Should You Consider Any of These Options When Towing Your Broken-Down Car?


Murphy's Law will often dictate that if things can go wrong, they will go wrong. You will certainly be inclined to agree with this famous Irishman if you find yourself stranded by the side of the road in unfamiliar territory. Your car is normally reliable and efficient, but when you were particularly reliant upon its capability, it let you down. No matter what you do, it will not restart, so you need to get some assistance to help you get back to your trusted mechanic. What are your towing options?

Friendly Help

You may remember that you have a buddy who lives close by. He has a small car and trailer, so perhaps he will help you to get back to civilisation. However, are you sure that this rig will be capable? It might not be rated to tow that type of weight, and the trailer itself may not be designed for a vehicle as heavy as yours. You must take into account safety and legality before you go in that direction.

Using a Rope

If you don't know anybody nearby who has a trailer, you may be considering a flat tow. In other words, you will simply hook up the stricken car to another vehicle in front and you will steer while they drive. Some people may think that they can use a tow rope for this scenario, but in reality, a proper tow bar should be connected between the two vehicles.

Causing More Damage

You've also got to consider whether this type of arrangement could cause additional damage to your vehicle. Most cars these days have a sophisticated automatic gearbox system in place, and a forced tow could break some of the internal components. To be safe, you will need to disconnect the drive shafts, but this is quite a big job by itself and defeats the objective, as you're trying to get the vehicle back to your mechanic.

Using a Dolly

You can counter the issue posed by an automatic gearbox by lifting the driven wheels off the ground. However, this will require a tow dolly, which is effectively a miniature trailer in itself. These are even more difficult to find than a conventional trailer in your hour of need.

Making the Call

All in all, there's only one real choice in this situation, and that is to call out the professionals. Get in touch with the nearest emergency towing company and they will make sure that both you and your vehicle get back home without any further drama.

About Me

What To Do When Something Goes Wrong

One of the many joys of owning a 4x4 is that they are generally sturdy, hardy cars, and you're not that likely to run into a serious problem while you're driving one. One of the very few drawbacks of owning a 4x4 is that when you do, it can be trickier to get it sorted than for other cars--some models need specialist services or non-standard towing equipment, and not everyone is set up to help you out! Following a breakdown, I've decided to set up this blog to help other 4x4 enthusiasts prepare for such an eventuality. I'll be covering companies set up to tow 4x4s, equipment you should keep on you at all times and even a few ways to avoid common 4x4 issues.

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