I'd like to add my 2c worth to this string of subjectivity.
I towed an MGC on a dolly mid-winter from Marblehead, Mass. to Nova
Scotia with one of these evil contraptions called a "dolly".
It's fine as long as you don't exceed approx 55-60 mph, otherwise you
get an almighty oscillation from the rig that increases in both period
and frequency if you attempt to accelerate out of it, or just an
increase in the swing as you slow down to save your ass. The problem is
exacerbated by the two "hinges" in the train: the trailer hitch ball and
the wheels of the dolly, followed by the wheels of the car being towed.
You also don't want to drive into a spot that has no drive through exit.
Backing this rig up takes more than skill, it takes heavenly
intervention!
I think the need to remove the driveshaft began with towing cars with
automatic transmissions: many of the old versions had no "back-pump", so
the transmission had no oil circulation when it was on the over-run.
And of course, it is possible to hook-up the driveshaft with the
u-joints out of register if you aren't paying attention. That's my
understanding of why you need to mark the flanges. Not a balance
problem.
Hey! Just my opinion.
Dave
Subject: RE: towing a Tiger
According to what I've heard, the main issue with towing a manual
transmission car is that the mainshaft in the transmission gets turned
by
the driveshaft, but that's all - since it's in neutral, the synchros are
all
free, which means the gears are spinning relative to the mainshaft, and
the
countershaft is stationary. Since it's the countershaft that sits in the
transmission oil, there is no oil splashing around or circulating, and
you
can overheat the needle bearings between the gears and the mainshaft and
any
other place where the friction might be fractionally higher.
The story of 'turning the differential the wrong way' doesn't make much
sense to me. The diff gears get spun whether or not you have the
driveshaft
connected, since they are driven by the wheels, and during daily driving
you
put a much greater load on the 'other' side of the ring and pinion gears
every time you use engine braking to decelerate.
Best regards all,
Theo Smit
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