Towing Issues: Ford Ranger Dolly Towing, steering wheel lock, penske truck

Question
I greatly appreciate your answer. FYI the tow vehicle is a Penske 26ft rental truck. If the Ranger is in Neutral, does its driveline still turn when towing with rear wheels on the ground?

------------------------

Followup To

Question -
I have a MasterTow dolly I used with a Honda Accord successfully for a year.  Now I want to tow a 94 2x4 Ford Ranger Std Trans on the dolly MO to UT. Can I do it front wheels on dolly?

Answer -
Well without knowing what your using as a tow vehicle, I would say that you should be able to handle the Ranger on the tow dolly..

Now as to the distance that again replys on the tow vehicle and its tow capacity.  I know that you mentioned that the ranger has a standard transmission, and you want to know about towing it with the front wheels on the dolly, which makes its drive train still turning.

You can remove the driveline to prevent any chances of damages possibly happening during the tow.. This is done by removing 4 bolts or nuts on the rear axle yoke assembly. Then remove the driveline COMPLETELY from under the vehicle so that if it falls it does not damage your vehicle or any other vehicles following.


That or you can load it backwards, and prevent the chances of damage. BUT you will have to secure the steering wheel into a staight ahead, locked position.  
DO NOT RELY ON THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK when you remove the key.  Best method then is to take a 1 inch ratchet strap and run it around the steering wheel a few times and then secure both ends to the frame on the bottom of the drivers seat.  
As a secondary safety method, you can also use the seat belt to loop though the wheel also, and then lock it into the buckle..

Hope that this helps,

Answer
Ok  the tow vehicle ( the Penske truck ) is big enough to handle the job.  The tow dolly will support the Ranger, but towing it with the drive wheels on the ground and the driveline will have the potential to damage the transmission.  The suggestion to remove the driveline or to load the Ranger backwards onto the dolly is a better idea.

The driveline will be turning if the rear wheels are on the ground. That is where the potential for transmission damage can happen.
hope this helps...