Towing a K5...best way?

Well being the that Tahoe is really not matched in this job you want to keep the towed weight down as much as possible hence a tow dolly. Removing the rear drive shaft is not a big deal but if your old K5 has a NP205 in it you can simpy place the transfer case in neutral and leave drive shaft on. If you do this though you should over fill the Tcase if you are towing it several hundred miles because lubrication is limited in neutral. (removeing the drive shaft really is the best way here and you can towing as far as you want that way too)

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Gesh, car dolly, disconnect the drive shaft from the rear diff, wrap the joint in duct tape to keep the caps from falling off, push the end disconnected over to the frame rail and tie it up. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to do. The trailer Budget rents will handle your K5. Trailer or dolly, you will be pushing the Tahoe to its limits. I would prefer the trailer because it has surge brakes, the dolly will put everything on the Tahoe's brakes. Depending on where in Tenn. you may have some grades to contend with . Its sad Budget has dropped the cab over Isuzu from its line up.

Whitelightning

Good point but the towed weight will be about 1500lbs less which is a big plus and it will have less drag too and pull easier because it is closer to ground. I have used dollies with several vehicles and I like them generally and budget rents a nice one too.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

If the pinion bearing is shot, a tow dolly is out of the question due to the fact that everything in the rear-end will be spinning at road speed.

Assuming you have the 4x4 Tahoe with 3.73's, the K5 alone almost max's out the towing capacity of 6700lbs. Do you have a Friend that would loan you His/Her 3/4T for a weekend? If not, put the K5 on a trailer that has just enough capacity and has its own braking system, run premium gas in the Tahoe(as far over 90 octane that you can find), don't even think about OD, go easy(55mph max), and give the Tahoe a few breaks to cool down...Oh, by the way, if the Tahoe has P rated tires, FORGET IT! It would probably cost less in the long run to pay me to drive there with my trailer, get it, deliver it, and drive home then it would for you to replace tires, and possibly a trans rebuild 5 times sooner than average.

Best bet would be to try to find a 3/4T or better Friends Truck to borrow(or maybe one to rent) to get it done.

Life sucks, huh? I have Faith in ya my Friend...You can Git-er-Done! But if ya cant, let me know...I got the vehicle to tow it with and all the needed tools and rear-end to fix it there...SUCKS you gotta be so far away, Your an awesome Dude!

Actually, that pretty much answered my next question...And I'm not keen on the idea of towing it backwards. I've seen it done before, and with the locking hubs disengaged I wouldn't need to remove a driveshaft. Still...

Nope... 2WD Tahoe, 3.23 gears. I know of a 3/4 or 1 Ton Ford but I have serious doubts regarding it's reliability. That, and I doubt my buddy would loan it out.

I think it may be cheaper to A) attempt to drive it back or B) pay someone to move the damn thing. It's about a 250 mile trip. I moved it last weekend when I was up there, a total distance of 30 miles. A short run of that was on the interstate, at 60+ mph. I think if I didn't get past 60mph, I could limp it back. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Even if it's completely destroyed by the time I pull it into the driveway, at least it'd be in the driveway.

It just requires an, um...interesting technique to drive it. Basically, it makes a lot less noise if it's under load, or negative load. If you're accelerating or deccelerating, it's bearable. Trying to cruise though--just maintaining speed--cause a *lot* of whining. I'm guessing because under those conditions, everything back is a lot looser. So driving involves giving it too much gas, then letting off completely...over and over and over...

Thanks, Man! The feeling is most definitely mutual!

Fixing it WAS an option...and still is, but the plan has permanently changed. When I moved in May, my commute went from 1/2 mile to 30 miles, one-way. 60 miles a day, averaging 8mpg, at $3.15 a gallon (premium)...you get the idea. It was costing over $100 a week just to go back and forth to work. When I calculated the gas bill at the end of the month, I realized that I could make a car payment, pay insurance on said car, and pay for gas, and still spend less money.

This is actually a good thing. Replacing the axle with another 10-bolt would be just like every other repair I've made. It's money spent that just puts me back where I started. I want a 14-bolt, and had access to a free one, still on the shipping pallet. It may still be available. Same goes for a rebuildable Dana 60 front end. It also needs a cam that's gonna give it off-idle torque, better idle quality, REAL vacuum at idle, etc... Parking it in the backyard and driving a CAR that's better suited to the daily commute will give me the opportunity to upgrade things as I see fit, at my own pace, without wondering if what I'm doing is going to result in me not having a ride to work the next day.

