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Thread: Tow dolly for the M715

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    26

    Default Tow dolly for the M715

    Ok, so this might be a stupid question, but I just purchased an M715 and need to tow it back to my house and was wondering if I could just put it in neutral and tow it behind my truck with one of those Uhaul 2 wheel car dollys? I was planning on going that route from the start, but the guy I’m buying it from said he didn’t know if I could or not...

  2. #2

    Default

    How far? I would hesitate to do it for more than a few miles on back roads. No interstate speeds. Pull the rear driveline, check the rear diff fluid and back the rear brakes off if you go that route. Make sure you have a big tow rig with good brakes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    North Central Wisconsin
    Posts
    11,519

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    The tcase in neutral still internally has the front and rear outputs tied together, so if one axles tires turns, so will the other...I had mine towed once and it took me a minute to figure out why the front tires were spinning even though trans and tcase were in neutral. If you put it on a tow dolly, you need to either put the tcase in 2wd or have lockout hubs on the front axle...well...or pull the rear driveshaft if the front tires are on the dolly. Trans in neutral of course...

    Any time you are towing one of these trucks, I HIGHLY recommend backing off the adjustment on every wheel that has contact with the ground and will be rotating. I flat towed mine and one of the brakes came on...not completely sure why but at least partly due to removing the brake drum screws...long story...dont know if a bump happened or something else but on these self energizing brakes with a single line master cylinder, when one brake shoe catches the drum and comes on, more come on...both fronts on mine did and got so hot the shoes were incinerated and the drums were glowing cherry red. Seals inside the axle were even ruined.
    If you loosen the adjustment way way back, then you dont have to worry.
    Lord send your Holy Ghost into our hearts and make the desire of our hearts Your Will.

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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    26

    Default

    Wow yeah on that note looks like I might just have to cough up the $200 to get it towed to my house. Thanks for the replies.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Wichita Falls, TX
    Posts
    603

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    Man, I hate those 2 wheel dollies. Always thought those were kinda sketchy even towiing a newer car. Between the brake issues, removing the driveshaft and general dolly sketchiness... I'd check into a car hauler trailer.

    Just me... but I'm stupid sometimes... If it was just a few miles I'd get a buddy to pull it while I steered before I'd use a 2 wheeler. LOL, assuming the brakes work at all.
    Can you tell I don't like the 2 wheelers?

    However you do it, get pics! I like the Bringing it Home pics.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    26

    Default

    Yeah they definitely seem pretty sketchy, I was going to get a full car trailer, but I’m not sure if my truck could handle towing it. It’s a 1994 Ford F-150 4.9 inline 6. It’s a great truck and I use it to tow my 7x14 enclosed trailer with all my landscaping equipment everyday, but I think the car trailer weighs around 2500lbs plus the weight of the M715 so I might be pushing it. I could rent a Chevy 2500 from U-Haul along with the car trailer, but I was wondering how I could manage to push the M715 onto the car trailer since it’s not running at the moment. I’d probably need 4 people to push that thing up those ramps. But yeah I’ll be sure to take pics and post them on here once I get it home. I’m sure I’ll be asking a lot of “novice” questions so I’ll go ahead and try to read as much as I can on here so I don’t sound like the complete beginner I am.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Giddings, Texas
    Posts
    7,728

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    Many of us long time Zoners have tried to figure out ways of moving our trucks that worked. Pretty much it comes down to drive it or have a 2 axle 8 lug trailer to load it on.

    Flat towing is great with the tow bar. If you have a pulling vehicle that weighs more. Even then, it will be scary in any turn or curve in the road, hard to stop and the spinning parts of the M715 can cause a lot of harm as Jon found out years ago.

    I have tried pulling mine on a 7,000 pound 5 lug car hauler. Nope, lost a wheel going to the 2006 FE. I tried pulling it in a 9,000 pound 6 lug enclosed trailer to the 2008 FE. 3 flat tires.

    Tom trailered his on a 8 lug 14,000 pound trailer to Top Truck Challenge back in 2005. I think he went through 8 tires, a pair of hubs, spring hangers and I don't know what else on that trip.

    If you can pay someone to put it on their equipment and move it for you. I might turn into a bargain at just about any price.

    Now, if you only have a few miles to go and the engine spins. Do as posted above and hook a tow strap on there, push in the clutch, put the transmission in 3rd and if the brakes fail, let out the clutch.
    Remember if you didn't build it you can't call it yours.

    6.2 powered M715, 5 M1009's, M416, 2 M101's, 2 M105's, 3 M35's, M1007 6.5 turbo Suburban project called Cowdog.

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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Wichita Falls, TX
    Posts
    603

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    How far do you have to go? Unless you're going a couple hundred miles your Ford should handle it. You'll definitely know it's back there... but take it easy and that 6 can handle it.

    I've only messed with one M715. Mine. And even after replacing every bearing in both axles, all U joints.... it does NOT like to be pushed. Maybe it's the not so round 10 ply tires.
    I recently had to get a tow home... long story short. Sheared the roll pin on the drive gear on my new HEI distributor. Got a tow. But I was parked nose in at a store and me and the kid had to push the truck back 10 feet, on level ground, and we both almost got hernias.

    Anyway. A chain and a come-along anchored to the front of the trailer will pull it up. Bring a couple of blocks or wheel chocks for when you have to get another bite with the come-along.

  9. #9

    Default

    I paid a $400 to get it from Western Minnesota to Eastern Wisconsin (2 full states)...

    Best money I ever spent.

    I figured I'd have $250 in just fuel costs... let alone 1 tire blow out and I was already losing money on the deal.

    I went to work instead that Saturday for 8 hours making $$$ and felt like I won on the deal. (VS 12 hours of drive time)
    67' M715/5.9 Cummins/ZF5/NP205

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    New Haven, CT
    Posts
    1,954

    Default


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