The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk towing '50 frame

I rigged a tow bar to my '50 frame for easy transport. Has anyone come up with a simple way to lock the front wheels to keep from having them wander? I'm not going very far or fast.

Here's the setup http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1025/3238/1600/rear%20view.jpg. (The cab is now removed.)

Thanks for the thoughts,

Miles

I guess the link in the post won't work. If you want to see the rig, click the link to my blog in my signature. Scroll down towards the bottom.

Thanks!

If your front wheels are on the ground they must turn when you do. If you tie them off it will go straight when you turn and ruin your towbar. I found this out when I was 17.

Ther isn't a really safe way to lock the steering. You might consider renting/borrowing/buying a 2-wheel dolly that you can put under the front wheels that will hook up to your hitch. You can get them from any heavy equipment rental place. Much safer than trying to rig some thing up that may not work.

My experience with tow bars is that if the front end doesn't weigh enough they don't turn properly. If they are heavy enough, ususally just having a motor in it will do, they will follow pretty well.

I followed the link - turn the truck around and hook the tow bar to the front of the frame, then the truck will follow your running truck and you should be able to tow it with no problems if you are careful. My 47 jeep has a tow bar built on to the front bumper. As you turn, the truck will turn and follow. Hooked to the back like that it will no doubt go out of control.

I've towed mine back and forth from winter storage several times - always with the tow bar on the front. I've found that when just starting out the wheels jam to one side, and i have to get out and straighten them. This is especially true when there's no engine. Once I'm on a straightaway, it'll track. Then, as long as you keep your speed above 15 mph or so, it'll follow you around corners as well. Much slower than that, and the wheels jam up again, and it makes an awful screech!

What helps is to take some wire and wrap it around the steering link and the frame or spring to limit the travel of the steering.

If you don't have the steering box on the frame, I suggest a dolly like Lomgbox55 said.

Nice looking truck. Good luck.

This is true. with a tow bar the front wheels must be free to turn.

Just found your photo. Tow from the front with the tow bar. wheels free to turn.

Here are your options

1. Spend a little bit of cash and rent a dolly, or a trailer.

2. Spend the rest of your life giving away every paycheck to pay off a lawsuit because you killed or injured another person.

Be SAFE.....

I should have looked at your picture before I responded. Were you seriously considering towing the truck this way or is it a joke?

No joking (yet) but I do apologize. The picture is misleading. The rear setup you see in the picture is to get it in and out of the garage (as described in my blog). I was showing the only picture I had so you could see the tow bar (not to mention my truck)!

I will tow with truck facing forward, and have done so before but never the frame only; I was concerned that the wheels would wander without the weight of the entire truck. I was thinking I should somehow lock the steering or rather decrease the travel.

Do you think a tow bar is unsafe?

Thanks for the input!

Maybe you could use some heavy duty bungie cords to keep the wheels centered and then they would stretch to allow for steering too. You would have to rig it so the cords would not come off some how. Just a thought,
Scott

When you tow it,another thing that helps is to go into your turns gradually;suddenly deciding to turn will leave the towed rig unable to get its steering reaction initiated before you turn. Just steer into the turn kinda slowly,and straighten out kinda slowly too. Takes a little planning on your part,but makes the trip a lot less thrilling too. If you feel a little weight will help keep things moving the right way,try laying a couple of sandbags over the front crossmember and strapping them down with tie-down straps.
Speed

If its frame only, then how about rigging something up off the bumper or a class three hitch to lift the front wheels off the deck. Then it won't be a problem no matter what. You could weld a cross bar onto a hitch receiver, then jack up the frame or use a come along to lift it up. You could even remove the wheels, put a trailer reciever on a cross bar and just pull the frame with rear wheels only like its a big trailer.