Hubs unlocked, or auto and 2wd, tranny in neutral. Would be my second choice, flat bed would be my first.I have aaa plus , so I'd request a flat bed.

 

and on top of trans in neutral, if its a 4x4, put the transfer case in neutral.

 

I've always heard that being towed with trans in N isn't good. I don't think electronic shift t-cases have neutral.

are the manual and electronic shift t-cases the same? if so there has got to be a neutral somewhere, just no switch for it.

If your t-cases does have a neutral your trans could be in any gear, even park and it would roll, although incase it slipped into 2H, 4H or 4L during towing it might be a good idea to have tranny in N.

I guess the hubs unlocked would be the way to go with a tow truck, but what if a buddy needed to pull you a mile down to road to get home.

 

I've always heard that being towed with trans in N isn't good. I don't think electronic shift t-cases have neutral.

You heard right. If you have an automatic DO NOT tow the vehicle in neutral. You'll be burning up the transmission in a hurry....... :doh:

If you had a manual-shift transfer case, you would put the transfer case in neutral and simply leave the transmission in PARK. Since you have ESOF and no neutral position, simply leave the transfer case in 2wd and pull the rear driveshaft from the differential (4 bolts is all) then wire the driveshaft up and out of the way.

The reason it works that way....
The transfer case pump is located on the rear driveshaft output so as long as you are towing the vehicle in a forward direction, the transfer case will continue to be lubricated as normal. Pulling it backwards will not have that effect however.....

The transmission has NO pump action while being towed (which is why you can't pull-start them....no pressure to apply any clutches). If you simply put the transmission in neutral, the output shaft will sit there and spin away with no additional lubrication short of what just happened to be there after the truck was last driven. Just having the transfer case in neutral does not guarantee that the transmission output shaft will not turn; having the transmission in PARK will. This leads us to the problem with trying to tow an ESOF truck with an automatic transmission. You can't put the transfer case in neutral, so you would either HAVE to tow with the transmission in neutral (bad idea) or remove the rear driveshaft and make sure the front axle drive system is disengaged.

 

ESOF always pull the front driveshaft unless you are flatbedding it.

 

or make the tow truck driver put his dollies under your rear tires and leave it in park

 

You can also pull 1 rear axle. Jam a rag in the hole or prepare to clean gear oil off the back of the truck.

 

How will that wheel bearing stay lubricated with no axle?

 

If you have a tow dolly or wheel lift you can tow it backwards. Lift up the REAR tires leave it in 2wd. Lock the steering wheel so it will pull straight. Otherwise 4 12mm 12point bolts or 4 8mm bolts to get the straps off and wire the driveshat up. Those are the 2 best and safest options.

 

 

If you have the back end picked up there is no reason for the dollys in the front.

 

the dollies can be used on the rear..... when on the front they eliminate the steering and make the towed vehicle much more stable and safer to tow... also in the event that the vehicle needs towed because of front drivetrain damage they eliminate moving parts

 

Too bad they didn't put a N on ESOF, seems that'd have been much easier. Thought I read somewhere that the t-cases from manual shift to ESOF were the same. If thats the case maybe a "mod" could yeild a N with ESOF...you'd just need a seperate switch to activate it.

Must be a reason ford didn't do it, maybe it would have needed power all the time, or if something electrical failed it may put it into a gear while being towed.

I was originally thinking if a person broke down a mile from home. I doubt many of us would call a wrecker for that, rather just call a buddy to come tow it with a strap, and from the suggestions it seems rear drive shaft off, ESOF in 2wd and hubs on auto would work.

 

if you are 1 mile from home put the trans in N and tow it slow... if you are 20 miles from home call a wrecker

 

Like someone said above you can drop the rear driveshaft put it in park, two wheel on the fly, and make sure your hubs are in auto then you can tow it anywhere,I tow mine behind my rv.

 

oops yeah .... meant call a wrecker if you don't wanna drop the shaft