towed: gone in 60 seconds

[rh71]

I'm sitting here watching a tow truck pull up behind this g37 sedan (not sure if it's g37x) and he's got it up in about a minute. Got me wondering. What do they do if it was AWD? What if it has a tilt sensor like mine does? I wonder if it locks up the wheels. Typically flatbed is the only desirable way if you mean to tow it but this is a case of tow and run.

http://imgur.com/c0WArcP

 

[cabri]

Put a dolly under the wheels at the opposite end where the tow gear is used

Solves the AWD problem easily.

 

[rh71]

Dolly all 4 wheels you mean? Can't say I've seen that.

 

[jlee]

The winch on those trucks is strong enough to pull a car whether it wants to go or not - I've watched a flatbed winch an SUV up on the bed while dragging locked tires.

 

[rh71]

The winch on those trucks is strong enough to pull a car whether it wants to go or not - I've watched a flatbed winch an SUV up on the bed while dragging locked tires.

What does the winch attach to on the car?

So you're saying they're fine with busting up your transmission and don't care either way? What if the flatbed is already taken like in this situation?

They do assess what kind of transmission is on the car before doing any of this, do they not?

 

[cabri]

Dolly all 4 wheels you mean? Can't say I've seen that.

No.

If the "hook" is at the front to lift that end off the ground; dolly the back axle(s)
Reverse the axles if the "hook" is at the rear.

An experience hooker can get a dolly under each wheel inside a minute using a hydralic floor jack.

 

[cabri]

The winch on those trucks is strong enough to pull a car whether it wants to go or not - I've watched a flatbed winch an SUV up on the bed while dragging locked tires.

What does the winch attach to on the car?

So you're saying they're fine with busting up your transmission and don't care either way? What if the flatbed is already taken like in this situation?

They do assess what kind of transmission is on the car before doing any of this, do they not?

Winch attaches to the frame.

The hooker does not care about internal damage; they get paid for the vehicle recovery. some may take pictures of the vehicle either at pickup or at delivery to avoid liability of external damage. They are not going to try and damage the vehicle, but their job is to recover it.

If the wheels are locked, the tires get destroyed. but to drag onto a flat bed is no more than 2.5x length of vehicle. Transmissions are designed when in park to hold the vehicle from rolling.

 

[DaTT]

The car doesn't have to come off the ground to get dollys under the wheels.

No.

If the "hook" is at the front to lift that end off the ground; dolly the back axle(s)
Reverse the axles if the "hook" is at the rear.

An experience hooker can get a dolly under each wheel inside a minute using a hydralic floor jack.

 

[cabri]

The car doesn't have to come off the ground to get dollys under the wheels.

The wheels have to get placed on the dolly somehow. I would expect that the dolly needs to be braced so as to not move when force is applied to place the wheels under the dolly.

Lifting the wheel off the ground would be simpler.

Or is there something / some other way that I can not think of?

 

[JCH13]

Some will dump some sand down, this lets locked wheels/tires slide relatively easily.

 

[SKORPI0]

Fastest method I think, <30 seconds.

How Repo Trucks Work :\

 

[DaTT]

The wheels have to get placed on the dolly somehow. I would expect that the dolly needs to be braced so as to not move when force is applied to place the wheels under the dolly.

Lifting the wheel off the ground would be simpler.

Or is there something / some other way that I can not think of?

Yes, there is another method. The dolly is essentially two pieces, half goes in front of the wheel and the other half behind. When you "snap" them together, the compress together and lift the car up.

 

[jlee]

What does the winch attach to on the car?

So you're saying they're fine with busting up your transmission and don't care either way? What if the flatbed is already taken like in this situation?

They do assess what kind of transmission is on the car before doing any of this, do they not?

No, what I'm saying is exactly what I said.

"The winch on those trucks is strong enough to pull a car whether it wants to go or not - I've watched a flatbed winch an SUV up on the bed while dragging locked tires."

You were saying "tow and run", right?

 

[SKORPI0]

 

[marvdmartian]

No.

If the "hook" is at the front to lift that end off the ground; dolly the back axle(s)
Reverse the axles if the "hook" is at the rear.

An experience hooker can get a dolly under each wheel inside a minute using a hydralic floor jack.

This is also how they'll tow vehicles that are seriously bent, after an accident, where you don't have good enough/safe enough wheels at either end, for pulling and towing. Also seen where the front tires were turned, and they'll just pick up the rear end, and tow it down the road, slightly crooked to the road.

Bottom line? They'll do what they can to not damage the vehicle, but in the end, they really don't care. Especially if it's a repo, since the person who is getting repo'ed is going to pay for the tow, the fees while it's in the lot, the repo fee, and whatever's left owed on the vehicle, if anything, after it's auctioned off. A little bit of towing damage just means the bank won't get as much for it, but will pass on that loss to the ex-owner.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I've seen tow drivers intentionally leave a cars doors open and when they pulled the car back the door would hit a tree and be bent -- the driver didn't care one bit.

Not all wrecker crews are d-bags, but the work lends itself to d-bag types.


Brian

 

[Brian Stirling]

I've seen tow drivers intentionally leave a cars doors open and when they pulled the car back the door would hit a tree and be bent -- the driver didn't care one bit.

Not all wrecker crews are d-bags, but the work lends itself to d-bag types.


Brian