# Need some advice on towing 2x4 Silverado



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

As some of you know, I retired my 00 Silverado because of worn piston rings and blown head gasket. 

A friend of mine has bought it from me (he is well aware of the issues) however I need to tow it to his house some 30 miles away.

I will be using a vehicle dolly for the tow. I have done this before but only with front-wheel drive vehicles. The 00 is a RWD 2x4 so I know I have to disconnect the drive shaft, something I have never had to do before on this truck. 

Normally it is just the removal of 4 bolts and the saddles, push the shaft towards the transmission and then pull down.

Is anyone familiar with disconnecting the drive shaft on 2WD Silverado and is there anything specific I need to be on the lookout for? 

Would you recommend removing the drive shaft entirely for the tow or leaving it in the transmission and strapping the differential end to the underside of the truck?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Not sure of the protocols of an automatic transmission, but if it is manual, just put it in neutral and tow it. We did older automatics like that, too, but there may be reasons not to in today's world.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... I _Think_, yer trucks drive shaft is bolted to the pinion flange,....
Should be 4 or 6 bolts, probably with 12-point heads, possibly with torx-heads,....

So long as ya don't start the motor, 'n put the tranny in gear, the drive shaft should ride just fine, strapped up,....

Or,.... Back the truck onto the dolly,....


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

I have heard of disconnecting the front drive shaft on 4wd vehicles, but didn't know you had to disconnect the drive shaft on a 2wd vehicle. Are you sure you have to do that?


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Rent a complete flat bed trailer, then load it up and tie it down.

No unbolting needed.

If you do tow it backwards, make sure that you tie the steering wheel straight, sometimes those locking steering mechanisms fail, and you lose control of everything.

AAA would deliver it also. 


ED


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

40 years ago, we would tie two tires on the front of one vehicle & push it. When the guy in the front vehicle wanted to brake, he would wave his hand. Today, I wouldn't think of doing that. Whatever we did, we never disconnected the driveshaft on a 2wd vehicle.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

ZTMAN said:


> I have heard of disconnecting the front drive shaft on 4wd vehicles, but didn't know you had to disconnect the drive shaft on a 2wd vehicle. Are you sure you have to do that?


From what I have read, GM specifically engineered a "Neutral" mode in it's 4WD trucks to enable safe towing of the vehicle. This mode disengages the transfer case so transmission is not turning negating the the "non-lubrication" issue . However, to flat tow or front wheel lift tow a 2WD truck the shaft has to be removed.



de-nagorg said:


> Rent a complete flat bed trailer, then load it up and tie it down.
> 
> No unbolting needed.
> 
> ...


I thought of that but the U-Haul website says a flatbed is not available. I think it is more because they do not have one large enough for the 00 to fit on that a weight issue. After all, my truck is rated for 7200lbs towing capacity.

I am considering towing it backwards, I just have to figure out a way to secure the steering wheel. Perhaps a couple of straps from each side of the wheel secured to the brake pedal.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Maybe I've wasted too much of my precious time on earth with this line of thinking, but for me, if I don't personally know for sure on something like this I'm going to pull the driveshaft. The only tricks are to mark the ends with a couple of prick marks or a paint stick to orient the shaft when it goes back together and to have a roll of tape handy to tape the bearings in place when uncapping the rear yoke. Otherwise it's probably less than a half hour chore, total, start and finish, and nothing to wonder about. Just remember that "park" isn't going to do you any good when you unhitch it.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Check for an equipment rental place near you ( United Rental), they have trailers, as well as bigger equipment.


ED


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

de-nagorg said:


> Check for an equipment rental place near you ( United Rental), they have trailers, as well as bigger equipment.
> 
> 
> ED


The nearest one is almost 20 miles in the opposite direction. That is about 140 miles to pick it up, comeback and load the truck, take it to its destination and return the flat bed.

I think I will take your earlier suggestion and just tow it backwards with the steering wheel secured.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

The owners manual lists a safe towing distance and speed.
For a 2000 Silverado 1500 2wd

Front Towing -- 35 mph (55 km/h) for 50 miles (80 km)

Rear Towing -- 55 mph (88 km/h) or legal speed limit. The distance is unlimited.

