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Would it be ok to put he front end up on wheel dollies or should it be on a trailer. I have a 1954 3600 4 speed. distance to home is 130 miles.

thanks for the help

tony

What do you mean by "wheel dollies"? Your use of the plural confuses me.

I have used a dolly to move a truck before and personally much prefer a trailer.

Some states have laws governing what you can tow and what you can not. In my state the '54 would need to be licensed if towed on a dolly.

Also in my state there is a limit on the weight of a towed load if it does not have brakes, I believe that is 3000 pounds and your 3600 exceeds that by about 1000 pounds.

I don't know what the rules are in Missouri but you probably should before starting out.

Any kind of dolly means you don't have brakes on the load, and therefore your tow vehicle will be stopping everything. Is the GVWR rating of your tow vehicle at least 4000 pounds more than it weighs?

A 1/2-ton pickup won't have adequate brakes to do this safely but a 3/4-ton might.

get a trailer. Dolly's suck and dont have brakes.

TRAILER!!

Going that distance, most definitely use a trailer. It will save you a lot of hassle and headaches. I've been there and have towed trucks hundreds of miles with tow-bars, dollies, and trailers. Trust me, don't use anything other than a trailer.

in missouri you only have to worry about the rules if you get caught. i have used a trailer without brakes many times to move vehicles. i have a wrecker but still use a trailer lots of times. i have used tow dollies too. like said, a lot of it boils down to what you are using to pull it. good luck, no matter what take it a little slower and pull over and let people around if you need to. driving a little slower will make it safer no matter what method you use, just don't let anyone kill you trying to get around you!

Trailer. The only smart way.

If you are looking for the adventure of a risky haul, then way out in the country where no-one can get hurt but you, haul the truck a few miles on the dolly to the trailer... But if thrills and adventure is what you are seeking, I suggest you take up bungi jumping to scratch that itch... Use a good trailer with brakes to haul your new stove bolt, and tow the trailer/stovebolt combination with something that weighs enoug so the tail wont wag the dog..

A dolly isnt much better than a tow bar... if the steering is well secured, then a tow bar and a dolly are pretty much the same... Turning puts a lot of stress on the tow joints, and on the towed-vehicle, because the "pivot point" is the whole wheel base of the truck being towed.

With a tandem axle trailer, (dont use anything less than a tandem axle trailer...) the pivot point on the turns is reduced to about 18 inches, the wheel base between the trailer axles...

The stress of turning with a dolly and a tow bar is a good enough reason... Alone... The unknown state of tires, bearings, rear-end lubrication, and all the other things mentioned by the other responses, make an overwhelming case for getting a trailer.

Tony,

I sent you a P.M.

Kevin

I have a trailer and a dolly. I don't think I would want to tow that vehicle very far on a dolly.

If you do use a dolly, KEEP YOUR SPEED DOWN! If it starts to fish tail, it is a bear to get under control. The weight of that vehicle will push the rear of the tow vehicle around like you wouldn't believe. Watch it on ALL corners too.

Don't ask us how we know these things.

Nothing like a trailer.

LOL!

When I was ready to buy a tandem axle car trailer cost three to four times the price of a dolly.

Having experience with both I bought a trailer and have NEVER regretted that decision or used a dolly since.

TRAILER!!

A dolly has its place. Generally, towing a dinky car behind an RV.

U-Haul has car/truck trailers for about $60 a day...no brakes though. Just rented one to bring my '41 home...hauled it 1,600 miles round trip and it worked like a champ.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Good advice here, Tony -- If it isn't already a moot point, please check out the Trailering Article in the Tech Tips.

Personally, after a very bad experience with a tow dolly (that *almost* ended up with the complete destruction of my '70 Chevelle SS convertible), I switched to a tow vehicle and a trailer to haul my trucks/projects/etc around -- I currently tow with a 25-foot gooseneck pulled by a Dodge Cummins 3500 dually.

Congrats on your new project!

John

I recently rented a 7500 pound capacity trailer from u-haul and it had inertia brakes which worked well towing my '56 3/4 ton behind my '85 GMC 1 ton. They really worried about the weight of the towing vehicle. With a 6500 # curb weight and a heavy duty hitch I passed their scrutiny. The '85 is 21 feet long, which eliminated any sway. I am a big fan of trailer brakes for heavy loads. They give a great feeling of security when I feel them kick in.

Dave

I'm a big fan of big trucks for towing. Something like your 1-ton takes a lot of the worry out of pulling a heavy trailer.