Flat towing 1988 tin top

[GADzooks]

My question is "why did my attempt to flat tow my '88 tin top not work when I followed the Suzuki directions to the letter? Tranny in second and transfer case in neutral, hubs unlocked. The rear wheels would "hop" as soon as the car moved. I was only able to eliminate this by take the tranny out of gear. I think I may have to resort to spending the $$$ to install a disconnect on the drive shaft. Anyone have an idea as to why the rear wheels hopped?
I was thinking that maybe the transfer case failed to disengage?

[Bigfootford]

I always do what you did...
2nd gear in the tranny
Tcase in neutral.
Hubs unlocked.

BUT I do the next thing.

Start the engine!
let the clutch out and there should be no drive to the rear wheels.
This proves that you are in Tcase Neutral.

If you have done this and have drive to the rear wheels then the Tcase is not in neutral.
Test and see if you can get Hi and Low in both 2wd and 4wd... I would suspect that you're going to find that one of those will not work.  If they do then it sounds like you are not finding the neutral position of the shifter... Hopefully you find it.
Jim.

[GADzooks]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I was unable to start the engine because the carb was off. I towed it home from my mechanic's shop to wait for the rebuilt carb to arrive. I too suspect that I wasn't getting the Tcase in neutral. May have helped if I rocked the car back and forth a bit?

[iklukowski]

I flat tow mine a lot in the summer. I installed MY-Twin stick so the t-case would have a true neutral (the stock setup says neutral, but it is not a true neutral) and also gives you 2-low. Even with that, I would disconnect the driveshaft to be 100% safe. After getting tired of crawling under the rig before and after towing, I installed the Trail Tough disconnect and let me tell you, it's worth every penny. Not to mention the ability to do front digs if needed.

[MY]

Couple of things so everyone knows my instructions and advice

I do not use the term true N that is another company's product term. What I say to anyone towing, with what they think is true N. We have to talk.

If the rear drive shaft is in place and the rear wheels are rotating. The main shaft of the T-case is rotating. The hi and low gear are being held in place while the main shaft rotates inside of them at incredibly high speeds. On the main shaft is a locking collar that is able to move forward and backward connecting onto teeth on each side of the hi and low gear. A fork holds the collar in place.

What is true N? Everything has the potential of jumping into gear and causing extensive damage. I have mentioned before that twin sticks can be bound together making it more difficult to jump into gear. I am making the point it's true. Suzuki T-cases do jump into gear and cause damage. Following the how to tow manual or not. The manual is for a stock Suzuki and we tend to modify them. Modifications don't make it more likely that the T-case will jump into gear when being flat towed. It's the nature of the design.

Two camps of Suzuki/flat tow people.
Those that have never had an issue and those that have had it jump into gear. If you do not want any damage remove the rear driveshaft. If you can't then get a rear drive shaft disconnect. I am a trail tough dealer and I can get that for you. I have installed many. It is not maintenance free.  It won't jump into gear because nothings rotating in the t-case. Now for the conceptual benefit of front digs using a rear drive shaft disconnect. The manufacturer will advise against that if you ask. You can also ask them if you have the true N product they sell, if it jumps into gear will they warranty? They are telling the truth no they won't and they recommend the rear driveshaft disconnect.

Couple of things
When you take off towing  someone should put eyeballs on the front driveshaft it shouldn't turn. If it is there are reasons and they need to be addressed
The T-case is in 4 wd.
One or both of the locking hub(s) is not disengaging from the wheel hub.
You have drive flanges and front is locked. 
The front drive shaft should not turn.
You can't hurt your car towing if the rear drive shaft is out. Nothing can damage the engine trans or t-case because they are not spinning with the wheels.

The samurai T-case isn't designed to take all the load on the front axle.
Where the main shaft is bolted to the rear tires. The front has got a floating collar to grab the front output gear. 90%  of the samurai came with the shallow teeth output. Lots of T-cases get worn parts and kicking out of 4wd is common problem that can be fixed. New thicker gear put in during the rebuild.
Will the thicker gear take all the weight and power on a floating collar? Not for long.
The best T-cases for front digs are side gear to gear driven. It's ok to break down when you're wheeling. It's better to go home after wheeling hard with nothing broken. Unfortunately, ya gotta break stuff to see what needs your attention.