Towing Issues: Towing Ford 4 wheel drive, transmission leaks, coolant lines

Question
Our Ford F150 4 wheel drive was towed by the rear in a wheel lift and the front wheels were on the ground the steering wheel was not tied either.  The front steering is now very stiff hard to turn and we have experienced transmission fluid leaks in the trans coolant lines.  We had no leaks before tow and major leaks after.  our owners guide says that this truck should never be towed with any tires on ground because of damage.Any info would be of help.  Cheryl

Answer
The owners manual is a general guide which covers a lot of different vehicles in a general way.

Now as to the tow, I am not sure why it was towed, or how far it was towed, but there are some limits on how its distance and speeds at which it was towed.

The steering, well that seems strange to me unless the front axles are either locked in or something like that. There are a few things which can affect this, but I would need a lot more information than what was provided here and I (or a mechanic) would have to inspect it and see what really happened.

Transmission leaks out of the coolant lines, well that might mean that your transmission was overheated at some point and now the lines have started to rot and leak. But then again it also can be due to age of the lines or even just untimely events causing it to leak now. Again it would have to be inspected.

Now I am guessing that your truck has the electronic transfer case and does not have front axle hub lockouts (old style stuff but still available) There is a possibility that it was damaged due to the towing.  But then again there are so many variations in the model of the truck and year possibilities which make a specific answer hard to provide.

Check out www.towspec.com for information on your vehicle and its recommended towing methods (you got all the answers on the questions it asks, I can only generalize on the answers).

Talk to the tow company and see what they say, as I am not sure if it was towed for illegal parking, a breakdown or what ever. The tow company might help you solve the problem or accept responsibility for the damages, or they might say that it is not their fault.   

Hope this helps a bit. If not feel free to contact me some more.