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ourv12
Samba Member
Joined: November 30, 2006
Posts: 492
Location: Great SouthWest Michigan
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 Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:52 pm Post subject: Towing a Syncro?! |
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| Can a Syncro be towed on a tow dolly with the rear wheels on the ground? Just put it in nuetral and it should be OK? Would the drive shaft to the front diff. still turn? Anyone done this with a tow dolly? |
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allsierra123
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2006
Posts: 1462
Location: Tecate, Baja California MX
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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No can do. Its AWD unless you have a decoupler the whole system will be engaged with the rear wheels on the ground. Even with a decoupler im not sure I would chance it.
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Crughy
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2004
Posts: 576
Location: Montreal, Qc
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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It can if some of the driveline is disconnected. It's quite a mess.
Syncros must be towed on platforms normallay.
JP |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50348
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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| If you are not going too far you could pull the front to rear drive shaft. For a longer tow you should pull both rear driveshafts. |
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foodeater
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2007
Posts: 1318
Location: Newburgh, NY
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| If you are not going too far you could pull the front to rear drive shaft. For a longer tow you should pull both rear driveshafts. |
The best way to tow a Syncro is to put ot on a flatbed. However that being siad only pulling the center drive shaft for any distance will be enough. The output from the trans. to the front differential is always spinning when the van is in motion anyway, the system works when there is a difference between the front and rear wheel speeds as detected by the VC in the front diff. By taking out the center driveshaft you are eliminating the VC from the equation, so it cant do its job. It would be no worse than towing a 2WDThat why some people simply remove the driveshaft when the VC goes bad and their binding in turns "magically" goes away.
I wouldnt tow a Syncro with a decoupler with out removing the driveshaft either.
I Guess if you remove the axles you could save a little wear on the transmission, which is always good.
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Terry Kay
Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003
Posts: 13331
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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Pop for a trailer.
Problem solved.
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50348
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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| foodeater wrote: |
| Wildthings wrote: |
| If you are not going too far you could pull the front to rear drive shaft. For a longer tow you should pull both rear driveshafts. |
The best way to tow a Syncro is to put ot on a flatbed. However that being siad only pulling the center drive shaft for any distance will be enough. The output from the trans. to the front differential is always spinning when the van is in motion anyway, the system works when there is a difference between the front and rear wheel speeds as detected by the VC in the front diff. By taking out the center driveshaft you are eliminating the VC from the equation, so it cant do its job. It would be no worse than towing a 2WDThat why some people simply remove the driveshaft when the VC goes bad and their binding in turns "magically" goes away.
I wouldnt tow a Syncro with a decoupler with out removing the driveshaft either.
I Guess if you remove the axles you could save a little wear on the transmission, which is always good. |
You are quite right it shouldn't make any difference at all, but I was allowing for Murphy's law which states "that if any thing can go wrong it will go wrong". When it comes to towing vehicles I have found this law to be very true and have seen way too many gear boxes end up destroyed by some fluke that isn't supposed to be able to happen. My preference is to stop every gear box from turning during a tow if possible. On a rear engined VW removing the rear axles is the best way to do this. |
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foodeater
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Joined: July 13, 2007
Posts: 1318
Location: Newburgh, NY
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:46 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I agree, but following that logic I wouldnt tow "my" syncro AT ALL on a dolly. Put it on a flatbed, or ideally drive it.
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Terry Kay
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Joined: June 22, 2003
Posts: 13331
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:56 am Post subject: |
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If it'd broke down , flat bed it.
If your picking another Van up, flat bed it.
I know it's much too simple of a concept--
Before I drive something on a long haul I don't know anything about,or before I'd be under the Van yanking axles & driveshafts, I'll roll it up on a trailer and be down the road, get where I'm going the it, have it parked, and be done with the moving project.
No screwing around in Podunk.
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Roark
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 150
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:32 am Post subject: Problem is.. |
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I assume the problem with towing a Synchro with wheels down is that it screws up the transaxel?
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foodeater
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2007
Posts: 1318
Location: Newburgh, NY
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Problem is.. |
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| Roark wrote: |
| I assume the problem with towing a Synchro with wheels down is that it screws up the transaxel? |
With all 4 wheels down it would be okay, the problem arises when there is a difference between wheel speeds, front to rear, as on a dolly when the fronts arent moving but the rears are. It doesnt mess up the trans (at first). first it will toast the VC (like driving a Syncro with different size tires). Once the VC is shot it will destroy the trans.
