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Tow advice asked

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H

hama61

Jedi Hopeful
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Hello

The Bn 4 has been parked with the front into a small garage. Car doesn't start at the moment and the brakes are blocked too.

The car does not roll but need to be towed out for repairs

How can I tow the car out without damaging her


Harry
 
Harry,

While your car may be too stuck to push by hand, it might not be too frozen that it can't be pulled out with a tow strap. I would loop a tow strap around the rear axle, hook the other end to a car or truck, and give it a bit of a pull. It might free itself with a light pull. If the tires are locked and skidding, you might want to jack it and put each wheel on a dolley, in which case it will roll out pretty easily.
 
Be careful how you position a tow strap so the rear brake lines don't get crushed. I think it would be safer to put it up on furniture dollies and then tow it out:
image_11835-jpg.49793
 
Putting it on dollies would be the safest way but you might not have enough room to jack it up if the garage is small. I believe if you take the tow strap and wrap it around the bumper where the bumper is bolted to the bumper brackets so that you are pulling on the bracket as well as the bumper, then you can drag it out with another vehicle.
 
If you are only moving it around a garage or something, Harbor Freight sells a neat dolly that slides around each wheel and you pump to lift. You would need 4 and they aren't cheap but they have 20% off coupons.
 
Lot of good suggestions here.

However, you might charge the Battery up put the car in reverse gear and then hit the starter it may break the brakes lose.Works some times. Then you can push it out.
 
For my current restoration, I purchased 4 small dollies from Harbor Freight, similar to the one posted by HealeyRick. They cost about $9 each. I put a piece of 1/2" plywood in the area between the carpeted cross members and set the car directly on the dollies when the suspension and tires were on the car. See the photo. When I had removed the suspension, I purchased four 8"X8" concrete blocks from Home Depot and put those on top of the dollies and slid them under the car frame. Not only was I able to move the car around easily, but the dollies gave me added clearance to work under the car safely. The dollies will easily support a fully assembled Healey.

  • :smile-new:
 

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Or get four of the all-metal car dollies with four casters on each--you can probably find a set for $100-120 and they will come in handy at various times in the future, esp. if your garage is a small one. You can turn the car around in its own length, and they are a lot safer than wooden furniture dollies.
 
Rob Glasgow said:
For my current restoration, I purchased 4 small dollies from Harbor Freight, similar to the one posted by HealeyRick. They cost about $9 each. I put a piece of 1/2" plywood in the area between the carpeted cross members and set the car directly on the dollies when the suspension and tires were on the car. See the photo. When I had removed the suspension, I purchased four 8"X8" concrete blocks from Home Depot and put those on top of the dollies and slid them under the car frame. Not only was I able to move the car around easily, but the dollies gave me added clearance to work under the car safely. The dollies will easily support a fully assembled Healey.

  • :smile-new:
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Boy, Rob. I was always taught NEVER to get under a car supported by concrete blocks.
 
Rick, Where I grew up, cars on concrete blocks were fairly common front lawn decor. Actually, when I used the blocks, the car was stripped to only the frame and super structure so the total weight was probably less than four hundred pounds spread across four blocks. I wouldn't rely on them with a fully complete car.
 
vette said:
Putting it on dollies would be the safest way but you might not have enough room to jack it up if the garage is small. I believe if you take the tow strap and wrap it around the bumper where the bumper is bolted to the bumper brackets so that you are pulling on the bracket as well as the bumper, then you can drag it out with another vehicle.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't recommend that method; depending on the severity of it being stuck, (and the direction of the pull on the channel section of the bumper) you could quickly turn the bumper into a "V" with the wrap-around ends putting nice divots in each rear fender.

Now if vette meant to attach each end of the tow-strap directly to the bumper-mounting brackets, where they exit the body, that I could endorse. But again, depends on how great the car's resistance to move is...

As for the dollies__of whatever design intent__that all assumes he has a smooth concrete driveway; would be a disaster on grass, gravel and even my paver-driveway! I can envision the front tires pulled off the rear edge of (whatever type) dolly, and catching on the front shroud with a really expensive outcome.

If it was mine, I'd get a tow-strap, or decent rope, and attach to the rear crossmember between the spring shackles and the chassis__not a lot of room there, so the rope.strap can't shift. Rope, being somewhat elastic, would give the gentlest tug, and maybe the best choice. I mean, you're only pulling it a few/several feet right, not down the block?
 
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