Transporting The Vehicle - Ford F-650 Owner's Manual

• Shift to a lower gear when driving down
a long or steep hill. Do not apply the
brakes continuously, as they may
overheat and become less effective.
• If your transmission is equipped with
the Tow/Haul feature, use this feature
when towing. This provides engine
braking and helps eliminate excessive
transmission shifting for optimum fuel
economy and transmission cooling.
• Allow more distance for stopping with
a trailer attached. Anticipate stops and
brake gradually.

TRANSPORTING THE VEHICLE

WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury
or property damage when manually
releasing the spring brakes, be sure
to block the wheels so the vehicle cannot
move once the brakes are released.
Note: Make sure to connect your vehicle
securely to the tow vehicle and that the tow
vehicle s parking brakes are set before
releasing the disabled vehicle s spring
brakes.
Before moving the disabled vehicle, check
for adequate road clearance of vehicle
components. If possible, unload the
disabled vehicle before towing. This
reduces any abnormal load to the vehicle
components resulting from the towing
procedures. Before towing, make sure to
release the parking brake fully. You can
reset the spring-actuated type parking
brake by recharging the air system with at
least 64 psi (441 kPa) of air. If the brake
system does not retain air pressure, then
you must release the spring brakes
manually. See Parking Brake (page 121).
F650750 (TBC), enUSA, First Printing
Towing
Towing the Vehicle with the Front
Wheels Suspended
Note: To avoid transmission damage, do
not tow your vehicle even a short distance
without suspending rear wheels or removing
the axle shafts or driveshaft.
Note: When towing a vehicle equipped with
a tandem axle from the front, raise the
forward rear axle so it can clear the road
surface and secure it to the frame with
chains or U-bolts, allowing only the rear rear
axle to contact the road surface. Remove
axle shafts from the rear rear axle assembly.
Cover the wheel hub ends to prevent loss
of axle lubricant and entrance of
contaminants. Use extreme care in securing
the chains or U-bolts to avoid possible
damage to the brake lines, hoses or other
components.
When it is necessary to tow a vehicle with
the front wheels suspended, take extra
precautions to avoid transmission or
differential damage:
• Remove the axle shafts from the axle
assembly to prevent the wheels from
driving the differential and the
transmission.
• Cover the wheel hub ends to prevent
loss of axle lubricant and entrance of
other contaminants. If you do not
remove the axle shafts, removal of the
driveshaft is required.
Towing the Vehicle with the Rear
Wheels Suspended
Note: To avoid damage to the cab roof or
air deflector when towing your vehicle
backward (rear wheels suspended), remove
the air deflector.
Whenever possible, it is preferable to tow
a disabled vehicle from the rear by raising
the rear of the chassis. When towing a
vehicle with the rear of the chassis
suspended, you must lock the front wheels
in the straight-ahead position.
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I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :