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Tow bar workings

bigbird1

Member
can someone show me a picture of two deuces hooked up with a tow bar, I can't wrap my mind around how it would steer around turns, I assume they hook to the top bumper eye hoods with a pin. but the steering part eludes me . thanks
 

goodguyzy

Active member
It does follow the leader fairly well. If you turn to sharp then it does not want to follow so well. You have to be very careful making a right turn onto a road, usually have to get out and turn the wheel of the towed vehicle. This pic is of a A3 towing a A2 bobber. Ive towed a A2 with a A2 and a A2 with an A3 but it was white knuckle and have upgraded to a lowboy to avoid doing it.
 

Attachments

emr

New member
Read the manual, And then search the 5 bazillion posts on this. or visa versa :) Its easy, it does follow, common sense would suggest on soft ground the following vehicle wheels wont steer...and common sense is right, on hard pack aka pavement they steer on there own behind you just like in millions of miles in service. How fast, Oh about 70 :) Here common sense is also about right, 25 town roads, 40 highway, Hey there was a time no one did this stuff before and had to ask, So all is good, The difference in this site is almost everything has been asked a few thousand times, So I say this meaning it as awesome advise, read past threads, make a list of questions you may not understand and ask, You will be further down the road and get a ton more out of the answers, Good luck...
 

bigbird1

Member
I did a search on Tow bars and couldn't find any answers to my question . I was hopping some people would chime in with some real life tales on do's and don'ts. Also common sense comes with experience and I have not worked with a tow bar. But thanks to the people who take time to answer a persons questions , even if i am new and hasn't read all 5 bazillion posts .
 
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whatadeuce

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
I recently towed my M185A3 with my M35A2 about 5 miles on pavement and did not exceed 22 MPH. Turns went well at that speed.
 

wheelspinner

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
I can onlyspeak for 939 series trucks, but thanks to DH we recovered two in a day. It was a fairly quick hook-up, and for some reason they really aren't as fond of right turns as left (?). With the back air brakes hooked up to the tow vehicle, it was almost easy to forget it was back there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-x7Bi_1vPk
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Ifyou want a bit more thrill, tow an 816 wrecker with an empty singled out Deuce, without the air connection hooked up to the 5-ton. In a right turn, I got all 6 wheels spinning on asphalt. But it turned. It also stopped. Eventually. I towed it less than a mile and that was enough.
 

wheelspinner

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
I'm glad I wasn't on the roads near you. Being that unsafe is just plain irresponsible. No offense, but it is. I don't consider a "thrill" at the possible expense of someone else's life to be commendable.
 

M35A2-AZ

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Here is my thread on towing a Deuce with a Deuce. I towed one about 300 miles and it was a slow work out.
If you have any hills you will slow down a a lot. You can tow it ok on the flat roads and go a safe 40-45mph.
Turing on pavement is ok but on dirt or gravel it will not want to turn with you, just keep a eye on the wheels when
turning.
Good luck and be safe and think about what your doing.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?71371-Recovery-of-a-M35A2-from-Nellis
 

bigbird1

Member
Great threads guys, I would have never thought about the air brake lines, also Woody , that Train must have made people look. would have loved to see it.
 

3dAngus

Well-known member
Tie down the steering wheel, and avoid tight turns. Right hand turns are always tight.

If possible, get someone to steer the rear towed vehicle until you get it near a straight road anyway, where there will not be any more tight turns. Especially in mud or grassy areas like at GL yards with fence gates and tight turns.
 

doghead

4 Star General /Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
If you own(or plan to own) a truck, you really should read the technical manuals.

Towing as well as many many other very important things are all covered in the manuals.

Start with the -10.
 

wreckerman893

Possum Connoisseur
My longest flat tow was from Little Rock, AR back to Alabama. Deuce pulling a deuce. Slow and unnerving when commercial rigs are blowing by you on the interstate at 80MPH while you are dragging azz up hills. Tieing off the steering wheel with a rubber tarp strap helps pull the front wheels back straight after you make a turn. In my older days flat towing is now the last resort......my threshold for excitement has gone up condsiderably.
 

bigbird1

Member
Thanks Doghead, i have read most of them or at least looked over them. my problem is they read like they were written for Larry , Moe and Curly. I do own a deuce its a 1987 Air force m35a2c, I put 395 tires it . I work on ag equipment and have for over 20 years, I rebuild Tractors , combines ,heavy equipment and everything in between from the front and back , so Working on the Deuce should not pose a problem, but reading those manuals are boring to say the least, when they tell you how to tighten a bolt with two wrenches on one complete page its hard for me to keep interest. is the tow bar tm included with the deuce stuff? I didn't notice it.
 
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doghead

4 Star General /Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In the -10, there is a segment on towing them with a tow bar.

There is also a medium tow bar manual available here on the site.

TM 9-4910-593-12&P
 
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