Towed With Driveshaft Connected

Keith Browning · October 20, 2016

Jesus. NJ DOT at its finest! (sorry big brother) A 2003 F550 was towed in from Lodi NJ to Morristown, about 26 miles (all highway) with the driveshaft connected. The truck was being towed in for transmission issues but things went wrong on the way to our dealership... very wrong. I can't even determine where the fire started but everything above the transmission burned and severely heated the floor and carpet. Burnt up the trans harness, shift cable, PTO harness, PTO lube hose, the heat shield over the trans and up the firewall. I opened the hood and the fire had spread - melted the engine and injector harness, FICM, degas bottle, harness support on the cowl, coolant hoses, fan shroud and stator and who knows what else.

They wanted an estimate for the trans and the carpet. :haha2: I closed the hood and told my advisor to call them and contact their insurance company.

The douchebag driving the DOT tow truck thought it was funny! Said he was told not to remove the driveshaft? :facepalm:

He finally did after the third time he had to pull over on the highway to extinguish the flames.

Fredsvt · October 20, 2016

Keith, doesn't surprise me. Saw a state DOT flatbed tow truck with an Escape on the bed and am older CRV (?) both with SG plates chained to the front subframe on it's wheel lift.

The CRV was AWD, the rear diff locks when a difference in wheel speed is seen by the dual pumps in the diff. The front wheels, hanging free, were doing about 70 or 75 mph as I passed it on Rt 18. I can't imagine what the carnage was in that thing when it got where it was going.

Makes one wonder how much more of our money they can throw away.

forddieseldoctor · October 21, 2016

Jesus. NJ DOT at its finest! (sorry big brother) A 2003 F550 was towed in from Lodi NJ to Morristown, about 2 miles with the driveshaft connected. The truck was being towed in for transmission issues but things went wrong on the way to our dealership... very wrong. I can't even determine where the fire started but everything above the transmission burned and severely heated the floor and carpet. Burnt up the trans harness, shift cable, PTO harness, PTO lube hose, the heat shield over the trans and up the firewall. I opened the hood and the fire had spread - melted the engine and injector harness, FICM, degas bottle, harness support on the cowl, coolant hoses, fan shroud and stator and who knows what else.

They wanted an estimate for the trans and the carpet. I closed the hood and told my advisor to call them and contact their insurance company.

The douchebag driving the DOT tow truck thought it was funny! Said he was told not to remove the driveshaft?

He finally did after the third time he had to pull over on the highway to extinguish the flames.

All that in 2 miles?

We had an ambulance get towed about 25 miles and screwed up some stuff in the trans.

Keith Browning · October 21, 2016

Sorry bout that - it was 26 miles, all highway. I fixed my post.

I guess I'll never know what was wrong with the trans originally. I am hoping they will total the truck and yank it out of there. What a mess. I just finished another burn job where a salt spreader controller caught fire - new dash, HVAC, harness, carpet...