sideways pull ok??

[Donald]

my jeep got stuck with front passenger wheel off drive, rear passenger almost off drive. Its a item 4 driveway with about 3 inches of new snow. Under that was maybe some snow/ice that the snowblower could not get.

Before I could walk out to the Jeep (when the tow company came) the flatbed use its winch with a snatchhook on a tree to pull the front sideways onto the road. I could see the exact imprint of the tire in the snow (like COOPER and tire size). The Jeep was in 4WD PT and PARK when they pulled it.

The tow guy assured me that a sideways pull in the snow and ice on would not hurt anything even if in PARK.

Comments?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Should be O.K. More force is applied to suspension and tyres through cornering and braking on dry pavement. Question: where did they grab the jeep to pull it? Tow hook, frame or lower control arm? I might be worried if they used the LCL to pull it. A drive over a couple days would reveal if all is A-O.K.

 

[Donald]

I do not have a tow hook (maybe I should add one). I was too late walking out to my stuck Jeep. That had it done quickly. They seem to know what they are doing. I had two other companies walk away when they saw how it was stuck and that the drive was not all that wide (good for cars but maybe not bigger trucks)

 

[eljefino]

You'll be fine. If you saw how they reef on brand new cars with straps and chains on the car carriers...

I've had cars flatbed towed in Park where they dump the bed 45 degrees then start shaking to overcome friction in the tires.

 

[IndyIan]

Wow, I didn't know the little parking pins were that tough! Reminds me of one of my racing buddies who bought an old Neon from a local garage, they delivered the car on a flat bed when he wasn't home just on the rims, no tires... For some reason they dropped the car on the road and then drove it onto his gravel driveway... Surprisingly all the beads needed was a little "smoothing" with a wire wheel and he mounted up some tires and went racing.

 

[mechtech2]

It's up to luck.
There is no rule about this.
They took a chance with your car.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Probably more sliding than anything. I wouldn't worry much about it. I've sometimes had to pull people out of ditches with a bit of sideways pull first. No problems.