I've heard from some people it can't, but some say it can. Can it be done?

i've done it many times.

put the back wheels on the dolly.
tie the seat belt throught the steering wheel

hit the highway.

[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 12-03-2006).]

I have done it. The rear tires of the Fiero were only spares so I put the rear of the car on the dolly and rachet strapped the steering wheel straight. Just be warned, a lot of those tow dollys are a pain to back up.

you are not suppose to back those things up

thats how i initialy got my GT home from where i bought it. put the back wheels up on the dolly, and tied off the steering wheel.

I was dumb and put the fronts on the dolly (uhaul said to) and it was a rough ride till the smooth turnpike...

I've towed on a dolly a couple of times - didn't notice much difference with either the front or rear wheels on the dolly. I t was a 5 sp - don't know about an auto

[This message has been edited by Phil (edited 12-03-2006).]

Yep---Don`t let them talk you into the larger one (if not needed) put the rears on the dolley as said above, for extra safey run a rope threw the steering wheel, then back put out side the door/window, tie a knot, and pull it tight so its flush againt the door when closed, your good to go. (helpfull hint) wire your truck/car before hand or they `ll charge you a small fortune and won`t let you take it unless its wired for brakes/signals. (wal-mart) has the kits.. They also have some crap-ola about the size of the vehicle pulling ----said other vehicle--call ahead --if your truck doesn`t qualifly borrow one, pick up the dolley, then bring it home and hook to your truck..

I even bought my own dolly. Its IMPOSSIBLE to back more than a few feet so dont try. I tow automatics with rear wheels on dolly, standard trans cars tow better with front on it. My dolly is also articulated so that the trailer turns around corners with the car. Ive used it for many thousands of miles towing everything from Fieros to Blazers. If you rent one, just DONT tell them its a Fiero......tell them anything else you want.

NEVER RENT A DOLLY FROM UHAUL!!!!

Sorry but UHaul threatened to call the cops on MrFiero several years ago because he had his 88GT on their dolly loaded correctly with the rear tires up.

He was just needing to get the lights fixed as they are UHaul specific and they removed the lights and wouldn't put new ones in until he loaded his car with the front tires on the dolly. The mindless manager at the store made several calls to her corporate office and they told her we could remove the driveshaft or axles to keep the transmission from turning. We politely told her that we wouldn't do either because Fiero's don't have driveshafts and removing the axles would leave the wheel bearings held together with only a press fit and the tire would fall off.

Another call to corporate and they told her to call the police if we left. So we turned the car around and loaded it with the front tires up and drove a short distance and MrFiero changed it back because it wasn't as stable as before and he had a long drive.

FYI: If you are towing a Fiero with an AUTO tranny the only way to tow it without damaging the transmission is with the rear tires on the dolly. UHaul obviously dosn't care if you damage your transmission.

tell them it's a grand am. manuals can be towed any distance with the drive wheels on the ground, but automatics need the drive wheels on the dolley.

The biggest advantage to having the rear wheels of a Fiero on the dolly--besides saving the auto trans--is that it places the engine over the dolly. This is a good thing; it makes everything more stable.

I locked the steering straight, added the seat belt, a bungie cord, and a "rope through the door" trick when I towed my '86 here from Iowa. I had no problems at all.

Back before front wheel drive, tow truck drivers did the "rope through the door" trick all the time when they needed to tow a car with an automatic transmission. I first saw this when I was seven or eight and never forgot it....

Ed

Dammm, $430 for a full trailer and $215 for a dolly for a 500 mile drive.

One thing you need to consider when towing backwards is the condition of the trunk lock and the roof panel. Some have had the deck lid blow open causing damage to it and the roof. I had one that the back of the roof panel started to lift at about 60 mph. I've started strapping down the deck lid, the front roof panel, and the front compartment. The straps could damage the paint though if they move around and are allowed to chaff.

Dave

quote Originally posted by edhering: Back before front wheel drive, tow truck drivers did the "rope through the door" trick all the time when they needed to tow a car with an automatic transmission. I first saw this when I was seven or eight and never forgot it....Ed

Gee Thanks Ed---that makes me feel about 80 years old now...lol.... It also holds the steering wheel in place in case the lock ignition would fail for any reason--or back in the old days before they had locked ignitions--you know the * covered wagon days* we would do that too..

quote Originally posted by Jefrysuko: Sorry but UHaul threatened to call the cops on MrFiero several years ago because he had his 88GT on their dolly loaded correctly with the rear tires up. Another call to corporate and they told her to call the police if we left. .

