Can A Manual Transmission Be Towed 4 Wheels Down?

jonrjen · Jul 15, 2012

First let me be clear, I am talking about towing a Mustang 4 wheels down..NOT Towing a trailer with a Mustang.

I am looking at buying a 1999-2004 Mustang GT with a manual transmission for fun and pleasure, but was wondering....could a Mustang GT of these years also be used as a toad (a vehicle towed behind a motor home) 4 wheels down and not cause any damage to the transmission or drivetrain?

I have heard that it has something to do with the location of the shaft and bearings in the transmission as to whether or not the transmission would receive proper lubrication while being towed in Netural.

Thanks for the assist and information

jonrjen · Jul 15, 2012

Found my answer. Didn't like it, but so goes life. The answer was a big NO!!! don't do it.

trinity_gt · Jul 15, 2012

The problem is that with the transmission in neutral all the gears on the mainshaft freely rotate on the shaft. As the output shaft rotates because it is being driven by the driveshaft, there is nothing driving the countershaft. This reduces the amount of oil splash reaching the mainshaft and can harm the bearings.

A reasonably simple fix is to bring along a set of jackstands and a jack. Before a long tow, remove the driveshaft in the towed vehicle...

phatboy5015 · Jul 18, 2012

trinity_gt said:
The problem is that with the transmission in neutral all the gears on the mainshaft freely rotate on the shaft. As the output shaft rotates because it is being driven by the driveshaft, there is nothing driving the countershaft. This reduces the amount of oil splash reaching the mainshaft and can harm the bearings.

A reasonably simple fix is to bring along a set of jackstands and a jack. Before a long tow, remove the driveshaft in the towed vehicle...

Then you would need to plug up the end of the transmission with something..

trinity_gt · Jul 18, 2012

phatboy5015 said:
Then you would need to plug up the end of the transmission with something..

Could be as simple as a heavy plastic bag and and elastic band wrapped around the end of the trans. Or one could source a yoke to stick in there or go to a trans shop and see if they can give you a plastic plug.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Can A Manual Transmission Be Towed 4 Wheels Down?

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Can A Manual Transmission Be Towed 4 Wheels Down?

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