Tow Dolly Question for Engineers

[jeleuen]

Have had several tow dollies over the years. But now my toad has been given last rites, it's back to a tow dolly with a different car. All previous dollies were similar in that the car was tied down to a plate that swivels during turns. And the steering wheels was locked. However, just ordered a dolly that is different. The car is tied down to the dolly but the steering wheel is unlocked. There is no swivel plate on the dolly. During turns the steering wheel turns instead. It is an ACME EZE tow dolly which can be seen on line. In fact there is a 12 minute video which is fairly convincing.
Now to my question for the engineers out there. Does this type of dolly put strain on the front suspension and steering? I know when you jack up the front wheels of a car, you can grasp the tire and move it which turns the steering wheel. No strain on front suspension and steering. But when a car turns a corner on the road, the outside tire rolls farther than the inside tire. So my concern is that strapping down front wheels to a fixed plate dolly might be hard on the front wheels, suspension, drive axles, and steering mechanism.
Reviews on the dolly are very good. But concerned it might not be good for the car. Comments anyone? Thanks. John

[whemme]

Since the front wheels are strapped down while on your new dolly and neither are rotating when making turns there will be no stress on the wheels or suspension.

[Roger H]

John,

That's the same tow dolly I have, the ACME EZ-tow. I've had three Master Tow dollies and used a Demco that my Dad used to have. I can tell you that this is the BEST setup I've ever seen. I've used it for both my '10 Prius and my '07 FJ 'Cruiser and have absolutely no complaints. While I was in Madison WI in October, I noticed that the curbside wheel bearing seal went bad and the folks who build the hubset and brakes took care of everything including finding a place in Madison to have it repaired. And then they shipped me a full set of new parts to the house to completely replace each side: bearings, hubs, brakes and all.

The Acme dolly weighs about 300 lbs; about half what the Master Tow weighs... and less than half the Demco weight. It makes a big difference when moving them around the yard or campgrounds.

I think you'll be pleased with the Acme. Just make sure you stop after a couple of miles and re-cinch your basket straps down. They seem to come loose in the first couple of miles more easily than the other straps I've used. I keep the spare tire, ramps, straps and chains in the trunk under the bed of the 32RQ. They're all convenient. I bought a ratchet wrench to make cinching the basket straps down easier.

Roger

[bigdipper]

I too am considering going to a dolly and agree there is a lot of support for the Acme. My hang-up is not related to permiting front wheels to turn. Rather that in a turn, the toad is twisted which effectively forces the dolly wheels to slide to the inside. Owners report black stripes doing tight right turns. I am not too concerned about dolly tire life, but the toad has a horizontal bending load which just might be a bad thing for front or rear suspension; maybe even the body. U Haul dollys have the turn table so they may know something which justifies the greater weight and cost.

Comforting views will be appreciated.

Ralph

[jeleuen]

That's another way of describing my concern. All other dollies have a swivel plate. There is little stress on car front wheels and suspension on a swivel plate dolly. Haven't used new dolly yet and Roger has a '10 Prius same as me and reports no problems. That the straps need recinching after a few miles indicates a big load on them from the toad wheels during turns. This is a different concept for sure. The Acme looks well made, the surge disc brakes are good, and the sealed wheel bearings which are warranted for up to ten years, five without the extra $125 or so. The manufacturer has made several improvements lately, galvanized non slip detachable ramps and heavier straps among them. Had not heard of tow dolly tires leaving black marks. What was the source of this info? Maybe Roger can advise how many miles he has towed his Prius. And apparently has not noticed any issues with his car. The lighter weight compared to other dollies is a plus too.

[bigdipper]

That's another way of describing my concern. All other dollies have a swivel plate. There is little stress on car front wheels and suspension on a swivel plate dolly. Haven't used new dolly yet and Roger has a '10 Prius same as me and reports no problems. That the straps need recinching after a few miles indicates a big load on them from the toad wheels during turns. This is a different concept for sure. The Acme looks well made, the surge disc brakes are good, and the sealed wheel bearings which are warranted for up to ten years, five without the extra $125 or so. The manufacturer has made several improvements lately, galvanized non slip detachable ramps and heavier straps among them. Had not heard of tow dolly tires leaving black marks. What was the source of this info? Maybe Roger can advise how many miles he has towed his Prius. And apparently has not noticed any issues with his car. The lighter weight compared to other dollies is a plus too.

The black mark comments were on a couple of web-sites I Googled. Interestingly, the people reporting same were not concerned beyond whether tire life was shortened. On this subject there also are anecdotal reports of tires wearing out in under 10,000 miles, but I am not terribly concerned on that point.
And I agree with you, that the common warning to retighten straps may be part of this. Again, I am willing to watch that carefully, but it is not a deal killer.
Just don't want to trash the car which is my only.
Ralph

[Roger H]

I've got several thousand miles towing the FJ 'Cruiser and probably a thousand or so towing the Prius. I've not had any tire drag marks. That would have to be a VERY tight turn, and likely a standard swivel-plate dolly would drag in that tight of a turn too. We took the Prius to Madison WI to have the battery reconditioned in October, and I made some really nasty, short turns there with the moho towing the FJ to get to the battery reconditioning shop (my wife drove her Prius) and had no issues at all. The biggest PITA for me is that the 'Cruiser requires me to drop the rear drive shaft to tow it, even though it's a 6spd manual transmission with a manual transfer case. It has a center differential that is engaged when the transfer case is put into neutral, apparently. What a nuisance!

