by Jim "Ack" Cambron
Note: I am presenting both the Official Suzuki Method of Flat-towing and the Offroader's Method here. The main difference being that the Offroader's Method completely removes the connection between wheels and the transfer case but can be difficult/inconvenient for many owners. The Official Suzuki Method of Flat-towing will work equally well except that you need to stop every 200 miles and run the engine to get lubrication circulating again in the transfer case.
Update: At the bottom of this page you will find a convenient table that summarizes the various methods of towing a Samurai/Sidekick/Tracker.This information is also useful for towing the Geo Tracker and Suzuki Samurai
The following is an excerpt from the 1993 Sidekick Owner's Manual:
Towing Method "A" Four wheels on the ground/Manual transmission Towbar)
Item Position --------------------------------- Ignition "ACC" Emergency Brake OFF Manual Transmission 2nd Gear Transfer Case Neutral Hubs FREE
UPDATE: Suzuki recommends that you NEVER attempt to flat-tow a Sidekick or Samurai equipped with automatic locking hubs! Naturally, this also applies to Trackers with automatic hubs too. See Suzuki Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) TS5-01 07319(R) for details.
Stop every 200 miles (300 km). Leaving the transmission in 2nd gear and the transfer case in neutral, run the engine 1 minute to circulate the lubricant in the transfer case.
Towing Method "B" (Four wheels on the ground/Automatic Transmission)
Item Position --------------------------------- Ignition "ACC" Emergency Brake OFF Automatic Transmission Park Transfer Case Neutral Hubs FREE
UPDATE: Suzuki recommends that you NEVER attempt to flat-tow a Sidekick or Samurai equipped with automatic locking hubs! Naturally, this also applies to Trackers with automatic hubs too. See Suzuki Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) TS5-01 07319(R) for details.
Stop every 200 miles (300 km). Start the engine. Leaving the transfer case in neutral, place the transmission in "D" and run the engine 1 minute to circulate the lubricant in the transfer case.
Towing Method "C" (manual locking hubs, front wheels on ground and rear wheels on a dolly)
Item Position --------------------------------- Ignition "ACC" (unlocks steering wheel) Hubs FREE
Set the the front wheels so that they are pointing forward, then secure the steering wheel with a wheel clamping device designed for towing.
Towing Method "D" (2WD vehicle, front wheels on ground and rear wheels on a dolly)
Item Position --------------------------------- Ignition "ACC" (unlocks steering wheel)
Set the the front wheels so that they are pointing forward, then secure the steering wheel with a wheel clamping device designed for towing.
Editor's note: There are no instructions for dolly-towing a vehicle with the rear axle on the ground.
For the extra convenience (but more cost) take a look at Trail Tough's Driveshaft Disconnect System as reviewed at Izook.com.
Sidekick/Tracker: Completely removing the rear driveshaft may cause loss of lubricant from the transfer case or - even worse - contamination of the lubricant by road dirt because of the transfer case slipjoint connection. To prevent this, you need to disconnect the driveshaft from the rear differential but not the transfer case and securely hang the differential end of the driveshaft on the frame. If you do not securely attached the differental end of the driveshaft, you may end up with a missing driveshaft if it comes loose!