Re: Alfa towing

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

 In AD8-0088 Al Will asks about towing a Spider a few hundred miles with a
U-Haul tow dolly-  Does anyone know of any reason not to tow the rear wheels
on the road?
 There was a heavy discussion on the digest 3 March 1999 through 10 March
1999, digest v7-524 through v7-544 or so; I was on the yes-tow-dollies-are
fine side, most others were against it and greatly prefered a full trailer
(which requires a more robust tow vehicle and deeper pockets). Several points
were made about clearance issues (the approach and depature angles of the
long-tailed short-wheelbase car, consequent exhaust dragging) and Simon Favre
raised a question about back-driving the gears in a hypoid rear end; Joe
Bender, who is a mechanical engineer, supported Simon's side on that question.
Fred Di Matteo had no qualms about the mechanical consequences of flat-towing
his Junior Z long distances at high speeds

 I still feel, on the basis of past experience, (mine and Fred's) comfortable
with flat towing as far as the machinery is concerned; but I am not an
engineer, and I give a lot of weight to Simon's (and Joe's) informed opinions.
Can't say on the clearance issues - I think the discussion then was more about
the longer-tailed rountail. The extended dialog is available in the digest
archives; if they are not up I could dig them out of my files and forward.

 Good luck,

 John H.*

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