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MG TD TF 1500 - Towing a TD

anyone have experience with flat towing a TD? Would like to take it to distant shows, but have no vehicle which can tow a trailer with a car on it..
M Morgan

I once towed my TD home about 250 miles (after a frost plug blew out). It seemed fine until I got home and looked at the tires. The steering did its own thing and I scrubbed most of the tread off the front tires. After that I bought a trailer.
Lew Palmer

I have probably flat-towed my TD in the neighborhood of 1,000 miles. Simple operation. Sometimes as frame only, sometimes with tub only, sometimes with complete car. Image attached showing hitch attached for towing frame with tub. The bar that is behind the bumper face can be drilled for towbar mounting on 24" centers. Car tracks very well. Bud


Bud Krueger

I anchoured my towbar with the 2 bolts that holds the complete bumper to the chassis. I have not had to tow the TD very far, but wonder if the drive shaft should be removed if towing long distances. As Bud mentions, the car tracks very well with not a lot of tire scrub.

George
George Raham [TD4224]

I towed my TD on a dolly for 550 miles with the propshaft connected and had no problems. I have also flat towed two Morris Minors using a tow bar, with the propshafts connected and had no issues or tire wear. I would be a little concerned it the tow bar on the MG is ONLY attached by the two threaded bumper mounts. On my Morrises the custom tow bar also attached with arms to the front of the chassis rail.






John Quilter (TD8986)

And a shot of the Morris tow bar.


John Quilter (TD8986)

Depends on the distance. I have towed my TD short distances (> 25 miles) with a tow bar that fit to the front of the TD with the bumper taken off. No issue.

I have towed it on a dolly about 200 miles, but I always take the driveshaft off. As I understand it, the transmission does not get proper oil slung around it when the back shaft is turning by itself.

You can also use a dolly with the back of the TD on the dolly. the TD tracks pretty well behind the dolly with the steering wheel tied straight ahead.

I have also towed my TD across the US (and am about to do it again the end of the month) behind a u-haul truck. I use a flatbed for this.

Perhaps you could borrow a friends vehicle?
Bruce Cunha

We have a tow dolly and have towed TDs and many other stick trans cars around with no problem.

WARNIG! Don't expect to rent a tow dolly and run your car up on it- usually the ramps are too wide for our T's.
JRN JIM

"use a dolly with the back of the TD on the dolly"
IMHO: Not something I would try with a TF (or any car) equipped with wire wheels and knock offs!
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

There have been problems reported on this site about gearbox damage.You will have the output shaft turning with the input shaft and laygear still. This means NO oil is thrown up to lubricate the Main/1st motion shaft needle bearing. Somebody posted a picture of a very blued up gearbox on this site a few years ago.
Probably OK for a short tow though.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray, I am in total agreement with you. In addition, if you read some older owner's manuals they even tell you not to coast in neutral for long periods for the same reason.

The tiny needle bearings between the first motion shaft and the mainshaft are lubricated via the small holes in the gear on the first motion shaft... When it is spinning the meshing squishes oil up into those holes and it lubes the needle bearings. If that gear is sitting still - as it must be when the engine is off and the clutch is engaged - the that gear will not spin and no lubrication of that bearing will take place. The mainshaft, however, will be spinning like mad and the bearing will wear badly. It may even get quite hot, depending on the amount of oil in the gearbox. Any transmission rebuilder will tell you that the first motion shaft bearings are always the first bearings to go south in a transmission, even in a correctly used transmission, so you want to do everything you can to protect them.

It's reasonable that many will say they "never had a problem towing with the driveshaft connected"... when that bearing is damaged its very hard to hear that damage since the bearing is so small and it only is really working its hardest at idle with the clutch engaged in neutral. But damage to that bearing will eventually lead to flexing of the entire mainshaft and input shaft assembly, and in time this not only puts extra stress on the end bearings but can also lead to popping out of gear, shifting problems, growling and/or rattling under load and excessive wear on the shift forks and gear teeth... sometimes even to snapping of gear teeth. Plus, it can entirely trash your mainshaft and input gear bearing surfaces, sometimes beyond repair (though most times you can sleeve them).

I never tow with a drive shaft connected. Never.
Kevin McLemore

I'm kinda curious why anyone would take a chance of damaging a very expensive gear box flat towing a long distance, when it's so easy to drop the drive shaft. 20 minutes work, 8 little bolts and no worries. So you get a little dirty, no big deal! But the rewards could be a big savings in the pocket book and a lot of aggravation! PJ
Paul S Jennings

I have towed my TF many thousands of miles using a simple, articulated tow bar that replaces the bumper. I was able to safely haul the TF at speeds up to 120 kph.

I now have 3 of these tow-bars and may need only one.

Anybody interested, contact me at the address at the right.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.




Gordon A Clark

One caveat for folks that will remove/uncouple the driveshaft. Be certain that your rear axle u-bolts are quite tight. If not, the differential can tilt forward enough to allow the fluid to leak out. Bud
Bud Krueger

JRN Jim,
Would you have a picture that shows how you modified the tow dolly to accommodate the TD? I have both the MG and a dolly, and would very much like to tow the TD on the dolly. Thanks for any help you could give me.

George
George Raham [TD4224]

The standard U Haul tow dolly I used had no problem accommodating the TD. Suggest you visit a U Haul facility and measure as they may vary in width.
John Quilter (TD8986)

I tow my TD with a dolly, I back the car on, secure the steering wheel with a rope and it tracks very well. I have found that the steering wheel,does not need to be super secured just snug enough that there is some play. And no worry about the transmission.
G D

Hi M Morgan,
If you wish to flat tow regularly you may like to visit www.remcodsc.com
These people are in America and make a drive shaft disconnect coupling.
It will save you the time and effort of having to climb under your car to undo bolts and is a simple matter of pulling on a knob usually positioned under your seat which in turn disconnects the coupling in front of the differential. It uses a sliding spline system.
Hope this is of some help.
regards Rob.
R Browne

How's about this?


David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

thanks to all
M Morgan

I have towed my TD 100's of miles, on dirt roads and freeways, using a simple DIY towbar, with tow vehicles ranging from a '62 Econoline to a Saab 900, without any problems. I never liked the dollies, they add to much weight and clutter and do not tow as well as an MG on its own rubber. You can probably have a tow bar welded up for close to the price as renting a dolly, and a tow bar can be a very comforting thing to have even if it is hanging in the garage, when you are on a long trip in an older car and it starts acting up.

One thing to beware of on a longer tow is that towing laws may differ from state to state and the fact that what you are doing is legal in your home state isn't much help if you get stopped in another. So call the state police or DMV in every state you will be towing in and make sure you will be legal there or you may find yourself having to hire a flatbed halfway through your trip.
kylemorley

Standard procedure used to be, if one was too lazy to pull the driveshaft, to pull over every hour or so and run the engine in the car being towed for ten or so minutes, to redistribute the tranny lube.

At least, that is what the U-Haul man used to tell us too do when we rented his towbar.
kylemorley

This thread was discussed between 04/10/2014 and 15/10/2014

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