Towing 1st Gen 400 miles w/tow bar

[tre9er]

OK, so I found me a first gen (two actually, but I can only tow one and the second is just for parts) but the catch is that it's 400 miles away and the engine, while completely rebuilt, is not in. So my plan is to throw a tow-bar on it and pull it behind my 02 T4R.

I am going to disconnect both drive-shafts (89 22RE manual 4WD), but I still have a few questions:

Has anyone ever used a tow bar on the front of a 1st gen? A guy I know said there are brackets near the radiator and he just used one single grade-8 bolt through each one to mount the tow-bar brackets. I was thinking of drilling the bumper, myself, so I can get two bolts per bracket.

The engine being by itself, if I threw it in the back of the 89, that's going to make it kinda squirrely to pull, right? What if I put it in the back of my 02 (the tow vehicle)? Or should I see if the dude can drop it into the engine bay and bolt it down for now to keep weight distribution more even?

Now that I think about it, there will be lots of odds and ends in the engine bay that will want to flop around with nothing underneath to catch them if they fall. Or am I overthinking things?

Any other input greatly appreciated.

 

[KidVermicious]

I've towed a 1st gen from Oregon to Utah with a U-Haul bar. There are no existing brackets. Your guy might be talking about the holes in the crossmember, but they're spaced wrong and you can only get in one bolt per side on the tow bar clips. I might trust that if I was going a couple blocks, but I'd drill holes to get both bolts in on each side if you're taking it on the freeway. If you can, fab up a couple nice thick plates to act as washers on the backside, because the crossmember metal back there is tin foil. Do not attach the tow bar to the bumper, that's a recipe for disaster.

I'd have the guy drop the engine onto the motor mounts and bolt it down. Thread a couple bellhousing bolts too to hold the transmission up and stabilize them both. You could put it in the back of your 3rd gen, but I wouldn't want to tow 3500 pounds with my ass end dragging from it's own 400 pound payload.

If it has manual hubs there's no need to drop the front driveshaft - put the tcase in N and make sure the hubs are unlocked and that'll be fine.

 

[tre9er]

If you can, fab up a couple nice thick plates to act as washers on the backside, because the crossmember metal back there is tin foil. Do not attach the tow bar to the bumper, that's a recipe for disaster.

That's what I was concerned about. This would all have to be done in "some guy's" driveway/shop (I'll have to find out what his setup is, but he said he has means to fab stuff up). Where's the nearest frame access? Maybe I can fab and weld something underneath and use a good drop on my hitch to get low enough? I never liked the idea of bolting something to a member near the radiator. What if we pull the bumper? I've never seen the front end of a 1st gen up close, hence all the questions.

 

[KidVermicious]

Yup, pull the bumper. You could maybe get access if you just pull the lower valence, but I'd just yank the entire thing to give yourself room to work. Four bolts in front, two on the sides, and a couple harness plugs, it isn't hard at all.

 

[Clfrnacwby]

I flat tow my 1st gen everywhere I go.

I am going to disconnect both drive-shafts (89 22RE manual 4WD)

You only need to drop the rear driveshaft and make sure the front hubs are unlocked - no need to remove the front.

Has anyone ever used a tow bar on the front of a 1st gen? A guy I know said there are brackets near the radiator and he just used one single grade-8 bolt through each one to mount the tow-bar brackets. I was thinking of drilling the bumper, myself, so I can get two bolts per bracket.

I picked up a tow bar from Harbor Freight and drilled 2 holes in the front crossmember. There is a minimum width that the tow bar "arms" have to be apart...I believe it's like 24".

The engine being by itself, if I threw it in the back of the 89, that's going to make it kinda squirrely to pull, right? What if I put it in the back of my 02 (the tow vehicle)? Or should I see if the dude can drop it into the engine bay and bolt it down for now to keep weight distribution more even?

The key to towing, anything, is the weight of the tow vehicle. I used to flat tow my 1st gen with our Sienna mini van and it did great until I got below half a tank; then, I felt like the 4runner was pushing me all over the road. Either put the engine in the rear of your 3rd gen or bolt it into the 1st gen's engine bay.

Now that I think about it, there will be lots of odds and ends in the engine bay that will want to flop around with nothing underneath to catch them if they fall. Or am I overthinking things?

You definitely want to make sure everything is secure - stuff flying onto the road is not good...

Any other input greatly appreciated.

The thing that gets most people when flat-towing is the steering. You need to turn the key to the 'Acc' position. Don't flat tow with the steering wheel locked. You could get away with the key in the 'On' position, but that uses more battery (assuming one is hooked up).

 

[nevada]

That's what I was concerned about. This would all have to be done in "some guy's" driveway/shop (I'll have to find out what his setup is, but he said he has means to fab stuff up). Where's the nearest frame access? Maybe I can fab and weld something underneath and use a good drop on my hitch to get low enough? I never liked the idea of bolting something to a member near the radiator. What if we pull the bumper? I've never seen the front end of a 1st gen up close, hence all the questions.

for reference.