The Acme dolly is perfect for the Prius as the Prius doesn't have a steering lock to contend with. So you drive it up, cinch on the basket straps and off you go. I always re-check the straps on the Prius, but haven't had much of an issue with it. The FJ OTOH, I have to make sure I stop again in the first two miles and re-cinch them. There's a huge difference in tire circumference and width, and the way the basket straps cover the tires between the FJ and the Prius. The straps don't immediately seat in on the bigger tires. The straps are also of a different design than what Master Tow uses which may contribute to the need to check the straps. All manufacturers tell you check the straps again within a couple of miles though... that's not unique to Acme.

I haven't found anything I don't like about the Acme yet. It's a novel concept in the tow dolly world and it just works. I like the surge disc brakes, and the difference in weight makes moving it around much easier, both in the driveway and at campgrounds.

[bigdipper]

Roger,
Thanks. That's the sort of comfort I need. One of the Acme user blogs talked of leaving front tires a couple of inches behind front of ramp to give wheels and vehicle a little freedom of movement. My hang-up is that vehicle tied down to the dolly is pretty much rigidly kept in line with dolly center line during a turn. Perhaps I am just guilty of over thinking this whole issue. At the moment odds are that an Acme is in my future. In any event your thoughts as an experienced user are appreciated. How many miles do you get on tires and do you carry unmounted or mounted spare? Apologies if you already addressed this.
Ralph

[Roger H]

My pleasure, Ralph.

I don't know how many miles I'll get on the tires... I've only towed the dolly maybe four thousand miles so far, and the tires aren't showing any wear at all yet. I carry the spare and the ramps in the rear compartment of the motorhome under the bed. They will mount on the tongue, but the idea for me was to have the dolly be as light as possible, so adding more weight in accessories just wasn't my idea of fun.

The tires are held rigidly to the dolly frame, so the dolly tires become the turning tires using the front axle of the car as the pivot for the car. I can't imagine why you'd want the wheels to "wiggle." You want them at the very front of the frame, and held down as rigidly as possible. Let the steering pivot the car. Leaving "wiggle" room is asking for the basket straps to fail. There is no difference in the way the car tows on an Acme vs. a Master Tow. Just how the car pivots during turns, and if the steering has to be on the car anyway, why not just use it and get rid of a bunch of weight and moving parts on the dolly too?

The Acme is actually a brilliant design with no moving parts on the dolly and a solid frame. I always had issues with the swivel plate and the poly washer degrading and the king pin bolt coming loose on the Master Tow dollies, so this is a welcome change.

I don't think you'll be disappointed at all. I haven't been <yet> anyway.

Roger

[jeleuen]

Used the ACME EZE tow dolly for the first time behind the BF 32 President, just a short test drive. Hardly knew the Prius and dolly were there. However, the tie down straps are too long to cinch the car front wheels as tight as they should be. Will call manufacturer tomorrow and see what gives. The hydraulic disc surge brakes really are a plus should it be necessary to make an emergency stop. Anyway, anyone considering a dolly would be wise to buy one with surge disc brakes. The surge disc brakes require no attention. Believe electric brakes require a hook up in the tow vehicle.

[jeleuen]

There is an adjustment on the straps for securing wheel which I did not notice. Adjustable to fit from 13 inch wheel up to 19 inch I think. Anyway, very well thought out. And.....I have no financial interest in the company. Just passing along my experience.

[Roger H]

There is an adjustment on the straps for securing wheel which I did not notice. Adjustable to fit from 13 inch wheel up to 19 inch I think. Anyway, very well thought out. And.....I have no financial interest in the company. Just passing along my experience.

A strap adjustment? Mine has a loop of strap with hooks attached to each end with three straps stitched between them that compose the "basket" and then there's a long strap at the end of the loop that goes to the ratchet. As far as I know, the long strap is the only "adjustment" on mine. Are your straps different?

[jeleuen]

Yes, different. The single long strap is one adjustment. There are big hooks for the two straps on the other end. The hooks can be attached at the end of the straps or 3 steps higher which shortens the entire tie down strap. Well I took a photo which would make it easy to see, but don't know how to include it. Plus the ramps are now galvanized steel.

[Roger H]

Yes, different. The single long strap is one adjustment. There are big hooks for the two straps on the other end. The hooks can be attached at the end of the straps or 3 steps higher which shortens the entire tie down strap. Well I took a photo which would make it easy to see, but don't know how to include it. Plus the ramps are now galvanized steel.

Well, that IS interesting. I'll have to look at mine in the Spring when I get the moho out of storage, but I don't think that the hooks on my straps can be moved.
I do have the galvanized ramps though.

Thanks John!

[randallrae]

I would like to see a picture of the Acme dolly stopped in a sharp turn with a car strapped down and the steering wheel unlocked . I am having trouble picturing it in my head . Thanks in advance