Flat towing a slush box.

[scitzz]

Let us say I needed to flat tow an automatic festy. Do you think I could get away with removing the Half shafts, plugging the tranny so the spider gears don't fall, and putting a big hunking hunking bolt through the hub assembly to hold the bearings together?

Shoot, do slush boxes have spider gears? Dunno....

Or, will I have to take a couple half shafts apart, and shove them through the hub?

[Pu241]

ATX's don't have spider gears!

If your going to tow more than a couple hundred feet I disassemble a pair of crappy half shafts ATX or MTX (Festiva or Aspire) wont matter as you only need the outer part anyway.
Big hunking bolt just wont fit as nice as the splined shaft and at highway speed I'd be concerned about vibration from the bolt not being quite centered.
Because it's close to the center of rotation that probably shouldn't be much of a concern.
The shaft would just be a better fit and safer in my mind.
If you need a set, I can probably scare up a set for you.

[wybnrml]

Depends on how far you have to tow it. Some people have flat towed autos short distances with no problems at all. I have heard people say they flat towed an auto for a 1000 miles and had no problems, but I wouldn't do it. But a short distance shouldn't be a problem.

[200KGPGTP]

Neutral?

[wybnrml]

Neutral?

When towing an Automatic you can't just put in neutral like a manual transmission vehicle. The auto tansmission wont get the proper lubrication when flat towing it, thats why your not supposed to flat tow one.

[kartracer46]

I will let you know when I get one of these running that I have flat towed for 200 miles.

[Pu241]

I will let you know when I get one of these running that I have flat towed for 200 miles.

But did you know if the tranny was any good to begin with?

[GenevaDirt]

Nightcrawler has done this....all he does is start the car and leave it in neutral....towed from Florida to Minnesota I believe with no issues. May cost for fuel but if it HAS to done....

[200KGPGTP]

^^^There's an idea! I can't imagine it would cost hardly anything to have a festiva at idle going 60mph. You should record the mpg before doing that!

[Pu241]

Nightcrawler has done this....all he does is start the car and leave it in neutral....towed from Florida to Minnesota I believe with no issues. May cost for fuel but if it HAS to done....

I was in the same situation, and thought of the samething, let it idle while in neutral, but FB71 explained that at 60 mph the pumpwould still be at idle and wouldn't be getting enough oil to the tranny. So I ended up pulling the 5spd with the ATX.
If anyone knows I68 in MD, just before Handcock, MD, there is a large "hill" you need to climb heated east. On that hill with my ATX festiva towing the 5 spd I managed to pass a semi in the truck lime at 26 MPH!

[bravekozak]

I rented a two wheel U-haul tow dolly when I picked up my Festiva in Detroit.
Both of us just pushed the Festiva onto the dolly. Cheap and easy.

[Aspire]

I was in the same situation, and thought of the samething, let it idle while in neutral, but FB71 explained that at 60 mph the pumpwould still be at idle and wouldn't be getting enough oil to the tranny.

....soooo, I take it that he wasted all of that gas for nothing...


The thing that scares me about leaving a car running for so long is that what happens if it starts to overheat or lose oil pressure? Overheating an automatic can kill the engine & transmission...as I found out with a honda I once owned.


I recommend driving the auto one & just pushin the stick. That would be cool & novel. Yeah, that's what I would do.

[Pu241]

....soooo, I take it that he wasted all of that gas for nothing...


The thing that scares me about leaving a car running for so long is that what happens if it starts to overheat or lose oil pressure? Overheating an automatic can kill the engine & transmission...as I found out with a honda I once owned.

No gas wasted, as I said Pulled the 5 spd with the ATX.
In this case I do not think the ATX car is functional so that is not an option.
A festy at idle being pulled along at anything over 35 mph will not over heat, I can almost guarantee the fan will not even come on. Especially with ambient temps between 30-40 F.
As far as oil pressure if your seal are decent then you shouldn't have any issues, if your loosing oil at idle you got other problems.
I don't think scitzz's ATX is a runner yet so this is not an option for him either.

[Pu241]

I rented a two wheel U-haul tow dolly when I picked up my Festiva in Detroit.
Both of us just pushed the Festiva onto the dolly. Cheap and easy.

It is if they think your going to be pulling a festiva with a truck.
Take note, a Ford Ranger is not big enough to tow a festy according to Uhaul.
I had to go to WV were they aren't all that concerned about what your towing with the dolly to get one.

[FestYboy]

ATX's don't have spider gears!

If your going to tow more than a couple hundred feet I disassemble a pair of crappy half shafts ATX or MTX (Festiva or Aspire) wont matter as you only need the outer part anyway.
Big hunking bolt just wont fit as nice as the splined shaft and at highway speed I'd be concerned about vibration from the bolt not being quite centered.
Because it's close to the center of rotation that probably shouldn't be much of a concern.

Oh yes they DO have spider gears!!!! in the diff.
And yeah, you can run a sizeable bolt through the hub (with appropriate sized washers and nyloc nuts). Both Jim and i have done it at highway speeds with no issues, the bolt won't be off center enough to cause any measureable or harmful vibrations (too close to center).