A tilt tray tow truck is a vehicle designed to tackle an automobile or large truck that has been damaged on the side of the road. This type of vehicle is beneficial for recovering a wrecked or overturned car because one can usually fix this sort of incident without specialized equipment.
When you use these vehicles, your tow ropes may not reach far enough to pull out a stuck car. If this problem happens, use our tips listed below and avoid needing more help moving your vehicle from the pavement.
Tilt Tray Towing Tips
1. Make sure your vehicle’s tires are firmly planted. The tilt tray’s tow tips suggest that the tires should lean toward the opposite direction of where you want to go. Have your wheels pointed towards the left if you need to go right?
2. Ensure your vehicle has a towing capacity. One can usually obtain this information from the driver’s side door frame or the owner’s manual. It is good to have enough room for others to drive alongside you. This way, you can quickly move your car to the side of the road if it is impossible to tow it.
3. Make sure all wheels are pointed in the same direction. All of your tires need to point in the same direction for your vehicle to be towed safely. If you have a front-wheel drive, make sure they point towards the front. If you have a rear-wheel drive, make sure they mean towards the back.
4. Make sure your car is empty. It will make your vehicle much easier to move and lighter, so you will not have to use so much gasoline or fuel when you tow it. If there are passengers inside of your car, if possible, have them exit the vehicle before moving it.
5. Engage a trailer hitch on the back of your car and tighten all of the bolts and screws before moving forward. You should put this step off until necessary because it will require a lot of force to put the hitch on. The tilt tray tow tips suggest that you should also ensure that the hitch is tightly secured under the vehicle.
6. Using your tow truck, get close to your car and then use a winch to pull it out of the lot slowly. Tilt trays suggest that you need to drive in reverse while pulling it out of traffic so that you do not get stuck yourself. There is a chance that you will get stuck, so pay attention and do not move too fast or too slow, as this will change what happens next.
7. Put the transmission in neutral after getting your car off of the ground for safety reasons when it comes time to drive out of traffic, onto another road, or into a parking spot.
8. After the car is on its way, if you are still being pulled by your vehicle, you should put the transmission in neutral and let it coast along with the tow truck. Take your foot off of the brake to avoid getting stuck behind it.
9. Drive to another location where you can hook up another tow truck to pull out your first one. This other tow truck needs to be able to hook on behind your tow truck and trailer hitch so that they can be pulled out at once. The second truck should also have a winch to make moving this hooked-up vehicle easier again.
10. Never slam on the brakes. It will put a lot of stress on the tow truck, which can cause it to go out of control and possibly damage your car if it is still hooked on to it. It can also severely hurt other vehicles that are close in proximity to you.
11. It is very easy to get stuck while tilting a car. Make sure you have a room available to move your vehicle. Be careful not to tilt your vehicle too far, or else the wheels or tires will be exposed, which may cause them to fly off and cause further damage to the car or people nearby.
12. Finally, make sure that you have the right tools to work on your car while still in traffic. It is also a good idea to have a winch and shovel on hand to deal with accidents that may happen if you are towing a car for too long or in bad weather conditions.
What Affects Towing Capacity?
Tow trucks are usually designed to carry around three tons or so. It is especially true for the most powerful ones in the industry. If you are towing something heavier than this, you need to ensure that your tow truck has additional modifications. The distance and weather conditions will also affect how much weight your tow truck can carry. For instance, if it is raining heavily, this can affect the car’s ability to move.
One final thing you need to remember is that your tow truck must be equipped with an automatic shifting transmission. It will allow you to speed up or loosen it up at the push of a button without using the clutch. It will also automatically slow down when you are too close to another vehicle during on-road on the road or another terrain.
What Happens When you Exceed Towing Capacity?
If you exceed the towing capacity of your tow truck, your vehicle will not be able to move. It may happen if it is too heavy, but it can also occur because the car you are trying to tow is too heavy and exceeds your vehicle’s maximum weight limit. All you have to do is try and put everything back into place. If you cannot do that, or if you are worried about damaging parts of your car, then call a tow truck immediately so that they can tow your vehicle away with their larger truck.
It is also possible for a large amount of stress to build upon other parts in your vehicle’s engine. It will make them fall apart when you need them most later on. If your car has a lot of stress, it will be harder to move, and you can break things that are not supposed to be broken. It can also cause your car’s engine to fail, which can put other people at risk as well. Be very careful if you have problems moving the vehicle with your current tow truck when you are trying to do something too heavy for it.
If you are looking for a tow truck that can carry more weight, it is advisable to get one with the highest capacity possible. In this guide to tilting a car with a tow truck, you have been provided with basic information on towing heavy vehicles. The safety of yourself and others around you should be your primary concern. When picking out the suitable model for your projects, use these tips, and enjoy your purchase. Also, share this guide with your friends, so they know how to deal with cars and large vehicles when they need to be moved.