Why You Should Never Try to Tow a Car on Your Own
Towing a car doesn't seem very complicated to many car owners; you simply hook up a thick and sturdy chain or cable between two cars and pull the one along, right? While this might seem simple enough, the job of towing is actually much more complicated than you might realize. Even if you need a car towed just a short distance or find it's stuck in shallow mud or sand, you always want to have a professional tow truck manage this job for you. Note a few reasons for this.
1. Weight of the vehicle
You may assume that if you put one car in neutral then the other car will easily be able to drag it along, but this isn't always the case. Every car and truck has a maximum towing capacity, and the car being towed, even if it's small and lightweight, may very well be over that capacity. This can put undue stress on the tow vehicle so that you break down the engine and transmission. You also may not be able to brake in time when towing a vehicle because the tow car is building up so much strength to pull the car behind it, so it can't simply stop suddenly; this can be very risky when on the road.
2. Hookup
If you've ever seen a vehicle lose its bumper during an amateur towing job, you know how technical it can be to attach a car to a tow vehicle. You cannot simply hook a chain or cable to a bumper or even to the underside of the car's carriage and start pulling; you can tear the bumper right from its connectors and also pull out wiring. You can also easily damage the tie rods and other parts under the car to which the chain is connected if this isn't done right.
3. Towing technique
Towing or pulling a vehicle out of sand or mud is not always simple and straightforward; you need to know how to safely turn and steer the tow vehicle so the other car doesn't sway. When pulling a stuck vehicle, you may need to sway the tow vehicle in some cases but in others, this might actually allow the stuck vehicle to dig in even deeper. There are also driving techniques that keep the vehicles safe when going uphill or downhill. To ensure your safety on the road and that the tow job is done properly, always call a professional towing service.