I'm hot rodding a 65 coronet ( slanted version of course) on a very limited budget. Can't wait much longer to get the old gal to the strip and would like to make it a once a month or so deal.
I would like to take the exhaust system and remove all the extra pounds
off the car and get to the track legally.... so I purchased the least expensive means of transport...a tow bar. There was no research on the subject... I'm a make it work kind of guy. After all I see people dragging cars down the highway with bars all the time.
I did not know that it was next to impossible to make a sharp turn without getting out and turning the wheel on the towed car first.....there are rubber marks around every corner near my home as evidence of my practice sessions. I'm lucky I did'nt roll a tire off the wheel on the first few turns.
If anyone has any operationl hints on how to best use this thing I would appreciate it. How about tire pressure? does a 2 inch rake on the Dodge hurt anthing? ect...ect...ect
I have'nt felt this awkward since first learning to back a trailer years ago.

Thanks
Trysix/David

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF

I've never had a problem with tow bars..........

Just make sure the steering isn't locked (and you can't back up).


The front wheels should steer themselves into the turn, and the towed car will follow you.

You just need to be moving, and don't turn too quick.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

If the car has power steering, it will be harder to follow. Also you must make sure the front end alignment is correct. If the car has a rake, the alignment is probably wrong.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

If the alignment is correct, it will tow foward with no problems, but backing up will flip the front wheels to the side.
Try backing up with what you have. If it backs up better than it goes forward, have the alignment checked.

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Slant Cecil

Thanks for the input,
The aglianment is good ( no abnormal tire wear)
and there is on pulling , slack, or shake. It's manuel steering.
The only person that I know who has used one said my problem with sharp turns is the nature of the beast....but it sounds like you guys have had a better experience using a bar.
I plan on cranking up the torsion bars to level out the car and I'll try again tomorrow.


Still Trying Six
David

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF

That does not mean the alignment is correct. Wrong caster will not show up as tire wear, but will cause the car to not follow, corectly.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Good point...I don't know a lot about alignment but as I remember caster is the tlit forward or backward of the spindle. If I'm correct, this could be caused by the back of my car being higher then the front..? MMMMMM

David

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF

Now you got it>

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Isn't the castor with manual steering almost zero or negative? I think this has to be it. I had the same problem towing a car without an engine in it once. A friend and I waited until about 12 am and took it real slow on surface streets, turning real wide.

We towed another friends charger about 400 miles with the same pickup and tow bar, no trouble at all, it must be the alignment.

I dunno whether alignment has that much to do with it more so weight distribution. I once towed a 63 Dodge Town Panel with a tow bar and wound up having to have my cousin (the owner) ride in it and steer every time we had to turn, yet when I brought my parts '77 volare back from Louisville to Chicago (ebay find) I couldnt even tell I was towing anything.
As I remember the 63 had no motor/trans underhood but was way full in back. the volare was all together, running driving rustbucket, trunk empty except for spare tire and the driveshaft which I pulled so as not to tear up the trans(no rear pump, so no lube)

Not having an engine in, with the front end up negates the positive castor on every front end I have seen.

The weight distribution will matter if it is to the rear and you try to brake hard. The rear of the towed vehicle might try to come around, it goes one way while pushing the tow vehicles rear the other, you could actually jackknife if not careful.

I corrected the rake (raised the front) and the problem got worse.
I could'nt even make a slow wide turn. Next stop is the front-end shop.

Trysix

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF

Positive caster will help the car tow better yet it maybe harder for you to turn while driving, Just a trade off.Yea,, this was all we had in the 60's and 70's. You were SOMEBODY if you had a trailer back then. Gravel on the roads only make the problem worse. Back then every racer had "Tag-alongs" and we let them ride in the car to help the problem. May not be legal anymore, don't want to be too safe yaknow,,,,,,....

I had the front end aligned yesterday. I can now make slow-wide-turns but sharp turns require getting out and turning the steering wheel.
I'm now trying to get my nerve up to make the approx. 20 mile trip to the strip.

Trysix

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF

I still haven't towed the thing yet but I did drive it to the strip today.I made a few runs with a full tank, spare tire and jack, and my little (made in China) emergency tool kit.
For e.t. go to Virtual Drag strip.

Trysix

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65 CORONET 4DR

SAME CAR BUT I REINVENTED MYSELF