[thomas Machine]

I'm new here and glad I found you. I'm seeking some information. I'm an engine rebuilder and have a full service machine shop on Long Island. A tow truck brings me a Ford F-550 two wheel drive, automatic, 6.0 Diesel, dual rear wheels with a dump body. As it arrives, pulled from the front, smoke is billowing out from under the hood. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and popped the hood but didn't see any flames. The smoke cleared quickly and I realized that the transmission was scalding hot, so hot that it was smoking. The owner of the tow company says he pulls these all the time from the front. Service manager at a Ford dealer says that the axle's need to be pulled before towing. Anybody here have experience with this? I replaced the turbo and the engine runs fine but the truck won't move now. Had to stop working when I lost the sun. Just figured I'd this by some pro truckers to get a heads up. Thanks in advance

 

[PerryB]

In a word,NO! If you're going any appreciable distance or speed the drivetrain must be disengaged at some point, either by pulling and capping the axles, or by disconnecting the driveshaft. If doing the D-shaft, I suggest you mark the shaft to pinion relationship so it can be reconnected the same way, to avoid a possible driveshaft vibration after the fact. I know that seems like it could never happen, but it can. I was a full time (plus) tow truck driver for 15 years doing both standard and medium duty applications. You wouldn't believe the things I've seen screwed up by a tow truck (and then adamantly denied by the driver)!! It would appear our tow truck friend cooked himself about 4 grand worth of tranny. How much a pound does that work out to anyway? -- P.S. tell the owner of the tow company he's an idiot!!

 

[Mark Kovalsky]

The TorqShift transmission in that truck will not live if towed with the wheels on the ground. There is a one way clutch that requires a lot of lube and it gets ZERO lube when the engine is not running. That one way clutch is now destroyed, and probably quite a bit of the trans around it, too.

 

[ford_doctor]

Pulling the axles is one way however it makes a mess and exposes the rear axle housing and wheel bearings to dirt and water contamination. The majority of towing companies that tow to my dealer disconnect the rear drive shaft at the axle and secure the driveshaft up to the frame.

A GOOD towing company always restores anything they disconnect after reaching their destination. Sadly most do not as they are careless and lazy. I actually had a bus towed in this week and the driver elected to pull the axle shafts leaving them and all of the bolts on the bus floor to roll and scatter around on the floor, leaving oil stain spots and oil leaking from the axle onto the customers wheels and tires and onto out parking lot. Nice going. Not to mention that the parking brake and the parking pawl are rendered useless and the wheels were not chocked either. BIG safety issue.

Yes, this kind of stupidity leaves me bitter. It's no less stupid than toasting your customers transmission.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

A word of caution:

Make sure you do a REALLY good job of wiring up that disconnected drive shaft. I managed to lose a drive shaft even though I spent a considerable amount of time wiring it up to the frame. (I even double wired the darn thing) Obviously though, it wasn't enough.

After arriving at our destination, I spent a considerable amount of time under the vehicle looking at the gaping void where the drive shaft once resided. I guess I was in shock and disbelief that I had lost the drive shaft. (There was probably just enough play in my wiring that over the 1200 mile trip, it just worked it's way back enough to slip out of the tranny and disappear.)

With today's ratchet straps you shouldn't have any problems, but that is what I thought back then too! :jester:





.

 

[speedrcr78]

Pulling the axles is one way however it makes a mess and exposes the rear axle housing and wheel bearings to dirt and water contamination. The majority of towing companies that tow to my dealer disconnect the rear drive shaft at the axle and secure the driveshaft up to the frame.

A GOOD towing company always restores anything they disconnect after reaching their destination. Sadly most do not as they are careless and lazy. I actually had a bus towed in this week and the driver elected to pull the axle shafts leaving them and all of the bolts on the bus floor to roll and scatter around on the floor, leaving oil stain spots and oil leaking from the axle onto the customers wheels and tires and onto out parking lot. Nice going. Not to mention that the parking brake and the parking pawl are rendered useless and the wheels were not chocked either. BIG safety issue.

Yes, this kind of stupidity leaves me bitter. It's no less stupid than toasting your customers transmission.

It is possible they don't want the liability if something goes wrong since they wouldn't have professional liability for that. Who is gonna pay if the driver installs something wrong and something breaks or an accident happens? As far as the driver letting everything roll around, making a mess, and loosing parts, then yes I agree with you. But for you to say that a driver would be careless and lazy not to put everything back is not really a fair statement. I have dropped drivelines/axles many times but made it a point to make sure that nothing got dirty and always told the mechanics where they could find the parts. To the OP never tow it in neutral had a buddy blew his up after about 15 miles. The transmission is junk, the customer needs to call the wrecker service and get them, or their insurance to pay.

 

[ford_doctor]

Dude, its a driveshaft. It's 4 bolts. It IS laziness.