That's a feeling I haven't had in some time, as you and everyone else on this NG knows, LOL.

By putting in "project vehicle" status it's going to change from being a frustrating, necessary experience, to a leisurely, enjoyable hobby. I won't have to scour the area looking for the cheapest, quickest way to get it back on the road.

So...having said that, I should hopefully test drive and maybe put money down on this '97 Saab 9000 Aero (turbo) I've been eyeing. (no jokes please) Dad put over 350k on his '87 model. And if I'm gonna drive something with a 4-cyl (starts to drool, makes gagging, wretching noises) it's going to have to be something a little more substantial than a Honda :-|

Consequently, I've been hanging on the Saab NG for a couple of weeks, gathering info.

But that in no way means I won't still be here, as the work on the K5 WILL continue :-)

~jp

Why not rent a large truck, and put K5 inside? I moved a car once that way, and do not see much difference with a truck. Just need a ramp to load, and unload.

250 miles, 500 round trip. Day trip. $50 for the truck, and now probably $50 for gas too.

~inline~

May I say...Why?

C) Remove the rear driveshaft, use about half a roll of duct-tape to cap it off, and drive it back in FWD keeping close tabs on the duct-tape cap and t-case fluid level. I have done this myself, though with a grenaded rearend and not as far and had no problems at all...I would keep it more in the

40-50MPH range.

Have a Buddy following to help you drag it off the road if it decides to leave pieces behind.

I would try to keep as steady of a throttle as possible and have a 5gal pail of 80W-90 with to keep it full.

HEY! Dont knock a Honda! I have an '87 CRX sitting in front of my home right now that is a 40-50MPG, 1800lb, 2 seater, 76HP beast that raises its nose at gas stations...maniacle laughs quietly so no one sees what I'm driving...

I thought about that too, but questioned what size of truck would be needed to haul a vehicle almost 8ft wide...

That would have to be a pretty darn big truck wouldn't you say?

I don't get your fuel estimate... Diesel is between unleaded regular and plus in price (around $3.05 / gallon) and I know a truck like you describe is going to get well under 10mpg.

~jp

Bill wrote:

This would work but I have seriuos doubts about your tow vehcile with

3.23 gears. You could wind up needing a new tranny if it is hilly and hot.

Also on rear axle, look for a 9.5 inch 14 bolt semi floater. They have

6 lug hubs and are often overlooked. It is a very sturdy rear axle and about the equal of a D60. The axle is rated at about a 3 ton capacity and is a lot stronger than the weak 10 bolt. Lots of after market locker options for it too.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

8' wide? Fold mirrors flat. I think 6' is more like it. Door will not open, so you need to go out the back window. Check with a tape measure, and go look at what U-haul type places rent.

Well, you guys have me spooked. The idea of towing with the Tahoe now makes me uncomfortable if I were pulling anything bigger than a moving/travel trailer.

~jp

SnoMan wrote:

It's the girlfriend's vehicle. Chick-cars don't usually have 4wd or better gears. She likes the radio buttons on the steering wheel though... ;-)

I could take some highways that would force me to limit speed. It'd take forever though. And I'd hate to break down out in the middle of nowhere.

I thought about this... I have no one to help except the girlfriend. She wouldn't be much help, but I figured if I attempted this stunt at all, I'd keep it in the right lane in case I needed to take evasive action.

My thoughts exactly.

Yeah, I was kind of kidding. I just don't like them. But as of this very moment, I may be forced to get "whatever". I called about the Saab...turns out the dealer found problems, so they dumped it back where they got it (auction). This is two of them in a week that have looked promising then turned out to be junk.

~jp

Sorry but a 3.23 is no tow gear. You want at least a 3.73 and better still a 4.10 to tow that kind of weight. Take factory towing rating with a grain of salt too as they are overly generous on some models like yours.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

The other aspect is the tie downs inside a "do it your self" moving truck wont hold a full size vehicle in place. As to loading and unloading, a flat bed tow truck will work, but by that time you could rent a truck and trailer. Some Budget rental trucks still have the cab over Isuzu trucks for local rentals. They get about 14 mpg on the highway, as opposed to the gas rigs getting about 7 mpg., will cruise 65 with no problem and have engine brakes, makes going down a grades a dream. Don't know why Budget quit buying them.

Whitelightning

With the mirrors its 8ft...folded mirrors its right at 7ft!

OK I'm going to assume that the K5 front axle is still OK. Pull the rear drive shaft out. Rig a cover over the output shaft on the transfer case so that you don't lose any fluid. Drop it in 4 wheel lock and drive it home on the front axle?