Even them out
Towing a slingshot
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When you tow a Slingshot from the rear your front tires are turning backwards what will this do to rotational front tires?
My very reason for not towing the SS from the rear. Tow in and camber are set to the vehicle running forward. When reversed, the setting is not only off, but gets worse when you start pulling it backwards. Also, the tires are directional and meant to help wick the water out. Running them backwards would do the opposite. If I were to pull it backwards, I would at least switch the left and right tires to the opposite side if I expected to run into rain.
I know it's a cheaper way to tow the SS, but I'm just not a fan. For myself, I spent up and got a Slingthing enclosed trailer. I'm not bashing on anyone that got the other style, to each their own. Likely the only thing it might hurt would be the wear pattern on the front tires. The mustache is also lower when pulling backwards, so that could get scraped easier on a dip. -
My very reason for not towing the SS from the rear. Tow in and camber are set to the vehicle running forward. When reversed, the setting is not only off, but gets worse when you start pulling it backwards. Also, the tires are directional and meant to help wick the water out. Running them backwards would do the opposite. If I were to pull it backwards, I would at least switch the left and right tires to the opposite side if I expected to run into rain.
I know it's a cheaper way to tow the SS, but I'm just not a fan. For myself, I spent up and got a Slingthing enclosed trailer. I'm not bashing on anyone that got the other style, to each their own. Likely the only thing it might hurt would be the wear pattern on the front tires. The mustache is also lower when pulling backwards, so that could get scraped easier on a dip.kev probably has more rear towing experience than anyone. He has towed his SS backwards from Canada to Florida a few times. I agree that the front end clearance is reduced. When I tow mine backwards I remove the ‘stash. I’ve been thinking about making a quick release setup for removing the ‘stash maybe eith some pins and spring clips....
That said I’ve only towed mine about 60 miles.....from home to dealer and back. The biggest issue I see would be making sure you have a spare front tire. That’s why having a tire pressure monitoring system is valuable. Should have one on every trailer or tow dolly and your SS.
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Couldn't you just swap the 2 front tires? That would reverse the directional tread.
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My very reason for not towing the SS from the rear. Tow in and camber are set to the vehicle running forward. When reversed, the setting is not only off, but gets worse when you start pulling it backwards. Also, the tires are directional and meant to help wick the water out. Running them backwards would do the opposite. If I were to pull it backwards, I would at least switch the left and right tires to the opposite side if I expected to run into rain.
I know it's a cheaper way to tow the SS, but I'm just not a fan. For myself, I spent up and got a Slingthing enclosed trailer. I'm not bashing on anyone that got the other style, to each their own. Likely the only thing it might hurt would be the wear pattern on the front tires. The mustache is also lower when pulling backwards, so that could get scraped easier on a dip.this is why I'm looking for a good used tow dolly. Have the 20' inclosed but for non-business trips or for maybe a small show I want to just load up the tow rig and a small trailer. I have an idea that would get all 3 tires off the ground in a small package. Don't need two full size trailers. I have built several trailers over the years. Most were off-road trailers so a little outside the box thinking was needed. Have had this idea rolling around for some years now. Might be time to try it out.
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Thanks for the input.
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this is why I'm looking for a good used tow dolly. Have the 20' inclosed but for non-business trips or for maybe a small show I want to just load up the tow rig and a small trailer. I have an idea that would get all 3 tires off the ground in a small package. Don't need two full size trailers. I have built several trailers over the years. Most were off-road trailers so a little outside the box thinking was needed. Have had this idea rolling around for some years now. Might be time to try it out.
The problem is the SS is Longer than you think it is. A trailer big enough to haul the SS takes up a lot of parking room....that’s why I decided against a trailer. Now if I had the room to park the trailer so I could park the SS on it....then I might think differently about one...I don’t have the room to pull it in and unhook the tow vehicle from the trailer. To have the ramp facing in the correct direct to drive up on it.
The other reason has to do with....inspections, tires, lights, plates...
That’s the reason I went with @kevs hauler that just mounts to the duel ball trailer hitch.. drive the back wheel on it....pump up the airbag and strap it up and go...the front wheels are on the ground and the spoiler clearance could be a problem if you’re going over rough terrain or railroad crossings.... I took mine off for that reason...
