No brakes, how do I get home? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

2001LC

SILVER Star
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Threads
194
Messages
13,203
Location
Colorado
I just purchase one more, ok I'm addicted to 100's I admit it freely. It's a 2000 LX470 with a reported ~250K miles on it. I say report because battery is dead. PO said no brakes, something about wife was driving when it stop and alarms when off. PO had it towed to shop, which said "ABS pump" needs replacing for $2,800.

So I just purchased without test driving, first for me. Now I need to move about 12 miles through town. I'll get it started and see what the brakes feel like. Possible use the hand brake and nurse it home late at night.
Other option:
Car dolly, can they be used on a 2 1/2 SUV with AWD?
Car trailer, may have issues moving and stopping to load and unload.
Tow truck, pricy but easy.

Anyone have experience towing a 100 with a car dolly?
 
I need to renew my AAA for this year but in the past I have bought a vehicle with a blown head gasket and had it towed 30 miles by AAA

Cant beat it for 100 bucks a year and you get 3 tows.
 
Personally, I would not do the 12 miles through town with only the emergency brake. Too much could go expensively wrong...
 
Personally, I would not do the 12 miles through town with only the emergency brake. Too much could go expensively wrong...


And it's unbelievably unsafe. Think kids riding bikes and chasing balls into the street. Whatever the tow costs, pay it. Some things cannot be replaced or fixed.
 
I don't see why a dolly would be an issue, especially if you pull the rear drive shaft. Haven't done it personally, but I cannot see why there would be an issue.

I certainly wouldn't trust a handbrake that hasn't been properly maintained by myself.
 
If only there were guys with trucks we could call in situations like this... like, maybe a truck designed just for carrying other cars and trucks... Oh well. ;)
 
I don't see why a dolly would be an issue, especially if you pull the rear drive shaft. Haven't done it personally, but I cannot see why there would be an issue.

I certainly wouldn't trust a handbrake that hasn't been properly maintained by myself.
With car dolly could I just put the four-wheel drive control lever in neutral position, rather than pull rear driveshaft?

I've read post of brakes failing on steep off road trails, and guys using hand brake to get off the mountain. Ok nursing home is risky, and a no go if I find it has no main brakes at all. In my OP I should have been more clear, that is, I'm anticipating finding it has some brakes. I'm guessing the booster pump is out. In that case wouldn't it have some brakes at the bottom of the main brake peddle stroke?

$100 AAA is a good idea, didn't know you could buy and use post need. Funny last and only car I had towed for me was a 1956 chev 4 dr from a police impound auction (winning bid of $35) many moons ago. I have towed a 1970 Charger with a 69 GTO 1,000 miles with bumper hitches when bumpers were bumpers. Also a Lexus IS300 on a car trailer with my 01 LC 500 miles. Both of with which total weight ~equaled the tow vehicles' without any problems. But today U-Haul will not rent dolly or trailer if vehicles of equal weight.
 
I am not familiar enough with the 100's transfer case to say if putting the transfer case in neutral would suffice. Does neutral disconnect the viscous coupler from the transmission or does it disconnect the couple from the front and rear drive shafts? Or both? I generally error on the side of caution and disconnect the drive shaft from the axle and tie it up.

I'd have no reservations relying on the handbrake and transmission if I was the one who maintained it and knew it worked well. I wouldn't trust an unknown hand brake.
 
Called AAA they said $125 for plus which gets 4 services calls a year up to 100 mile tow, or basic $75 for up to 7 miles tow. Said wait one day after joining or extra charge of $45. Good and safe deal.

Tow trucks asking $125 to $250 for 10 miles.

U-hall car trailer $55, dolly $45 for 24 hours.

I'm go check out the LX this morning. Midnight drive if some main brakes working (no boost) with hand brake as back up. Trailer if running with working hand brakes only. AAA if dead or no brakes at all.
 
I am not familiar enough with the 100's transfer case to say if putting the transfer case in neutral would suffice. Does neutral disconnect the viscous coupler from the transmission or does it disconnect the couple from the front and rear drive shafts? Or both? I generally error on the side of caution and disconnect the drive shaft from the axle and tie it up.