One other thing if you do remove the center driveshaft mark it in some way so you can put it back in the same position. if you put it back in a different position it could be out of balance. Then you will get a very annoying vibration when driving.
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Jon_slider
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Joined: April 11, 2007
Posts: 5091
Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:10 am Post subject: |
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My syncro was recently stranded 10 miles offpavement, on a forest road due to a faulty starter connection, AAA would not come out there.
As I understand it, my choice was
1. remove drive shaft and tow strap the vehicle out with all 4 wheels down
2. remove drive shaft and tow strap the vehicle to jump start it in 2wd
is it true I could tow the Syncro without removing the driveshaft?
In the end, I got the vehicle started and drove it out. At one point, the vehicle stalled, due to poor driver skills. He then proceeded to pop the clutch and jump start it in all wheel drive mode, on a hill, on pavement.
I though syncros, with driveshaft installed, could not be jump started, but it did. |
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foodeater
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2007
Posts: 1318
Location: Newburgh, NY
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: |
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| Jon_slider wrote: |
My syncro was recently stranded 10 miles offpavement, on a forest road due to a faulty starter connection, AAA would not come out there.
As I understand it, my choice was
1. remove drive shaft and tow strap the vehicle out with all 4 wheels down
2. remove drive shaft and tow strap the vehicle to jump start it in 2wd
is it true I could tow the Syncro without removing the driveshaft?
In the end, I got the vehicle started and drove it out. At one point, the vehicle stalled, due to poor driver skills. He then proceeded to pop the clutch and jump start it in all wheel drive mode, on a hill, on pavement.
I though syncros, with driveshaft installed, could not be jump started, but it did. |
As long as all the wheels are spinning the same speed you can tow it. The Syncro system is passive it doesnt know if you are towing it or driving it. you can flat tow, all four wheels on the ground and free to spin, a syncro without removing anything
To push start it you dont need to do anything. The VC is only "working" when there is a difference in speed between the wheels. (Thats why tight turns, like into a parking spot, are a good test of the VC.) there are no electronics in the syncro system, it has no way of knowing if the van is running or not.
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EXITSTRATEGY
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2006
Posts: 450
Location: rolling thunder river company, nantahalla gorge. NC
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:33 am Post subject: |
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so what's the best way to flat-tow a synchro?
i only need to move it around my property, and the engine, transmission, and front-to-rear driveshaft are already removed.
my question is how to install a tow-bar.
any advice?
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I'm living down by the river and i don't even have my 'van'... |
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insyncro
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Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| EXITSTRATEGY wrote: |
so what's the best way to flat-tow a synchro?
i only need to move it around my property, and the engine, transmission, and front-to-rear driveshaft are already removed.
my question is how to install a tow-bar.
any advice? |
There is no H in Syncro  |
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Steve Arndt
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Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1780
Location: Boise, Idaho
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:45 am Post subject: |
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| Bump starting a syncro is easy. Just don't don't do it in G or R gear they are weak. |
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EXITSTRATEGY
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2006
Posts: 450
Location: rolling thunder river company, nantahalla gorge. NC
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:56 am Post subject: |
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so what's the best way to tow-bar a syncro?
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I'm living down by the river and i don't even have my 'van'... |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:56 am Post subject: |
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For flat towing a vanagon I just used one of these universal tow bars
I drilled a single hole in the middle of the mounting ears and pass a long bolt (I dunno 5-7in or so) thru 2 factory holes in the front crush bumper (under the bumper skin) you'll have to remove the bumper skin this way.
of you can make a bracket that accepts the mounts underneath
| EXITSTRATEGY wrote: |
so what's the best way to flat-tow a synchro?
i only need to move it around my property, and the engine, transmission, and front-to-rear driveshaft are already removed.
my question is how to install a tow-bar.
any advice? |
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EXITSTRATEGY
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2006
Posts: 450
Location: rolling thunder river company, nantahalla gorge. NC
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:57 am Post subject: |
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thank you !!
i am so glad to know that this is possible!
how do i remove the rubber-bumper-cover?
is that in the service manual?
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danfromsyr
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Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 8:08 am Post subject: |
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should be in the service manual
but it just slides to one side, the plastic tabs and holes are keyholed. (IIRC)
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