And they would have done..what????

Yes! I bought my Fiero from Stan Rakovan in Pittsbugh and dollied it back to Grand Rapids, MI. Mounted the best way, with rear on the dolly. I have a picture of it at the motel where we stayed overnight in Akron, Ohio. I had rented dollies enough times from U Haul and a local rent all, we were solo 2ing a CRXsi at the time, that they didnt question me. My 88 coupe fit better when the rear was on the dolly. And as others have mentioned it tows better. No problems in towing it almost 500 miles. My tow vehicle at the time was my Montana demo, and wind wasn't a problem for the Fiero.

quote Originally posted by kyote: And they would have done..what????

Told them we stole the dolly and pressed charges! They have the right to revoke rental privileges at any time and they were ready to do just that if we didn't do what they wanted even though they were in the wrong.

The last thing I rented from U-Haul was a full car trailer. The light hookups were bare wires, the thing was rusted and just looked like kwrap.
I will never rent another thing from U-Haul.
Aside from all the kwrap they give Fiero owners (many won't rent a dolly for towing a Fiero, at all), I have heard horror stories about the maintenance that their vehicles (don't) receive.
http://www.uhaul-sucks.com/

There's always Penske or Budget, among others.

Having said all that, I have dollied Fieros all over the place. Usually backwards, since mine are automatic trannies.
I have towed forwards, when it was inconvenient or dangerous to load the car backwards, and it was a manual tranny.
Either way towed just fine, behind my Sonoma. Just give yourself plenty of time to accelerate and especially to stop.
When I tow backwards, I use a seatbelt looped through the bottom of the steering wheel, and then latched, to supplement the steering wheel lock.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 12-03-2006).]

I've towed a number of cars between the Athens/Atlanta, Ga. area and the Athens, Tn. area for Georgia Fiero Club and East Tennessee Fiero Club members. Just finished transporting one up and another back this weekend. Both were manuals and they were towed with the front wheels on the dolly. Only one had the steering wheel tied down because the car was pre-loaded on the dolly when I picked it up. I usually don't tie down the steering wheel when I tow from the front, but it wouldn't hurt. It's just my preference. The manuals are lubricated by the rotating gears transferring oil from one gear to another, and the fact that they're sitting in an oil reservoir. Automatic transmissions are lubricated by the pumping of fluid from the pan, up through the pump which is driven by the engine, not by the wheels. I suppose you could leave the engine on the Fiero ideling, with the transmission in neutral, but then why would you be towing?

I drove a total of about 175 miles one way. Only about 30 of it on 4-lane at 70 MPH. The rest was through the mountains. Not a bit of problem except when a tire had leaked down. Caused the car to begin to fish-tail just a couple of miles after I picked it up. Aired it up to 35 and hit the road again.

Some cars with automatic transmissions can be towed with the drive wheels on the ground. It depends upon the transmission's internal design. Some transmissions will build up back-pressure due to the fluid being pushed backward by the drive axels, through the valving body and pumps. The valving body and pumps were designed for fluid to flow in one direction. The pressure build up damages the transmission in some manner. For the best information about the Fiero towing procedures would be to check an original owners manual. So I did. Here is a quote from the 87 Fiero Owners Manual, Page 3-10.

Quote: "Do not tow your Fiero on all 4 wheels.

If your Fiero is equipped with an automatic transaxel, it may be towed on the drive wheels at speeds up to 35 mph for distances not exceeding 50 miles. Severe damage to the automatic transaxel may result if speed or distance are exceeded." End quote.

I've read several posts on PFF about rental companies refusing to rent if they knew you were to tow a Fiero. Take the suggestion to tell them you're towing a Grand Am.

quote Originally posted by Jefrysuko: FYI: If you are towing a Fiero with an AUTO tranny the only way to tow it without damaging the transmission is with the rear tires on the dolly. UHaul obviously dosn't care if you damage your transmission.

I think it's more obvious that most people that work at Uhaul are idiots. They assume that every small car made in the last 25 years is a front engine front wheel drive car. It depends on the tow vehicle, but putting the front tires on the dolly can make it very unstable. You can get a "tail wagging the dog" handing that can make you lose control. This is less likely if you have a half ton truck or larger. But if you have a large truck you should be renting the full trailer anyway.

