Suzuki: Towing a samarai, tow dolley, rear driveshaft


Question
I want to tow a 1987 manual transmission samarai on a tow dolley.  It has manual hub locks.  Can I just put the tanny in neutral and the 4 wd shifter in neutral or do I need to disconnect the driveshaft????

Answer
DON'T PUT THE 4WD SHIFTER IN NEUTRAL!! THAT PUTS THE TRANSFER CASE IN 4WD!! NOT A GOOD THING!!  IT WILL MAKE THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT SPIN AT THE SAME SPEED AS THE REAR ONE, AND EVEN THOUGH THE HUBS MIGHT BE IN NEUTRAL, IT WILL BE AN UNNECESSARY AMOUNT OF STRESS AND WEAR ON THE T-CASE AND FRONT DRIVE PARTS.
For safety's sake I recommend disconnecting the rear driveshaft.  I acquired my Samurai years ago because the previous owner had stacked loose stuff in the vehicle, and a bump apparently caused something to fall on the shifter, and it ended up in second gear at about 65 mph.  While you can just leave it in 2wd high range, and the trans in neutral, the odometer will reflect towed miles.  Two 12 mm box/open end wrenches, about a half hour, and a bungee cord will make it possible for you to disconnect the driveshaft at the differential, and bungee it to the frame (once the front end is on the dolly, you will probably have room to crawl under it to disconnect the driveshaft)
scotty