was about 8miles

nice!

[2ndGenGuy]

Okay well I think the dilemma that I'm having is towing with no axles in the hubs. Do the CV ends hold the wheel bearings on? Roodoo thinks it's ok, so I'm going to go for it.

[MessyHonda]

Okay well I think the dilemma that I'm having is towing with no axles in the hubs. Do the CV ends hold the wheel bearings on? Roodoo thinks it's ok, so I'm going to go for it.

if they dont ...its another reason to replace them....since they are almost 25+ years old.

[2ndGenGuy]

if they dont ...its another reason to replace them....since they are almost 25+ years old.

It's an 81, so yeah it's 26 years old.

[MessyHonda]

i was close but yeah...i dont think it wont hurt it...i just had my front hubs out when i was replacing my front ball joints.

[Ichiban]

Hey John, the wheelbearings are held together by the stub axle on the CV shaft. It'll seem OK at first, but the stresses from moving the car will soon overcome the press fit and the wheel will fly off. I would strongly recommend you get a tow dolly, and still bolt in the CV's. We once moved a gutted Ford toreass from the garage to the compound at the armories (same setup roughly as your honda) without the CV's in it and we made it about 150 feet when the wheel blew off. I was actually standing on the roof of the car, it was one of those special moments.

[forrest89sei]

Hey John, the wheelbearings are held together by the stub axle on the CV shaft. It'll seem OK at first, but the stresses from moving the car will soon overcome the press fit and the wheel will fly off. I would strongly recommend you get a tow dolly, and still bolt in the CV's. We once moved a gutted Ford toreass from the garage to the compound at the armories (same setup roughly as your honda) without the CV's in it and we made it about 150 feet when the wheel blew off. I was actually standing on the roof of the car, it was one of those special moments.

OMG that had to suck.

Now I know not to move my car without CV's

Learn Something New Everyday

[Civic Accord Honda]

my step dad saw a wheel fly off a toyota the other day on his way to work the tire almost it the 3gee it was going fast so it would have fucked it up a bit

[MessyHonda]

outch....how bad did you get hurt?