Everybody has to do what they feel is the best solution for them and what they expect. I never really planned on any trips where it would be necessary to trailer the SS to another location....my needs were just to get it to the dealer and back...since you always have to leave it for any type of work... I hate having to beg for a ride to and from.
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When towing in Reverse,
For A little clarification of towing in reverse you might want to talk to the guys who have thousands of miles experience verses speculating , while the intentions of many of those with no dollying experience are good, there is still a lot of speculation that needs clarifying by those with the experience. . You can ask me with over 6000 miles of towing in reverse or you can ask one of the original tow dolly guys from this forum, a very respected member known as scootertrash , the answers will be the same . He , his group, myself and some of my customers, have accumulated many , many miles in reverse without any real incidences to date that I know of.
One of the main misunderstandings is not thinking through the geometry, There is a 3.5 / 1 ratio difference in raising rear tire height to lowering front spoiler height,. so using a low rear tire design such as mine, the front spoiler is about one inch lower when towing . but this does not have the anticipated result everyone thinks it does . the damage to front spoilers going forward occurs because the spoiler comes into contact with a steep incline before the front tires do. which can damage spoilers. when towing in reverse the front tires come into contact with the base of the incline first and start rising the spoiler maintaining the same ground clearance up the incline .
The other myth is that toe in and camber are set for going forward and towing in reverse will cause wear .I couldn't follow the logic there either when designing so I spoke with a process engineer from firestone to confirm my suspicions. it makes so much sense. The tire manufacturers have to spec a compound that will not wear too prematurely when running toe in going forward, so why would that same compound capable of withstanding the rigors of skidding slightly across the pavement continuously, care that it is now skidding slightly toed out when towed in the other direction. the rubber compound is capable of withstanding a slight toe in skidding when running forward , why would it not withstand a slight skidding to the right verses to the left for a change . like I said I and scootertrash and many more have accumulated thousands of miles towing in reverse and all 6000 of mine are on the same set of front tires and I challenge anybody to show me any indication of uneven or premature wear on those tires , it doesn't happen.
Is it true tread is designed to dissipate water better in one direction on a directional tire ? probably , But the difference would be minimal and given a towed tire is following hitched to a fixed position, how is it near as detrimental as a tire hydroplaning a bit when it curves into wet conditions going forward. The wee bit less capable a directional tire is of clearing the water off the pavement running backwards is a wash (no pun intended ) as a towed vehicles rear tires aren't being subjected to the same loads or parameters of a front steering tire.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to all types of trailering or towing your slingshot . the advantages to dollying are portability ,the dolly doesn't tie up near the space a full size trailer does when not in use and not all Slingshot owners reside on large rural lots. The other advantage is ease of use . They are small and easy to maneuver around by hand and can be loaded in little to no time at all. Where as loading a full size trailer with ramps can be a chore to say the least.
Albeit, a full size trailer can serve many other purposes as well when not in use for your Slingshot . So one has to weigh out all the pros and cons when deciding if dollying is right for him. But as far as whether or not it is right or safe for your slingshot . please contact myself or Scootertrash for actual facts based on experience. . While He does not manufacture them commercially , as he is retired and does not want the hassles or manufacturer liabilities he has not hesitated to assist a group of close friends in obtaining one for themselves . That in my mind speaks for itself.
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[/quote]<p>Thanks for the info Kev. But I'm planning on towing forward. I have already test fitted the SS on the tow dolly and have removed the belt by jacking the rear end up. I did discover that I need to remove the bottom bolt to the shock, no big deal. I also had to build my own "pre" ramps to drive onto the dolly. Again no biggy there either. But I do thank you for your input and expertise in towing backwards.</p>
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<p>Sent from my SM-T350 using <a href="http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=89765">Polaris Slingshot Forum mobile app</a></p>
[/quote]Also I have the Corbin saddle bags which would present a problem in Towing backwards.Sent from my SM-T350 using Polaris Slingshot Forum mobile app
Back in August 2014, I contacted Polaris about towing using an A-frame attached to the front of the Slingshot or using a tow dolly and they replied that the Slingshot should only be transported on a flatbed trailer/tow truck.
