IML: Towing a 69 LeBaron

["Frederick Joslin" <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi all:

 

I wish to consult the enormous wisdom of this mailing list about towing a 1969 Lebaron.

I may need to move my cars across country and towing the vehicle behind a large moving truck seems to be the most feasible method at this time.

The tow trailers available top out at about 4000 lbs weight limit.

I used one of these trailers very successfully with a 66 Newport at about 4500 lbs, but even with the generous allowances due to the litigious nature of our society, I think a 5000 lb car is pushing the limit. Also, the Newport was almost too long for the trailer and the LeBaron certainly would be!

 

Tow bars are available for towing vehicles behind motor homes. U-Haul has a generic version rated at 5000 lbs in which two brackets bolt to the vehicle by some means. They suggested bolting these brackets to the bumper.

 

I do not like this approach for two reasons. First I do not want to drill holes in the bumper and secondly I am not sure that the bumper is the best (strongest/safest) way to tow a vehicle. I could certainly very easily mount the brackets to the bumper low and then put nice chrome plated bolts in the resultant holes afterwards which would cosmetically hide the holes very well.

Has anyone towed a similar car using brackets bolted to the bumper?

 

I am interested in mounting some form of an adaptor plate(s) to the "frame" and then mounting the tow bar brackets to the adaptor plates(s). I was looking at the vehicle and there are two very sturdy bumper mounting points more or less at each end of the radiator. The mounting face is verticle and runs across the width of the car. There appear to be 2 x 1/2" (or bigger) bolts at each location. Directly below this there is a slot in the bumper on each side. I was thinking of fabricating a piece of 1/2" steel plate probably about 4" wide which would attach to the car by the two bolts and then come down through the slot in the bumper where I could attach the brackets from the tow dolly. I believe that the steel plates would require a slight bend forward to actually go through the slots.

 

Other options are larger plates which attach to the "frame" farther back from the bumper.    

 

Also, there are modifications to the vehicle.

 

1)  I would have to remove the drive shaft.  What do I need to do to the end of the transmission to protect it?

 

2) I assume that I need to lock the steering wheel. I was thinking of fabricating an A-frame out of 2x2 wood which would clamp to the steering wheel and rest against the floor. Does this sound adequate?

 

I do not know if this will happen yet, but it certainly does not hurt to be prepared.           

 

Thanks in advance for all of the help.

 

Fred Joslin