However, the rotating rear wheels will spin the mainshaft, even with the transmission in neutral. This will cause damage to the transmission. In most cases, you will need to remove the rear driveshaft from the vehicle when flat-towing a manual transmission vehicle.

Here are some of the most popular flat tow vehicles:

• Jeep Wrangler JL.
• Ford F-150.
• Jeep Wrangler JK.
• Chevrolet Equinox.
• Jeep Grand Cherokee.
• Jeep Cherokee.
• Chevrolet Colorado.
• Honda CR-V.

In most cases a vehicle with a manual transmission is fairly easy to tow, even long distances. You also risk damage to manual transmissions if they are towed while the vehicle is in “park.” These vehicles should be towed in “neutral” only.

If a vehicle is equipped with either rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission or four-wheel drive and a manual transfer case that has the option of putting it in neutral, then it can most likely be flat-towed.

There is little to no risk involved when towing a vehicle with an automatic transmission on a flat-bed tow truck. However, if the tow operator tows the car with the drive wheels on the ground, that’s when damage can occur.

It also states that, if you must tow it with the drive wheels on the ground: Automatic Transaxle – Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).

What can you tow? Many manual transmission cars can be flat towed without any modifications, and you can tow any front-wheel-drive manual transmission vehicle as far as you want and as long as you want. Be sure to unlock the steering wheel before towing.

Toyota, for instance, makes several vehicles that would seem ideal for flat towing. For hearty off-road adventurers, there are the Land Cruiser and the 4Runner. And while they’re fine on their own on rough terrain, the company’s four-wheel-drive trucks don’t make the grade when it comes to flat towing.

If the car is being towed on the non-driving wheels, automatic transmissions should be fine. If that isn’t possible, and the car needs to be towed with the driving wheels, there could be issues. Without getting too technical, certain automatic transmissions can be damaged if towed with two wheels on the ground.

Towing can put a strain on your truck’s transmission Another transmission-damaging factor is fluids. During towing stress, the fluids in the engine heat up much like a pressure cooker. If the fluid levels are inadequate, towing will overwork the components and cause serious damage.

How can I tow a RWD manual transmission car with a tow dolly safely?

1. Lock the steering wheel (how?) and tow it backwards (rear wheels forward)
2. Disconnect the drive shaft and tow it front wheels forward.
3. Put it in neutral with the parking brake off and front wheels forward.

When you’re driving a car, the engine turns, and that makes the wheels move. But when you tow a car in gear, the opposite happens. The wheels make the engine turn. Tom: And because your manual transmission was in reverse, your wheels were making the engine turn backward!

This will cause damage to the transmission. In most cases, you will need to remove the rear driveshaft from the vehicle when flat-towing a manual transmission vehicle. If the transmission uses a slip-fit yoke, however, transmission fluid will leaking out of the tailshaft housing once the driveshaft is removed.

It is clear that cars with automatic transmissions cannot be towed with any drive wheels on the ground, engine off, in neutral, because the torque converter powers the lubrication pump for the transmission.

As a vehicle is being driven, transmission fluid circulates throughout the transmission, cooling, lubricating and cleaning internal components. With the exception of some four-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, a transmission must be in neutral if the vehicle is being towed on its drive wheels, such as being flat towed behind an RV.

If your vehicle came from the factory with a manual transmission, read the owner’s manual. Vehicles which are popular for flat towing often include a section in the owner’s manual stating what needs to be done in order to tow the vehicle without incurring any damage to the drivetrain.