5 Towing Situations that Require a Flatbed

What Towing Situations that Require a Flatbed

A standard (dolly) tow truck lifts the front or back wheels of your vehicle onto a short trailer that’s attached to the truck, leaving the other set of wheels to roll along the ground. While this type of truck works well for certain situations, there are others where it isn’t the best option. In the following cases, it’s better to go with a flatbed truck that lifts the vehicle entirely off the ground.

1. Towing across long distances. Because two of the vehicle’s wheels are on the ground during a standard tow, this can translate into a lot of wear and tear on a vehicle if you’re moving the car any great distance. A flatbed truck holds its cargo above the road surface, so it’s a better choice for cross-country or other long tows.
2. When you have an expensive car. While a dolly tow is generally less expensive than a flatbed, that doesn’t mean much if your prized vintage or sports car hits a pothole during the tow and gets damaged. Flatbed tow trucks are much safer, since the vehicles they carry are kept above any road hazards. If you have an expensive car, it’s worth the extra money for the peace of mind.
3. Your vehicle has all-wheel-drive. Front wheel drive cars have back tires that aren’t connected to the drive shaft, so it’s all right to let the back ones spin freely on the road when towing with a dolly. Most SUVs, trucks, and four wheel drive cars, however, shouldn’t be towed in this way, because this can cause transmission damage. Even if your vehicle’s manufacturer’s tow specifications allow for towing with two wheels on the ground, keep in mind that this will register miles on your odometer.
4. Your vehicle has been lowered. A car, truck, or SUV with low clearance being towed on a dolly is vulnerable to damage to its undercarriage, bumpers, oil pan, and exhaust. When you have it towed on a flatbed instead, you don’t need to worry every time the truck goes over a bump or up or down an incline.
5. You have a heavy vehicle like an SUV, minivan, or large truck. Regardless of other damage concerns, dollies have a physical limitation in that they can’t carry more than a certain amount of weight. The actual maximum number depends on the type of dolly, but it’s a good bet that you’ll need a flatbed if your vehicle is particularly heavy.

Knowing what type of tow truck you need to transport your vehicle is important, because it allows you to make the best decisions for the safety and security of your automobile.

A Quick Guide to Roadside Towing Services

 Roadside Towing Services And Help Guide

Nobody plans on having something go wrong with their car and being stranded on the side of the road. You can, however, be prepared for the unexpected before you hit the road. Modern cellular networks makes this easier than ever, since you can locate roadside assistance and call them from the safety of your car.

Organization Roadside Coverage

One of the most common roadside services is the coverage that you get through a company or organization. Usually this is auto clubs and insurance companies, but it’s also offered by car manufacturers. In fact, you may have currently have roadside assistance coverage and not even know it. And if not, it’s easy enough to add to any existing account.

The exact nature of the coverage will change with each company and coverage. Some will cover your towing fee and unlimited miles. Some will only cover a certain number of tows per year, or a certain number of miles. It’s always a good idea to check out the terms beforehand so you’re less frantic when the time comes.

Finding Roadside Service When You Need It

Even if you don’t have roadside coverage, you can still track down reliable towing services on your own. The only difference is that you’ll have to do it based on where you are when you need the tow. If you’re in town, then you can do your research ahead of time, but road trips can make things a little trickier. When you are on a road trip, smartphones and cell phones are a great tool to help you compare multiple companies and prices before you order a tow truck.

Not sure how to tell if it’s a good company? Reviews are a great place to start. Remember that even the best business will have dissatisfied customers, so don’t let a single bad review sway you too much. You should also check out their prices, which many companies post online.

Most importantly, however, you need to make sure that they’re upfront with you about all charges before you sign anything. Find out where they’re taking your car and how far away it is. Ask them about any storage fees or other additional fees that may be involved. Good companies will be able to answer these questions immediately.

More Than Just Towing

When we think about roadside assistance, most of us think about towing. Today’s towing vehicles are mobile workshops, and can provide other services to get out back on the road, like:

Basic Mechanical Repairs: This is usually limited to adjusting or changing minor things that don’t involves parts or supplies, such as reconnecting hoses or switching out fuses. Anything more complicated than that and they’ll usually tow you to a repair shop.

Battery Service: A jumpstart is just the beginning. Many services can do things like recharge your battery, refill the fluid, test the battery, and even switch out the battery with a new one.

Flat Tire Service: Depending on the service, you may not even have to limp along on a spare. Many services can get the right tire size from your VIN or license number, and can bring a brand new full-size tire out to replace the flat one.

Locksmiths: Locking yourself out of your car is annoying. Fortunately, many roadside services will be able to unlock your car or, if that fails, tow the car to a shop where it can be unlocked.

Chip Tuning, Remapping, ECU: Glossary to Your Car Computer

Know About Chip Tuning, Remapping, ECU

Looking to modify the computers in your car to get more power or efficiency? A quick Google search can be incredibly confusing. If you’re having trouble telling the different ECUs apart or comparing chip tuning vs. remapping, this quick guide can help you understand what they are.

Chip Tuning:

Early engine computers were first introduced in the 1980s and changed the way that engines were tuned up. Suddenly tune-ups were no longer about adjusting parts like a carburetor. In order to change key engine parameters, the chip had to be physically removed and replaced with a new chip. This was the original chip tuning, where the tune-up involved switching out the chip.

This term gets a little murky as technology evolved. The introduction of diagnostic ports meant chips didn’t have to be removed to be changed. The diagnostic ports allowed direct software access, so the chips could be reprogrammed without being removed. Today, chip tuning can refer to either replacing the chip completely or reprogramming the chip. But technically, it’s when the chip is removed and replaced with a customized chip.

Engine Remapping:

Remapping happens when the software in the chip is changed without changing the chip itself. The existing engine map is coded into the software of the engine’s computer. This software is then overwritten with a new engine map, or remapped.

If this sounds like modern chip tuning, that’s because many people will call it chip tuning, but technically it’s not chip tuning. A good way to remember the difference is that chip tuning involves changing the chip, while remapping involves changing the software.

Electronic Control Unit:

These are the actual computers in your car, also known simply as ECUs. The name refers to the entire unit itself, which consists of a computer board inside a casing with ports to connect it to the car. There are a wide variety of different ECUs scattered around your car, controlling things like your in-dash system, power steering, anti-lock brakes, engine, and more. Any time anything electronic is run, there’s an ECU behind it.

ECU or ECM:

Here’s yet another common place for confusion. The Electronic Control Unit that controls how the engine works is know as either the Engine Control Module (ECM) or the Engine Control Unit (ECU). This is the specific computer unit that controls engine settings like the timing, fuel injectors, etc.

Powertrain Control Module:

Just to make things even more interesting, there are also Powertrain Control Modules, or PCMs. These control both the engine and the transmission settings, and are more common in cars from the 1990s to early 2000s. Modern cars, however, have a separate ECU/ECM just for the engine controls.

Performance Chip:

These are the aftermarket chips designed to replace the manufacturer’s chips or software. There are a couple different types. Control modules are permanently installed between the sensors and the ECU, while power programmers are temporarily used to change settings through a diagnostic port. Both of these are widely available options, but don’t offer the customization of a professional chip tuning or remapping.