sweanders

How do you guys dare to tow something as heavy as a car with only working brakes on the car pulling it?

Theat would be illegal in Europe, I don't know if you guys are lucky or if it's just a part of the natural selection..

Jim 944S

Hi Anders...

People tow a lot of things over here. Porsche claims (I think its in the owner's manual) that a 944 can pull up to 2500 lbs (100 lb hitch weight). They also suggest trailer brakes on loads over 1,000 (or is it 1,500?) lbs.

Jim 1987 944SSS (Serendipitous Starting Syndrome )

Matt Marks

Not to be a smart-*** (as this is a good thread), but if it's 12 miles to you grandmothers, if you can't find a ride to drive you back, wouldb't it be about a $25 cab ride?


As to towing on a dolly, I've towed mine facing forward on the dolly for a thousand miles or so - no issues with it other than beating up the airdam a little while loading. Just be sure to take your time and have lots of lengths of boards available to use as ramps for the ramps (so to speak)

As i understand it, the concerns with towing the car on the dolly is that the transmitions will spin but with the car on an angle, the gears/bearings at the front of the transmition may be spinning "dry" as the oil has settled at the other end...

adie

Not exactly true, I believe your allowed 2/3 or kerb weight before you have to own a braked vehicle, this is why I was never to bothered about towing the race car with the 944. The 928 was a bit hairy but it's not as if you gan get any speed up through the centre of London.

Little Porsche Boy

Did the tow dolly from U-Haul. Watch the air dam. I used some cut 2x6's on the ground to add some clearance between the dolly and the dam in order to get the car up the ramp without hitting the dam on the dolly. Even had to put 2x6's along the ramps and in the wheel wells on the dolly to maintan the clearance. I also had to add some 2x6's between the end of the ramps and the underside of the car. Once the weight is on the dolly, the ramps pivot up much closer to the bottom of the car. So, when going over dips, the ramps would pivot-up and strike the bottom of the car. Over all it was a PITA.

If you only have 12 miles to go, check into a commercial flatbed tow truck. You won't have to do any pushing. They'll even get it into the garage at the other end. IMHO, the odds of you damaging the car if you do it with the dolly are greater. $40-$50 bucks fo a professional tow is a cheap price to pay for peace of mind.

Got Me a Porsha

12 Miles? I towed my 951 from Las Vegas to Phoenix with a U-Haul tow dolly, car pointing forward. I brought some 2x6's, but didn't need any, just drove it right up and nothing hit. I could hardly feel it behind the Navigator.

I did, however, have to rent the dolly for my (ahem) "mustang"

deni durrell

every time I've had my 944 towed, I've absolutely *refused* to have it towed on anything other than a flatbed. But that's just my personal opinion. Transmissions weren't meant to be moving with the proper lubrication in effect. just my 1 cent.

Jim 944S

Don't mean to be dense, here.... but what difference would it make to the transaxle? Its' a "dip 'n drip" lubrication system isn't it? Its' not pressurized or pumped by the engine running as an automatic would be.

The transaxle should be getting the same lubrication whether the car is running 'round a race track at 5,000 rpm or "dead sticking" over the side of a cliff. If the rear wheels are turning, the transaxle should be lubricating, shouldn't it? Why else would Porsche say that its' fine to flat tow the car (excluding automatics, of course)?

Granted its' going to "wear", I mean, you're going to have those "miles" or "hours" on the transaxle (though not on the engine), but it certainly cannot be as much wear as if the car were being driven. Can it?

Jim 1987 944S

Jim 944S

P.S.

Kevin!!!

Get that Damn Hamburger off there, would you??? Its' half past midnight and you've given me a really severe case of the "Munchies"!!!

Jim 1987 944S (hmmm, wonder how many cats I'm going to trip over on the way downstairs to the 'fridge???)

L8 APEKS

I think you missed the point. My 944 has no engine installed. I need to re-locate the car so I can work on it. Hence the need to tow it.

I'm working on my trailer light harness so I should be renting a dolly in the next couple days. I'll let you know how it works out, but it sounds like it should be fine. Thanks for the feedback!

PS - Jim, you're correct about the tranny lube. It's just a giant bowl filled with gear oil...the gears have no way to avoid the oil or get dried out.

Dave

OK, here's one I've been trying to figure out. I have heard that the trans has no pump and is lubed by being submersed in oil, I have also heard that there IS a pump and it's on the input side so the car should not be towed with the rear on the ground. I haven't checked to find which story is true but I'm inclined to believe the later, otherwise the following makes little sense.
Many of these cars have a trans oil cooler, some had it standard and on the rest it was optional, AFAIK there is no version of the trans that wasn't available with the cooler. The cooler is a simple tube that oil must pass through in order to disipate heat. Oil would not pass through this tube by itself, convection wouldn't produce enough flow to be useful, there must be a pump circulating the oil through it.

Chris_924s

12 miles. Break down and have it towed on a flatbed. Cheap insurance and secure as it wont roll away anywhere. Let the tow guys accept the responsibility - and they are bonded and insured should anything occur.

flat bed is the only recommended method of transport for a 944 not under its own power.