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Towing a Jimny, is the owners manual wrong?

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11 Sep 2018 17:53 #195890 by Scimike
Ok I am confused by my Jimny Owners manual. The vehicle I own is a 2009 push button 4WD select with aircon and pas, the owners manual supplied is issue March 2007.
The manual clearly states that in order to tow the vehicle the 4WD system must be operational and in 2WD, IE hubs unlocked and transfer case open (2WD only). So far so good.
But it then states that you cannot under any circumstances tow with the rear wheels directly on the ground, if you do the transmission will be damaged fatally. It even has a drawing of a Jimny with the front wheels on a dolly, rear on the ground, with a big red No No line through it.

It only suggests you tow with the rear wheels on a dolly, front on the ground, again in 2WD and hubs unlocked.

Is this wrong? What damage can be caused towing with all wheels on the groung or just the rear wheels? Its no different than rolling to a road junction in neutral.

I suspect this is just crappy Suzuki miss information, but just want to confirm my own thoughts in case I ever need a tow.

Mike

Yokohama Geolanders, Sony head unit, NAUTILUS Air Horn, DRL conversion, Rear cargo space, Elvis Bobblehead, transfer Guard, Indian hanging Elephant, Koni Heavy track dampers, Custom SS exhaust, Voodoo Doll, Adventure Rack with LED ight bar, vintage ERIBA caravan usually attached (yes it's slow)

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11 Sep 2018 19:24 #195902 by Lambert
We've had this before and I think the consensus was that a suspended tow with the rear wheels down didn't afford proper lubrication to the gearbox, same with flat towing.

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11 Sep 2018 19:34 #195904 by jimkyx
I have just read my manual and your summary is correct. All Jimmys from 2004 with electronic 4WD selection can to be towed with rear wheels on dolly and front on the ground in 2WD mode and steering lock off. Jimmys with lever 4WD selection can be towed all wheels on the ground. Must be to do with the transfer box. I also would like to know in case of a break down tow. To be on the safe side I will insist on low loader recovery.

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11 Sep 2018 20:42 #195907 by Scimike

Lambert wrote: We've had this before and I think the consensus was that a suspended tow with the rear wheels down didn't afford proper lubrication to the gearbox, same with flat towing.


So lets assume you are in 2WD with hubs unlocked, just as the vehicle is 100% of the time on road.

Towing rear wheels down front on dolly is just the same as driving up hill, ie front is higher than rear, front prop not turning, rear is.
Towing all wheels down is the same as every day driving, every time you roll upto a junction with the clutch in.

Maybe thats why the later gearbox falls apart :laugh:

Suppose we need to follow the manual, but its a bit hard for me to accept it is lack of lubrication in the gearbox, especially as no torque is passing through it as the engine is off and it's out of gear. Interesting one this.

Yokohama Geolanders, Sony head unit, NAUTILUS Air Horn, DRL conversion, Rear cargo space, Elvis Bobblehead, transfer Guard, Indian hanging Elephant, Koni Heavy track dampers, Custom SS exhaust, Voodoo Doll, Adventure Rack with LED ight bar, vintage ERIBA caravan usually attached (yes it's slow)

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11 Sep 2018 22:33 #195909 by Busta
In simple terms, oil is circulated around the gearbox by the input shaft. When the gearbox is in neutral with the engine off the input shaft does not turn and therefore the output shaft does not receive adequate lubrication.
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12 Sep 2018 12:02 #195926 by yakuza
Only time i have been towed for any length was when the wife towed me home when my gearbox had broken down... And right then i wouldn't spend any calories being concerned about the lube in the gearbox :)

But if towed by your wife or a mate for other than gearbox failure, one could put the gearbox in say third gear and keep the clutch depressed. Then the gearbox would get the lube it needed.

Norway 2005 Jimny M16A VVT, 235 BFG MT, 2" Trailmaster, ARB rear lck, 17%/87% high/low gears.

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12 Sep 2018 12:08 #195927 by yakuza
Byt the way: later models gear boxes have closed bearings with green and blue plastic sides so they wouldn't benefit (much) from the circulating oil for lubrication anyways.
After 2009 or so they came with closed up bearings inside.

But there is also the cooling effect of the circulating oil. Could be that upper bearings in the case would overheat from lack of oil circulating inside..

Norway 2005 Jimny M16A VVT, 235 BFG MT, 2" Trailmaster, ARB rear lck, 17%/87% high/low gears.

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12 Sep 2018 15:04 #195932 by jimkyx
Read some where that when a Jimny was towed long distance behind an RV the chap disconnected the prop shaft --- sounds a bit extreme to me.

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12 Sep 2018 16:50 #195939 by Busta

jimkyx wrote: Read some where that when a Jimny was towed long distance behind an RV the chap disconnected the prop shaft --- sounds a bit extreme to me.


It's only 4 bolts, but I agree it would be a nuisance. Easier than changing the gearbox though. Easier still would be to buy a small car trailer to put the Jimny on. Then you can tow it legally without the hassle of an A-frame, connecting up the braking system and not being able to reverse.

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12 Sep 2018 19:21 #195951 by Lambert
Why did you have to mention A frames?

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13 Sep 2018 14:25 #195974 by facade
When the crank pulley fell apart on mine, the Nice Man from the AA just used that spectacle thing to lift the back wheels and took me home. I didn't need to say anything, apart from "let me just check we are in 2wd" - you never know, when you are broken down in traffic you might accidentally knock the lever......

The bearings that wear would be the plain bushes inside the gears on the mainshaft, doubt if it would really be a problem for a few miles.

If it suddenly breaks, go back to the last thing that you did before it broke and start looking there :)

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17 Sep 2018 08:29 #196049 by Bosanek
I had started the same kind of topic a while ago, and yes we came to the conclusion which Busta has nicely explained (input shaft and lubrication talk).

I wrote a wiki article this morning about this entire topic.

If anyone has anything to add (or to correct) there, please do so.


One thing puzzles me though.
I have the user manuals for all but the most recent Jimny revisions, from type 1 from 1999 to type 9 from 2012.
Types 1, 2, 3 and 4 are with lever operated transfer box.
Types 5 and newer are with push button operated transfer box.


The user manuals for all push-button Jimnys (2005+) contain the same restrictive rules for towing.
The first two types (1 from 1999 and type 2 from 2001) have no mentioning of towing a Jimny at all in the user manuals. The entire sub-chapter of towing a Jimny is completely absent from user manuals for those early types 1 and 2.

However, types 3 and 4 (from 2002 and 2004) contain the same restrictive rules as the push-button types (only the pictures in the procedures are different, as you operate 4WD with a lever instead of buttons).

Since types 3 and 4 (should) have the same transfer box and the gear box as type 1 and 2, what the heck could be all that different between them to justify the introduction of those rules for types 3 and 4?

Or could it be that even types 1 and 2 are susceptible to those rules as well, but that Suzuki just had not thought of those issues before 2002?


By the way, when did the R72 gearbox "arrive"? Was is at the same time with the push button transfer box or was it before?

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