The limit on front towing an automatic is lubrication. The transmission oil pump is driven off of the input shaft, not the output shaft. So towing either too far or too fast will dry out the moving parts and things will start to wear. Yes, there is some safety margin in the mfg limit, but I wouldn’t push it.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> *I just have to figure out a way to secure the steering wheel.* Perhaps a couple of straps from each side of the wheel secured to the brake pedal.


Ayuh,.... That's an easy one,....

Wrap the seat belt 'round the wheel a couple times, 'n lock the seat belt into it's lock,....


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

The way to secure the steering wheel is loop a fan belt around it & close it in the door.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Oso954 said:


> The owners manual lists a safe towing distance and speed.
> For a 2000 Silverado 1500 2wd
> 
> Front Towing -- 35 mph (55 km/h) for 50 miles (80 km)
> ...


The tow distance is 30 miles via interstate. If I take secondary roads to keep the speed limit down, it would exceed the 50 mile distance.



Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... That's an easy one,....
> 
> Wrap the seat belt 'round the wheel a couple times, 'n lock the seat belt into it's lock,....


I tend to be over-cautious especially when risk to life and limb are concerned.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> I tend to be over-cautious especially when risk to life and limb are concerned.


Ayuh,.... I'm just relayin' an ole tow truck drivers trick to ya,....


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... I'm just relayin' an ole tow truck drivers trick to ya,....


No worries. :smile:


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

You could always pull over and take a sodapop break.
That will let things cool down.

Like others have said, I never worried about it.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Read some horror stories online about rearward towing so decided to go with disconnecting the drive shaft.

I got the truck up on the dolly and secured after which I went to work on the drive shaft.

It unbolted easily but had a little trouble breaking it loose. I sprayed it with some PB Blaster, waited 5 minutes, rapped it a couple times with with a hammer and it came right off. I then secured the bearings and lashed the drive shaft to the chassis.

Had an interesting experience with U-Haul.

I went on-line to reserve the dolly. I had to enter what kind of truck I was using to tow and what vehicle I was towing. The site then determines if the combination is doable.

When I got to the facility, the clerk asked me what I was towing. When I told her, she said she did not know if the dolly would work. I told her that their website said it would. She admitted that she had never seen it done. I told her if there were any issues, I would let her know. She replied that if there was a problem to just bring back the dolly and they would reverse the charge. She was very nice about the whole thing.

Well the truck does fit but there is not a lot of room between the wheels and dolly fenders so you have to center the vehicle as much as possible. You also have to watch the turns. The plate the wheels sit on has a certain degree of swivel. If you take turns to sharply, you risk the dolly fenders hitting the vehicle.

That swivel also makes backing up near impossible. Back in my telco days, I used to tow reels of phone cable and never had any problems backing the truck. 

When we go to my buddy’s house, I tried backing the car dolly into the driveway, with the double swivel it just would not work. We ended up pushing the truck off the dolly and into the driveway (it was raining so we could not re-connect the drive shaft).

Also, do not try to put a truck in park with a drive shaft disconnected and engine running. I know this sounds like it should be obvious but sometimes it is easy to miss the little details amidst the major task.

We put the truck in neutral to roll it off the dolly. Without the engine running, it was hard to stop so we put my buddy’s wife in the cab and started the engine so she could steer and brake as we pushed truck. One we had it in place and before I could warn her, she tried to put the truck in park and there was a grating noise. I told her to shut off the engine and then put it on park.

When all is said and done, my old truck now has new home. I will miss it.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Take heart, you know the new owner, and can visit it anytime.

Even may get to ride in it again soon.

Still not the same as being the operator, but better than it going to BUBBA who is going to make a baja racer out of it.



ED


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

de-nagorg said:


> Take heart, you know the new owner, and can visit it anytime.
> 
> Even may get to ride in it again soon.
> 
> ...



:smile:That is a good point. 

He plans to use the truck as weekend hauler as he and his wife are planning some major home projects in the spring so there is little to no chance of him doing anything wild with it.


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