The thing that gets most people when flat-towing is the steering. You need to turn the key to the 'Acc' position. Don't flat tow with the steering wheel locked. You could get away with the key in the 'On' position, but that uses more battery (assuming one is hooked up).

this is important. I watched a truck almost get pushed across the road into a ditch because they had the wheel locked.

 

[maco33]

I also flat towed my '87 4runner with my 2002 Montero Limited no problems at all, i bought my tow bar at HF and it came with the plates to use as washers and make the crossmember a bit stronger than it is, i also had to drill 2 extra holes to fit the tow bar on the truck.

 

[tre9er]

I also flat towed my '87 4runner with my 2002 Montero Limited no problems at all, i bought my tow bar at HF and it came with the plates to use as washers and make the crossmember a bit stronger than it is, i also had to drill 2 extra holes to fit the tow bar on the truck.

Where in the crossmember did you mount it (in the pic above)?

I'm thinking the guy I talked to was using those two holes in the member beneath the tranny cooler. If the brackets had multiple holes to use, I could almost use what's already there in the lower cross member there. I'm not super keen on drilling into things...

 

[tre9er]

if anyone has pics of their brackets for tow bar mounted, I would be eternally grateful.

 

[KidVermicious]

if anyone has pics of their brackets for tow bar mounted, I would be eternally grateful.

Check out this pic, this is how the tow bar mounts to the truck you're towing.

The two holes in the backplate will bolt to the crossmember of the 4Runner. One will go through the outermost existing hole on the crossmember, the other will go through another hole that you'll drill through the crossmember in the right location. On my tow bar, that was almost exactly between two existing holes, but for you it'll depend on your mounting bracket. Or if you're feeling spiffy, fab up a chunk of plate that bolts to the crossmember where the stock bumper brackets go, and weld the tow bar brackets to that so they sit out a little wider and give better lateral security. Any way you choose, you'll figure it out.



You will want some giant fender washers at the least, and better yet a couple chunks of 1/8th" steel the length and width of your brackets, drilled to match the bolt holes on the bracket, to use as a washer on the backside of the crossmember.

 

[nevada]

scary. I wouldn't trust that mounting. that cross-member is very thin.

id want it mounted at least out on the original bumper mounts, but even then...sketchy.

 

[KidVermicious]

scary. I wouldn't trust that mounting. that cross-member is very thin.

id want it mounted at least out on the original bumper mounts, but even then...sketchy.

Ideally I'd want the brackets tied directly to the frame rails, but that's probably more fab than the OP wants to do in his seller's driveway.

My old '86 was dragged from Utah to Oregon and back with the tow bar bolted to the crossmember. It'll work.

 

[airdreams1]

if it were me, Id make a plate that bolted to the bumper mounts & the outer hole on each side..(probably even make it wrap under to where the tow hooks mount)... make 1 Bolt go throuh the plate & bracket & weld the other side of the bracket to the plate....

If the seller can make the bracket for the T4R before you get there & has a welder your set.....

If your going to do it the way kid suggested, Id use 1/4 steel plate the whole length of the cross member on the inside..... Its worth the few extra $ it will cost to be sure it will make it home safe.

As for the motor....... put it as close to the center of axle in your tow rig..... you want the tow rig to out weigh the vehicle your towing by as much as possible! if they are similar in weight you will be pushed by it & Thats very unsafe!

Tie up the trans with a few heavy ratchet straps so its not dangling & bouncing around. same thing goes for anything else thats hanging.

check everything after a few miles.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

I'd rent one of these from U-Haul and call it a day.

If not big enough --

:hello:

 

[Quatre Coureur]

What about where the tow hooks/tie downs mount? There's two captured nuts I believe. Would that be sturdy enough? I too think about flat towing if we were to get a motorhome. As airdreams stated, what about making ur own brackets but using the tow hook mount?

 

[4runnerBrett]

The uhaul trailer are pretty cheap. I would look into that.

 

[KidVermicious]

If the OP is putting the first gen behind his third gen, UHaul won't rent to him. He could lie to them about what he's towing maybe, but then if something happens he's got all sorts of liability.

What about where the tow hooks/tie downs mount? There's two captured nuts I believe. Would that be sturdy enough? I too think about flat towing if we were to get a motorhome. As airdreams stated, what about making ur own brackets but using the tow hook mount?

I wouldn't use just the tow hook bolts, that puts all the stress in shear which could lead to ugly things. I think the best solution would be a fabbed plate something like the 4xI crossmember plate, but a little wider, and braced. Bolt it to the bumper brackets and the outer hole, and then bolt/weld the tongue brackets to the plate, outside of the bumper brackets for optimal triangularization. If you wanted to make it super-beefy, you could wrap it underneath and behind the crossmember with a couple bolts through the whole thing, but I honestly think that'd be overkill.

Not that overkill is a bad thing - I like overkill.

 

[4runnerBrett]

Oh I was thinking 02 was a 4th gen for some reason so ya that wouldn't work after all.

 

[tre9er]

Project on hold as of now anyway. SWMBO decided she wanted a Subaru (98 Forester) for winter time, so me project 1st Gen will have to wait. The guy is probably going to scrap this runner and parts, though He wants it out of his driveway. $1,000 for it all, including rebuilt longblock. Someone should jump on it. He's in Peoria, IL