I have used tow dollys but I don't like them. You can't back up more than a couple of inches, and there are no lights on the rear of the rig, (which is the front of the Fiero). First time I used a tow dolly to tow a Fiero I got hit by an 18 wheel tractor-trailer. Said he didn't see the dolly at all.

quote Originally posted by Jefrysuko: Sorry but UHaul threatened to call the cops on MrFiero several years ago because he had his 88GT on their dolly loaded correctly with the rear tires up.

Ah yes......U Haul. I remember this incident very well......I was actually towing my '88 GT T-Top from the middle of nowhere Illinois back to Colorado after the carrier bearings let loose in the Getrag. I always tow Fieros on dollies by the rear wheels, regardless of tranny type, but aside from that I was more concerned with the transmission locking up on me if I had the drive wheels on the ground. I expressed this concern with the people at U Haul, but as Jefrysuko said, they could care less. To them it was unsafe to tow backwards, blah, blah, blah.

They indeed were willing to call the police on me if I attempted to leave their parking lot without moving the Fiero around. It was absolutely asinine.......luckily the parking lot was wide enough to do it in one motion. They then fixed the stupid taillight and we were off. We swapped things back around about 5 miles outside of town and drove the rest of the way home with no problems. The funny thing is, the same taillight failed later that night and we wound up driving with no light anyway......so the whole incident was truly a waste of time!

Anyway, as far as U-Haul goes....use them at your own risk. If you were to get into an accident or whatnot and you had the Fiero loaded "wrong" they would likely deny the claim. An interesting sidenote.....they will rent a dolly for a coupe or Formula, but not for a GT. So when renting from them, tell them your GT is a coupe!

quote Originally posted by mrfiero: So when renting from them, tell them your GT is a coupe!

Easier if you tell them your GT is a Cavalier.

I also echo that you never EVER use Uhaul for anything. I had to rent a full car dolly and it took 4 weeks to get it straightened out with them that I did return the dolly. (I even had the signature of the kid recieving it.) In the end I called my credit card company and told them to reverse ALL charges from the Uhaul place I rented from. Funny thing was the day the credit card company told them that I was disputing ALL charges from them they magically found that I returned the trailer on time and everything was fine.

Dont trust Uhaul, and dont use Uhaul unless you absolutely have to with no possibility of another choice for any reason. and if you do, take lots of photos of what you are renting as I have heard of friends getting charged for damage that was already there.

I have used both dollies and full trailers, and while either work fine I prefer to use a trailer.

I towed an 86SE v-6 auto from Memphis to Birmingham with no problems at all. When I reserved and picked up the dolly I told them I was towing a 93 Grand Am.

I also towed an 85GT auto from St. Louis back to Birminghan, again with no problems. If you return the dollie back to the place you rented it from it costs only about $43/day. It was much cheaper, even considering extra gas used to tow the empty dolly to St. Louis, than renting one way.

The dolly is articulated and is not intended to be backed up. The rig will jack knife on you and a few feet. Plan your route so you don't have to back up.

Good luck,

Carroll

I have used the U-Haul four wheel car carrier twice to haul Fieros. Use the U-Haul's internet site to check the rental prices. This spring I needed to haul a Fiero from South Carolina to Maryland. If I picked the car carrier up in South Carolina the cost was $ 450.00. If I picked it up in Charlotte, North Carolina it cost was $ 240.00. Needless to say, I picked the carrier up in Charlotte, drove to South Carolina, picked up the Fiero and drove back to Maryland. For the benefit of the Ford folks, I pulled the trailer and Fiero with a Dodge / Cummins. I kept forgetting that there was anything back there.

quote Dammm, $430 for a full trailer and $215 for a dolly for a 500 mile drive.

Don't forget gas mileage (including the extra car to pick you up when you drop off or pick up the fiero), and a possible night's stay in a hotel!

Do a search online for 'auto shipping' or 'car shipping'. You can submit info for a shipping quote, and chances are you'll find a good deal. I shipped a Fiero recently from my Coralville Iowa, to the Southern tip of Missouri - an 8 hour drive, about 500 miles if I remember correctly - at a cost of $350. Took a couple weeks for them to pick up the car, and a few days more for the car to arrive at it's destination, but other than that it was a pretty smooth transaction, and $350 was cheaper than gas, dolly rental, hotel, etc, and saved a 16 hr drive!

