Should You Tow a Car With a Chain?

If you need to tow your car by yourself, chances are that you are considering using a chain. Using a chain to tow a car can be risky if you don’t do it with extra caution. The chain can become loose or unhooked and this can cause serious damage or injuries. If you are still up to the idea of using a chain to tow a car, here are a few tips to help you out.

Gather all the required items

First and foremost, you will need a towing approved heavy duty chain which has hooks. Don’t just use any chain to tow your car. You can end up creating traffic or other problems for road users. Secondly, you will need a sign that is labelled “In TOW”. You should place this sign on the rear of the car that is being towed. Lastly, you will need a car that is going to tow the other vehicle. This car needs to be insured and its weight needs to be appropriate depending on the car that is being towed. Also make sure that both cars have properly working brakes. With these items, you are now ready to tow your car with a chain.

How to fix the chain on both cars

Start with the end of the car that will be doing the towing. You can wrap the chain on its rear axle. Make sure the chain is tight enough and that it doesn’t slip easily on any of the sides. Once this is done, you can then do the same on the vehicle that is being towed. Try and pull the chain to the left or right just to make sure that it’s not loose. You can then drive the car that’s doing the towing slightly in front just to make sure that it is properly hooked. Make sure the two cars are separated by a distance of at least six to ten feet.

Precautions

The vehicle that is doing the towing should have its hazard lights on. Make sure you drive slowly especially if you’ll be driving on a heel. Find out what the state laws are in North Carolina regarding towing. You may be required to stick to the rightmost lane when driving a towed car. Remember that the driver on the back has little if any visibility so the driver on the front should use signals in case of a turn or a stop. For more information on safe towing, get in touch with https://unlimitedrecovery.com.