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MG TD TF 1500 - Traveling with TD on tow dolly

Gentlemen, just a short question on towing My TD on a tow dolly. Can I expect any complications with the car? Is it best to two with front wheels on the ground or the rear wheels. If the rear wheels on the ground do I disconnect the drive line, a chore. If towing with fronts on the ground do I tie the steering wheel down?
Your input will be appreciated.
Thanks, Geoff, Bakersfield.
GTK Kimler

I think that the biggest problem you are going to run into is finding a tow dolly narrow enough for a T series car. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

a long tow with the rear wheels on the ground may damage the gearbox, best to disconnect the shaft. Short tow is OK. Some have done long tows with the shaft in place but I think they were lucky. The output shaft is free running and will not bring any oil up to the gears and shafts.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee raybar2(at) tiscalidotcodotuk

I have towed mine with a tow dolly.
I backed it on, front tires on the ground.
The tires were very close to the inside edge so starting straight is important.
The steering wheel does not need to be tied so tight it can't move, rope loose enough so the steering wheel can travel 2 or 3 inches back and forth.
I wrapped a rope around the break pedal then around the bottom of the steering wheel.
Guys

I know you said TD, but it needs to be resaid, never tow a wire wheeled car with the front wheels on the ground backwards. The wheels will run off! Larry
Larry Brown

I found this in the Archives,,, (many others there also) one important thing would be what vehicle you are using to tow the car,, as there is a lot of unbraked weight pushing the tow vehicle in a stopping condition!
http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=8&subjectar=8&thread=200309090134011478

Steve
Steve Wincze

If it were me, I would go to U-Haul or Hertz-Penske and lease a full size car trailer for the move, rather than trust a tow dolly. Using a dolly seems penny wise and pound foolish to me.
Charles Duffy

Thanks for the advise gentlemen. It will be a long tow. Up to Redmond, Oregon for the GOF and perhaps over to Idaho before heading home to Bakersfield.
I would rather drive the car but the wife is not to keen on such a long drive in the TD. I will check with U-Haul and see what their rates are and size of their dolly.
Geoff
GTK Kimler

I moved my TD 1,000+ miles on a U-Haul car trailer. Lesson learned is to not set the parking brake. At the end of the trip the pawl was toast. I would not use a dolly if you can find a full trailer.
Bob McLeod TD 5618

Bob,
Please explain how the tip of the pawl got ruined,,
Thanks,
Steve
Steve Wincze

And... what a pawl is:-)
Dave
D Moore

I trailered my td 200 miles when I first bought it. About 500 miles of in-town driving later, my parking brake pawl and toothed wheel started slipping. Both parts were worn in the most used section. I don't know if the trip caused this wear. I filed new teeth on both parts and have driven 1000+ miles with no problem. I am careful about how I apply the brake knowing how soft this metal is. I think we have learned a bit more about hardening in the last 60 years!
I have heard that trailering is hard on wheel bearings. The balls sit in the same spot for a long time and apparently can deform and damage the races. The car companies discovered this back in the sixties when they started shipping cars on trains which ride a little rougher than trucks. The truck drivers didn't appreciate the competition , either!

Live and learn!
Chuck
cj schmit

HERE IS A PIC OF THE PAWL,, I can't imagine how it can be damaged by having the emergency brake on whilest trailering a TD.


Steve


Steve Wincze

I towed my TD 540 miles at 55 MPH from California to Oregon using a U Haul tow dolly with no adverse effects.




John Quilter

The teeth were worn away. I can only imagine that 1,000 miles of accelerating and braking the tow truck caused enough back and forth motion to do the damage... Or maybe it was coincidental? It worked fine when I left Illinois but not at all when I took it off the Trailer in North Carolina. Maybe the altitude going over the mountains :-)
Bob McLeod TD 5618

I towed my TD home from a GOF after suffering a blown frost plug. To avoid disconnecting the driveshaft, I towed it with the front wheels on the ground. Without having tied the steering, the front wheels would occasionally not assume their straight ahead position. After a 6 hour return trip, I had no tread left on the front tires.

Lesson learned, I then bought a proper trailer.
Lew3

This thread was discussed between 14/04/2016 and 16/04/2016

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