By February 2015, the first rear wheel tow dolly had been designed and used by a Slingshot owner (@Ribrunner on www.slingshot forums.com, aka The Dark Side). Since then, several other owners have built their own tow dollyies, each of which has been designed to minimize the chances of dragging the lower front wing. @kev's tow dolly represents a combination of the best of the existing designs. I bought one myself.
Typical conventional tow dollies, designed to hold the front wheels of the towed vehicle, may have clearance problems with the lower front wing and also will likely place increased loads on the rear wheel & swing-arm, possibly causing problems.
Good Luck with whatever you end up trying and post your experiences.
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kev I have question for you. My RV travel is currently an 11 foot, 3,500 lb dry weight camper on my F250. When I haul my quads, I use a 10 foot tilt trailer on a 4 foot stinger (the single bar stinger, not the dual bar with tensioning chains capable of a heavier load). I can load such that there is enough tongue weight to keep my load secure but little enough that I can lift the loaded trailer from the hitch and wheel it around. I don't know the actual tongue weight but over 100 and less than 200 lbs, probably around 150. Do you have any input on how your dolly would work with this setup including expected tongue weight? With the dolly wheels on the ground, it seems that it might be within specs of my stinger. Thanks for the explanation above, it makes a lot of sense.
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SlingLow yes you are correct , tongue loading makes all the difference in swaying. We built all our own trailers for years including heavy enough small equipment ones that required one ton duallies to haul. . Guys would always complain that's too much tongue weight but good trailer design calls for a minimum of 10% to maximum 15% of gross trailer weight on the tongue. The answer to handling too heavy a tongue weight is, get a bigger truck , never reload the trailer with less weight on the tongue.
The empty weight rear tire loading on the Slingshot is 606 lbs give or take a few with options and fuel amount . therefore our tire cradle is placed ahead of our dolly axle to apply about 100 lbs on the tongue, and lower to get the rear tire low to the ground. Even with a second swivel point in the train the dollies tow straight as an arrow . I set my cruise at 77 mph if I'm on a 75 mph highway and go all day in and out of traffic . If anything , the second swivelling point in the train reduces the tendency to sway as one cancels out the other .
I only dolly now to shows because I need a dolly there to show , being as my F150 has been modified with F250 springs I prefer to tow with my little pneumatic wheel lift as it is even more portable . however in that case you have the weight of the lift ,about 80 lbs and the rear tire weight on the hitch balls, yes it takes two , so about 685 lbs way back on your hitch so you're going to need 3/4 t0n suspension But that thing is simple, portable and fun , probably just because there's nothing else like it in existence , you simply plug it into any 2'' trailer hitch (heavy enough) and go. Guys have asked me why I don't design one big enough to pick up the back of a four wheel vehicle right from a heavy enough hitch, on any large pick up. The lifting wouldn't be the problem it would be the twisting effect (lateral loading)) on the system with the wide rear load only mounted on a center point. The Slingshot being a centerline rear drive system is idea for a lift towing from normal pick up hitch assembly.
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SlingLow our dollies only put about 100 lbs on the hitch , above I was just ranting about another favorite of mine. but the dolly is the way to go for almost any vehicle , the one above is a wheel lift . this is a true dolly , and that's a first generation cradle the new ones are self centering and can be made to accommodate even a 350 tire
here's the new cradle design
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I’ve dollied probably 2500-3000 miles and I really haven’t had any problems. I run around 80 all the time and no problems yet. I drove about 4 hrs in a monsoon on the way to Maggie last year and had no trouble. I do now have two sets of wheels and will use stocks to tow. My new rear wheel won’t fit in my cradle.
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I’ve dollied probably 2500-3000 miles and I really haven’t had any problems. I run around 80 all the time and no problems yet. I drove about 4 hrs in a monsoon on the way to Maggie last year and had no trouble. I do now have two sets of wheels and will use stocks to tow. My new rear wheel won’t fit in my cradle.
don't be a tease! We want to see the wheels. How big did you go?
You know the rules
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