ShawnQ

What would I need to do to tow my 4Runner approximately 12miles without a trailer?

Do I need to pull the rear driveshaft, or will it not matter at this distance? I would think it would be best to just pull the driveshaft...

Has anyone done this? I could rent a trailer, but would prefer to tow it.

Thanks
Shawn

Flamedx4

Put the transfer case in neutral. You'll be fine.

trythis

Automatics dont have Neutral, at least mine doesnt have a N or anything. Unless you mean the Transmission?

Flamedx4

What? On a 1990? You sure? It should have. I may be wrong, but this is the first I heard of it.
Pattern should be 2hi - 4hi - N - 4lo

The transfer case must go in Neutral for towing. If you have no Neutral, then leave it in 2wd and remove the rear driveshaft, 11 miles will toast the trans. 11 blocks I'd do, but not any farther than that.

CoedNaked

There should be a little "cap" right around the automatic transmission shifter. If you pull this cap off there will be a little button under it. This button allows you to turn the vehicle off while in neutral (on your auto trans shifter). The reason this switch is covered up is because it's supposed to be a one time use only. When they shipped the 4runner accross the continent to various destinations by rail when it was new, they can't put them in park because the constant jarring and starting and stopping of the train will wear the parking brake in the transmission heavily while on the rail car. So they have to put it in neutral with the e-brake on (and blocks on the wheels). When they arrive at their destination, they put that cap overtop of the little button. I'm not sure if they have it on the auto 4runners back then, but you could look for it. I know there was one on my mom's 97 rav4 and they still use have this button today in automatic vehicles. That, and putting your transfer case shifter into neutral, I would imagine would put your rig into "true" neutral and I"m guessing it should be ok for towing.

JamesD

Well 12 miles will not hurt it. It takes quite a bit of miles to damage it. Yeah my 89 doesnt have neutral either. Now by any chance does the truck run? You can leave it running while it being towed or you can remove the driveshaft. The best and easiest way is to remove the driveshaft. Then you dont have to worry about anything.

James

Elton

it should be easy with a freind

ShawnQ

The truck runs, but it's got a bad headgasket and coolant in the oil...so I'd rather not let it run that long.

I may just end up snaggin my friend's trailer, but I have to wait for his schedule to allow it, and I'm anxious to tear this thing open and fix the head gasket problem, pronto!

Thanks for the advice.

BTW, it does have a button on the auto tranny, call ECT? what is this?

There is also a shift lock.

SQ

Jeffires

ECT just controls how agressively the transmission shifts. "eletronically controlled transmission"

trythis

I have torn down my tranny shifting housing and replaced the broken plastic sliders. There is no button inside teh housing other than the one that you can press to shift gears when the key is out of ignition. THe truck rolls, is that true Neutral? That just shifts the transmission not the transfer, right?

Flamedx4

It only takes 5 minutes with two 14mm wrenches to remove the rear driveshaft. It can't get any easier than that.

trythis

I had a button (well, 2) on my GMC z71 that I could push and I was in true neutral. That was easy, laying in a muddy creek removing two bolts that are caked in mud, doesnt sound so easy, but I guess you would at least pull it out of the creek first.

ayoung101

took me about an hour, but after i got one side off the little lady called me in for dinner. so yeah, 5-10 minutes.

oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, you CAN drive your truck for 3 weeks in 4wd without a rear driveshaft. (i got a little too anxious and removed the busted one LONG before the new one came in the mail)