If you ever run out of gas on a highway, you will need to tow the car to a nearby gas station. Flat tire? You will have to get the vehicle towed to a gas station or your home. In both these scenarios, you will stop and wonder if the car should be towed from the front or back.
You don’t need to worry about the answer if you have called a reputed vehicle towing company for help. They’ll take care of the safety of your vehicle. But if you’re attempting to tow the car yourself, this is something you should definitely be knowledgeable about. The answer depends on the kind of car you own. You might wonder if the positioning makes any difference. Yes, it makes a tremendous difference! If you attempt to tow the car from the opposite end of where it is supposed to be towed, you risk causing severe transmission damage to your vehicle. Towing From the FrontThe front-wheel-drive cars have to be towed from the front. Towing from the front ensures no undue strain on the drive train. You will need to use a tow dolly for this purpose. After hitching it up to the dolly, the front wheels of your car are fixed in the cradles of the tow dolly while the back wheels stay on the ground. Towing From the BackTowing a rear-wheel-drive vehicle is different in more ways than just the end being towed. Towing a rear-wheel-drive car is more manageable and does not require special tools. The only thing to take care of is the transmission. When using a tow truck, the rear-wheel-drive vehicle’s rear end has to be raised and fixed on the truck, while the front tires can roll on the road. Towing on a Flat-bed TruckA four-wheel-drive (4WD) or an all-wheel-drive car has to be transported on a flat-bed truck. Attempting to tow it using a tow dolly or a regular tow truck will destroy its transmission. Towing an Automatic CarAutomatic cars can be towed for a short distance at low speeds or towed with their driving wheels off the ground. In automatic vehicles, improper towing straight-away damages the transmission. The rule of the thumb is to lift and fix the primarily driven wheels onto the tow truck while the second set of wheels is free to roll on the road. ConclusionA good idea is to check the car’s manufacturer manual in case of any confusion. It comes with detailed towing instructions, the best way to tow your vehicle, which side should it be towed from, and whether or not it should be towed at all. You can save yourself from the hassle of towing yourself by calling the best towing company in Arizona and letting the professionals take care of this stressful process for you. Towing a car is not a piece of cake! If you don’t have prior experience, you may be looking at a damaged car. When you're towing a car, you need to be extra careful about your safety. If you think you can’t do it yourself, you should hire the best towing service to get the job done.
Here's A Checklist Which You Should Consider Before Towing A Vehicle. Maintenance Your towing checklist should include regular maintenance as a key priority. You can avoid putting yourself or other drivers at risk by avoiding driving with worn-out or malfunctioning equipment. Check and adjust your trailer's braking system, as well as the grease on the wheel bearings. Routine inspections can help reduce the risk of malfunctions. Check LightsMake sure the trailer's electrical wiring system is correctly attached to the towing vehicle before setting out on the road. Check how loose the wires are; they should be loose enough to turn without disconnecting from the tow truck but not loose to touch the road. If you have an observer, make sure that the warning lights of the tow trucks are operational. Hitching DevicesMaintain the tension of the hitch ball's connection to the drawbar by checking it frequently. You need to make sure your hitch ball is secured to the coupler, as well as the tow bar you may be using. Check Brakes Before you start towing, you need to make sure that you can stop in time for any emergency. Brake pads must be in excellent condition before you use your vehicle. This is an important step because if your trailer's brakes overheat, they can result in safety hazards, such as the fluid in the calipers reaching their boiling point. Check Suspensions.You should also examine the suspension for wear and tear. Pins, bolts, bushes, and springs, as well as any other moving components, should be examined for any unforeseen cracks. The tires of the car should be removed in order to run a thorough inspection of the brakes and suspension. Check The Trailer Tires.If the trailer is parked outside and hasn't been used in a while, carefully examine the tires for dry rot and cracks. Don't forget to tighten the tire lug nuts on both the trailer and the towing vehicle to the specified torque. Final Thoughts When it comes to towing a trailer, make sure to practice in the driveway if you have no prior experience. Towing is a lot more difficult than big-rig drivers portray it to be. A better solution than attempting to tow the vehicle yourself is to hire the best towing company to do the job. Having your car breakdown at any time is no fun, but if your car breaks down at night, the stress increases by several folds. And you don’t even want to imagine what the situation would be like if you were alone. It’s not just stressful but extremely unsafe too. And it’s natural to lose your calm, but that won’t help you.
