Towing dilemma

[Matt76]

Hi all,

I would like to know your opinion on what would be the lesser of 2 evils when towing.

My D40 tows my boat beautifully around town and on the highway, although the lack of power when the turbo isn't spooling is causing some grief. At the boat ramp I have to sink the trailer a fair bit and when I try and take off up the ramp I am trying to pull 2 tonnes up the ramp from a standing start plus the weight of all the water the trailer is trying to push out of the way. My options are use high range 2wd and give the clutch a hell of a hard time or use Low range 4wd and it gets wind up and is a bitch to get out of 4wd because it is on hard ground. I have the same trouble backing the boat around the side of the house, it is much gentler on the clutch to use low range but it can take lots of backwards and forwards action to get it out of 4wd.

Opinions?


Oh and yes I know.......I should have bought an auto. Thats the next option

 

[Jason]

Matt I would use L4 as long as you are towing in a straight line, it's only a short distance to get over the top of the ramp then change to 2H. Do you still have probs getting it out of 4 if you only go in a straight line?

15 to 20m of 4L in a straight line shouldn't be too much of a problem, considering the stories of the D40 clutches getting around.

 

[Old.Tony]

+1 on 4L in a straight line. As long as you don't turn the wheel at all, there should be no binding of the drive train. The binding only happens when wheels on one side aren't traveling as far as wheels on the other side, so prevent that = no problems.

 

[Matt76]

I do often have to turn the wheels though especially reversing at home.

 

[scottybobcat]

4LOW Matty.Small turns in 4L wont hurt it either and will save the clutch.How are you anyway mate

 

[Geoff3DMN]

I have a similar problem, the boat ramp where I launch is curved the whole way down to the water and it's tar so in summer it's very grippy.

I haven't found a good solution to this problem yet (and I suspect that there isn't one).

 

[KraftyPg]

The solution is 4Lo. Even with turns, curves, speed humps and angled parking you're neither going far enough or fast enough to cause damage and driving up the ramp and around the car park will not cause a great deal of problems either. Even reversing around the backyard and into a garage or shed for 20 minutes (if it takes that long to park a boat) is not going to kill anything.

 

[Old.Tony]

Geoff, you have it easy. Use 4LO but don't lock your front hubs, problem solved.

I'd still suggest taking care not to turn the vehicle with all four wheels being driven. No matter the speed, the binding up will be noticed and if it is, you're stretching the transfer chain.

Shame us D40 owners can't find some way to not engage the front axle when we choose low range.

 

[Matt76]

Do you still have probs getting it out of 4 if you only go in a straight line?

Yeah I had to do the D40 shuffle at Deep Water Bend yesterday haha.

4LOW Matty.Small turns in 4L wont hurt it either and will save the clutch.How are you anyway mate

Yeah I am good mate, am in the middle of 11 days off so to correct that I am bloody fantastic haha. Hows the back?