[This message has been edited by RHKFiero (edited 12-04-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Jefrysuko: Told them we stole the dolly and pressed charges! They have the right to revoke rental privileges at any time and they were ready to do just that if we didn't do what they wanted even though they were in the wrong.

Don't think they would have a case...unless you would leave the paperwork on thier desk...they wouldnt have a leg to stand on...

Wish I would have know that a couple of weeks ago when my starter broke. Went to rent a dolly from the "U" place and they made me rent a trailer when I had a hunch that I could use a dolly for traveling less than 10 miles. Ya live and learn I guess. Next time I'll tell them I'm towing a Grand am like someone mentioned earlier!!!!

Rafalino

I have many Fiero tow miles (more than 10,000,) both with tow dollies and on 4 wheels (I built a permanent mount set of plates to use a tow bar.)

When I towed my mother's 84 Fiero 4 speed from Olympia WA to Grand Rapids MI, the truck and tow dolly came from Penske--both were practically new. I towed it rear wheels on the ground and didn't lock the steering. Worked just fine, and when I had to have the truck fixed in Nampa ID, I used the car to go get breakfast.

Besides all the previous discussion and warnings, I have an icy or wet weather caution. If you're pulling with a pickup, be sure that you add some weight in the box over the rear axle. In slick conditions, the towed vehicle can start to push the rear end of the truck around and you can easily lose control when decelerating or braking. I bought about 1000 lb. of sand in bags and it made the whole thing quite stable.

I've seen several posts here about U-Haul and the anti-Fiero towing stuff so when I broke down in Efingham, Illinois on my way to the Run for the Keys I had to rent a truck and dolly to get the car home, (timing gear went), I told the rental guy I was towing a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am.

Never had a problem on the way home, the dolly looked almost new and I ignored the sticker on the dolly fender that was printed backwards so it could be read in the side mirror and it said "45MPH Maximum Speed", Ha! 65-70 on the interstate with no problem.

I had the back wheels on the dolly and the seat belt through the steering wheel also.

[This message has been edited by fierohoho (edited 12-05-2006).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Brian Lamberts:
Besides all the previous discussion and warnings, I have an icy or wet weather caution. If you're pulling with a pickup, be sure that you add some weight in the box over the rear axle. In slick conditions, the towed vehicle can start to push the rear end of the truck around and you can easily lose control when decelerating or braking. QUOTE]

About a month ago when I towed the car that I brought back this weekend, up to Tennessee, it had rained while I was hitching up. I hit the first curve at about 35 MPH and the back end came around, and I was meeting a car. Took about 5 corrections before I got it back under control. I had no extra weight in the bed. Scared my brother badly enough that he wouldn't ride with me on the next trip. Don't know if it was because of the jack-knifing or the resultant smell in the truck.

Not much to add other than I did the back wheels up, steering wheel roped, tow all the way from Iowa to California with NO PROBLEMS the entire 2,000 mile trip.

I always prefer the rear wheels on the ground myself (unless auto). I towed my Ferrari to Dallas and back with no problem at all, also picked up my GT40 in St Louis. My tow vehicle was a Lumina APV with 3800 engine. Both are mid/rear engine and tracked just fine and no worries about anything blowing open. Take up a little club fund and buy your own. You can easily find used ones for less than $500. I got an almost brand new Loadstar with a retail price of around $1500 for $500 from an RV dealer. Still had nubs on tire treads. My Corvette club guys use it all the time to haul their vettes around to shops with rear wheels on ground. You can tow with rears on the ground with automatice if you keep speed to 45 and less than 25 miles.

I've had so much trouble with gettting U-haul just to rent the tow dolly... so I only do it when absolutely needed but with a manual tranny in neutral it can be done no problems for as many miles as needed - despite what the U-haul computers tell them (Fiero is too short of a car to fit without hitting the closed ramps)

I kno this isn't true because I've towed one with U-haul and my father used to have a tow dolly, he pulled a Fiero with the drive wheels rolling (manual) from Arizona all the way to Alaska over the Alaska-Canada Highway... you want to talk about a mean stretch of road, that one takes the cake! So if you don't have your own dolly and must rent... be inventive... tell them its a Sunbird or something, probably not the best solution if you hit something but it'll minimize the problems of just getting it rented.