Other: Tow Dolly my SilverHawk

[Yatipope]

Getting ready to Tow Dolly my 1959 SilverHawk automatic 400 miles to Ocala Florida where we have relocated. I have towed Studebaker Hawks in the past but they were stick shift. I understand you gotta disconnect the driveshaft at the rear axle and tie it up. I have done so with another vehicle in the past. My question is this,., can it be towed backwards with the front steering tires on the ground? I understand you gotta really tie down the steering wheel or steering linkage to keep it from swaying? Is it not advisable?

[IndStudenut]

I have seen rear wheel cars towed backwards for that very reason. It is easy to do with later cars that have a locking steering column. In theory it will work and accomplish the task. But I am not sure I would trust towing that far trusting the Steering wheel stays locked straight. Maybe someone else here has a method of locking the steering wheel that is proven to be solid.

[yeroldad]

Do it the safe way and disconnect the driveshaft, tape the u-joint up good and tie up the driveshaft good. In the end, it's a lot easier than trying to keep the steering from moving back and forth. Personally, I put the car/truck on a trailer and tie it down properly, even if I have to rent one.

[64studeavanti]

I towed a 55 Speedster from Montana to Florida with a dolly. I removed the driveshaft. I used cargo straps to keep the front wheels from turning. Not sure I would do it again.

I did tow MIL car, a Datsun 300zx with the rear wheels on the dolly for 400 miles or so. Don't remember any significant issues.

[Buzzard]

Boy was I young and stupid. I flat towed, with a hitch that clamped onto the bumpers, a 1963 Lark Wagonaire from Calgary, Alberta 650 miles to Vancouver BC. What was I thinking as this was on the TransCanada Highway, mostly two lanes back then, through the Rocky Mountains?
I did make it without incident.
Bill

[Yatipope]

Removing my driveshaft is out of the question as I am dealing with a problem with my Flightomatic. The torque converter drains down and would pour out of the tail shaft opening. I will likely go traditional and disconnect and tie up the driveshaft. Still wondering if there is a way to semi-lock the steering using the linkages and tie rod system under the car?

[Topper2011]

Can you rent a Uhaul trailer with surge brakes? You will feel a lot safer. Look close enough at my Avatar and you can see the trailer i used.

[bensherb]

I agree with Yeroldad : "Personally, I'd put the car/truck on a trailer and tie it down properly, even if I have to rent one."

I've never had much luck with car dollys even for short hauls. One of the reasons I bought a car trailer when I moved 40 miles east. Had 4 cars to move, then put sides on it and moved the furniture and all. That was 28 years ago and it was probably THE BEST purchase I've ever made! I've used it to move THOUSANDS of pounds of vehicles, steel, wood and brush as well as a couple households several thousand miles in since then. In fact, I have somewhere around another 28,000 pounds of fallen tree to haul away in it as soon as I repair the hydraulics on my tractor so I can load it.

[Yatipope]

Made my 400 mile tow dolly trip perfectly. Everything went great. Gotta lot of admirers on the way and here at my new RV spot in Ocala FL. Not something you see at an RV park huh?

[Yatipope]

Here is how I travel (and live) and towed the SilverHawk

[M-Webb]

If you can find a cheap enough trailer near you to buy off CL or FB Marketplace, can do that and then just resell it when you get to FL. Might even be able to make a little profit or sell it for not much loss if nothing else. People are selling cheap trailers they don't want anymore all the time. Just be sure to get a good one that doesn't need much work, has good wheels and tires on it or worth fixing for the price. Don't mess around with a sketchy trailer, not worth it.

Or just pay a car hauler to take it for you. Shouldn't be that expensive for that distance. Sometimes it is just better to pay a pro to do it vs ending up possibly only saving a couple hundred at most, all the risk and hassle involved.

Here is a possible one, "ASAP" is a good sign:

https://columbia.craigslist.org/grd/d/sumter-16-ft-car-trailer/7897229090.html