{"id":34486,"date":"2025-08-07T19:07:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T02:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.4x4training.com\/w\/?p=34486"},"modified":"2025-08-07T19:07:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T02:07:19","slug":"tow-bar-invaluable-for-four-wheeling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.4x4training.com\/w\/tow-bar-invaluable-for-four-wheeling\/","title":{"rendered":"Tow Bar Invaluable For Four Wheeling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"We were on a trail called Jackpot, on the outskirts of Death Valley. A friend of mine was behind me in a used Grand Cherokee he had purchased recently. About halfway up the trail his entire steering mechanism suddenly fell apart.<\/p>\n

The steering box came right off the side of the frame. The power steering lines were snapped as well. It was a real mess.<\/p>\n

My buddy was unable to steer the vehicle. And with the steering totally destroyed, there was no point in attaching a tow strap. The Jeep wouldn\u2019t \u2013 couldn\u2019t \u2013 steer.<\/p>\n

The solution? Towing. I brought along a tow bar, which is pretty typical for me. Within minutes I had it attached to the other vehicle, and started towing him back to camp. We were unable to fix his vehicle, so the next day another driver towed the vehicle and its owner home.<\/p>\n

This incident went from a complete disaster to something manageable.<\/p>\n

Flat towing is very common<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flat towing involves towing a vehicle with all its wheels on the ground. The process is more common than you think.<\/p>\n

For example, owners of motor homes often tow a small car behind. Once in the RV park, they drive that car, referred to as a dinghy, locally. Sometimes that \u201cdingy\u201d is actually a Jeep.<\/p>\n

I sometimes flat tow another Jeep to my classes or excursions. I loan that to a client who doesn\u2019t have a vehicle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve discovered that towing comes in handy when a vehicle needs repair or maintenance. I drop off the vehicle that needs maintenance, and drive the other one home.<\/p>\n

Make sure you\u2019re familiar with your state\u2019s regulations regarding towing. A quick internet search or phone call should tell you what you need to know.<\/p>\n

A-frame tow bar is ideal<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Which brings us to the tow bars themselves. Tow bars come in two styles: straight bar and the A-frame. I prefer the A-frame.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s lightweight yet sturdy and inexpensive. The bar features a trailer hitch on one end, and the proper mechanisms on the other ends to attach to the bumper on the recovery vehicle. (Some drilling is needed.)<\/p>\n

Mine is a mere 34\u201d long (from the trailer ball to the bumper) when fully deployed. When not in use, the A-frame of the tow bar collapses to two long bars, and I store it in the back of my vehicle. When I was a kid, everyone drove around with an A-frame tow bar attached to the front of their bumper.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to buy a bar suited to your vehicle. Harbor Freight offers a Haul Master tow bar rated at 5,000 pounds for about $85.00.<\/p>\n

Prepare the vehicle for flat towing<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important that you know how to flat tow with your vehicle. Consult the owner\u2019s manual for your vehicle.<\/p>\n

Attach the tow bar to the recovery vehicle. Once it\u2019s hooked up, put the automatic transmission in neutral and shift the transfer case to neutral. This allows all four wheels to rotate freely.<\/p>\n

Shift the transmission to reverse and see if the vehicle moves. Use reverse to ensure that no helper between the vehicles is injured and confirms the transfer case is in neutral. You can\u2019t tow a vehicle unless the transfer case is in neutral.<\/p>\n

Then shut the off the engine, and move the transmission in park. This prevents the transmission from turning backwards, which could burn it out. At this stage, the steering wheel is unlocked. An added benefit is that the odometer won\u2019t advance while the vehicle is being towed.<\/p>\n

Because the tow bar is attached to the other vehicle\u2019s bumper, that vehicle will follow along nicely; it has no choice. The front wheels will straighten out. The vehicle will turn the corner right behind you as well.<\/p>\n

Use flat towing for breakdowns off-road<\/strong><\/p>\n

The tow bar is most commonly used during breakdowns. Often, we have the ability to repair on the trail. If not, the tow bar provides several options.<\/p>\n

We can tow that vehicle out to the street or highway, and call for roadside service. (This is where AAA\u2019s 200-mile service comes in handy.)<\/p>\n

We can tow the vehicle back to camp where we have time to work on it.\"\"<\/p>\n

Or just tow it home to our regular repair guy. That was the case with breakdown discussed above.<\/p>\n

\"\"Modified Tow Bar<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a tow bar modified to attach to recovery eyes. It required turning\u00a0 the attachment end to go outside the eye instead of inside a bracket. In addition, a buddy machined a few different sized inserts to bring the eye down to 1\/2 inch for a bolt.<\/p>\n

Here is a comercialy designed modification to use the recovery eyes from LOD OffRoad.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/lodoffroad.com\/products\/roadmaster-tow-bar-adaptor-kit\/JTB0730<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Wireless trailer lights are the way to go<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Remember that you\u2019ll need to attach trailer lights. I recently discovered magnetic tail lights. Each has a magnetic base, which allows you to place them where needed.<\/p>\n

The set includes a transmitter that plugs into either the 9 pin or the flat 4 pin, depending on what kind of trailer lights connections you have on your vehicle. Because the system operates on RF, you don\u2019t have to run wires from your vehicle to the lights. It\u2019s a really cool system.\"\"<\/p>\n

Due to the difficulty of trails and the constant abuse that vehicles endure, breakdowns occur pretty regularly. Some issues can be fixed while off-road. But when a tow is necessary, a tow bar can be a game changer. The A-frame tow bar is the perfect solution in those situations. I suggest purchasing one and packing it for every four-wheeling excursion.<\/p>\n

Whether towing to the campsite or to the highway \u2013 even all the way home \u2013 it\u2019s crucial to have that capability.<\/p>\n

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#\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #<\/p>\n

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Did you miss the previous articles?<\/p>\n

2025<\/strong><\/p>\n