So, what is it that you should do if you ever find yourself in such a situation? It’s very important that you stay calm and put and handle the situation smartly. Below are some tips that will help you ensure that you and your vehicle are safe if your car ever breaks down at night. Pull Your Car to the SideThe first and the most important thing to do if your car breaks down at night is to pull your car over to the side of the road. The cars coming may not be able to stop in time and if your car is standing in the center of the road, the chances of collision will be high. If your car is parked on the side, you’ll be out of the way of the passing cars. Turn Your Hazards OnYou should immediately turn your hazards on. It’s an indication to the cars approaching towards you that there’s a car that’s not moving and they need to slow down. Your car may be clearly visible from a distance during the day but the situation is entirely different during the night. The visibility is already low. So, don’t forget to turn your hazards on the moment your car gives way. Identify Your LocationThe next thing to do is to identify where you are at the moment. You’ll need your location before you call anyone for help. They’ll need to know where you are so that they can come to your assistance, whether it’s family, friends, or a professional towing company. Call for HelpOnce you’ve pulled over your car to the side of the road and made sure that your car isn’t in the way, take a deep breath, relax, and call for help. You should always have the contact details of a reliable towing company on your phone for emergency situations like this. It’s good to be prepared in advance because your car can break down anytime, anywhere, without any prior warning. Stay in Your CarDon’t wander around. It’s just not safe. You should stay inside your car all the time while you wait for help. It usually takes a towing company a few minutes (20 to 30 minutes) to reach you. Wandering around and leaving your car unattended is unsafe – not just for your car but for you too. You’re at a high risk of vandalism and theft, so it’s best to keep yourself safe and sound inside your car. Calling a towing company if your car breaks down at night – or as a matter of fact, any time during the day – is a wise thing to do. Do your research and shortlist a reliable towing company for emergencies. Brake failure is one of the common and most dangerous mechanical breakdowns that can happen to your car. At Tow Tempe, we tow away hundreds of cars every year that suffer from brake failure.
When you lose control of your brakes, it is important that you keep your head and not panic. Here are some ways you can slow down your car and get safely off the road. Tow Tempe can then provide you with essential roadside assistance. Remain CalmAlthough your first response will be to panic if your brake fails while you are driving at full speed, you need to keep your head if you want to keep yourself and those around you safe from an accident. Just take a deep breath, remain aware of the traffic around you, and try to gain as much control of your car as you can while you try to get it safely off the road. Don’t Turn off Your CarIt is important that you do not turn off your car even though it may seem like a good idea to slow it down quickly. The abrupt stop can disable or lock your steering wheel causing your car to skid or flip if it is moving too fast. This will cause you to have less control of your car. Make sure the engine keeps running until you have fully stopped. Keeping on your car will also allow you to bring it safely to the side of the road. Turning on the Hazard LightsTurn on your flashers to make other drivers understand that you are experiencing a car emergency, particularly at night. If there are other cars around you, blare your horn to warn them away from your car. Slowly DownshiftingIf you have a manual transmission car, you need to downshift your car one gear at a time during a brake failure. Do not downshift your car too fast as it can cause it to skid. If you have an automatic car, simply removing your foot from the accelerator will cause the gear downshifting. In addition, some automatic cars also have paddle shifters on the steering wheels that can help them downshift. Trying the Brakes AgainTry to apply a steady and firm pressure on your brake pedals to check if you can get at least half the dual brakes to work and slow down the car. Sometimes, only one half of the brakes fail. However, be careful when pressing on the brake, and do not jam your foot down on the brake pedal too hard. Using the Emergency BrakeEmergency brakes will not stop your car completely — they take longer than regular brakes to stop your car. However, they are of enormous help when your regular brakes have broken down and can slow down your car so that you can have better control of it as you try to take it off the road. Calling for Emergency Roadside AssistanceOnce your car is in a place where it will not interrupt everyday road traffic and has come to a full stop, you should call out the emergency roadside assistance team at Tow Tempe. We offer affordable, efficient, and quick aid to people who have been stranded on the road. Reach out to us today by calling at 4804281921. |