I'd have no reservations relying on the handbrake and transmission if I was the one who maintained it and knew it worked well. I wouldn't trust an unknown hand brake.
I'm not sure either. I'm thinking it disconnect from transmission, as it will not move if in neutral IIRC. I'll not go the dolly rout, but still I'd like to know for future reference.
 
5000 lbs rolling down the street, even at 1 mph takes a lot of force to stop/slow down. The risk of hitting a kid probably do not exist when driving it late at night, but you may end up hitting a parked car, a tree etc.

I am guessing you got a pretty great deal for this car. I get it you are trying to save money - I am the same way too. AAA or any towing service should be pretty cheap in the overall scheme of cost. It eliminate risk for very little effort and cost imo.

Oh... we like to see picture when you have a moment. Congrats!
 
Just FYI AAA gets a little dicey if the car / truck doesn't have a current registration.
I just went through that getting my syncro towed to the shop for a tranny issue.
If you get AAA renewed you need to sometimes wait 24 hrs before a tow.

If it is not registered a $20 to the driver when he shows up will do the trick. I couldn't because it was a 145 mile tow for the Syncro so got it to the inspection station waited for the stickers then sent it along....

I would think a local shop would do a 12 mile tow for under $40 in most instances .....
 
You can put it in neutral to tow, there is no viscous coupler fitted to the 100. I would go and assess the situation first to see what the brakes are like. If there are no brakes then I wouldn't drive it, but if there is a small amount of brakes then a midnight drive and if needed using the transmission to keep it slow on steep hills by using 4 low and L gear so that it doesn't run away, then you should be ok. Just don't rely on the emergency brake on its own.
 
if it is cheap enough to buy without brakes and with high miles, you will undoubtedly spend thousands to fix it up. Seems to me that taking on a big liability if something goes wrong, just to save $50 or even $100, is not a risk worth taking and moneywise will be lost in the noise when you tally up your fixup expenses.
 
Julian, I did exactly that. It had 0 brake fluid in res. I toped it off, which had 0 effect. Braking is minimal and hand brake weak. So midnight drive is out, the BORAD HAS Convinced ME, "too risky".

Hadn't seen yours and Phil's post wasn't sure on dolly vs T-case in neutral, so picked up a car trailer and will nurse it home in the evening after traffic dies down a bit. I say "nurse it home" as the total loaded weight will be great than tow vehicle (my 01 LC). 10 miles flat black top with auto brake trailer shouldn't be a problem, should it?

Thanks Cat for the heads-up. Registration not in my name and waiting on AAA would be a hassle.

e9999 good point, but wasn't planning on spending anything on it. It's for parts and parting out. But may rethink that, as I Just found out it has new front drive shafts (CV's) that came in Toyota box, new wheel bearings, new spark plugs, water pump and T-belt etc. minimal surface rust and body damage.
 
It does seem that putting it on a braked trailer should be much safer than driving it without brakes. Your insurance will likely be very happy if you crash it and they can claim excessive load, however. Although I must say I don't know how/if the GVWR, GCWR, towing capacity etc, would apply if the trailer has brakes.
Should be no problem with a braked dolly, in TC neutral and/or with driveshaft removed, I believe. But no advantage over a trailer as far as safety I think.
It certainly seems that towing it in the middle of the night with nobody around should be safer to bystanders, although ironically, it could well attract some attention if there is a bored and out-of-donuts :D cop cruising around where you will be...
 
All the cops must have been munching doughnuts, not a one on the road. Funny, earlier in the day on same rout I saw at least five cop cars. But I doubt most would have given a second though to load. I'm mean the beast pulling a lady come-on...;)

Mission accomplished brakes worked well enough to get on trailer, and the beast (my 01 LC) came through, handling the load well. I was however thinking as I pulled a few minor hills, how glad that I regularly flushed the transmission & all gear boxes with synthetics.

Fortunately my pilot training kicked in, an I did a walk around inspection before take off. Found some tires on the trailer down to 20 PSI. Took 5 minutes and $.75 per tire to get to 55 PSI (Spec is 65 PSi) at a Shell gas station. Interestingly I pumped 5.33 gallons into 5 gallon gas can (below the fill line) at this same station earlier in the day, along with 22 gallons in the cruiser. I estimate they over charged me for ~1.7 gallons. They said filters must need cleaning. I guess filters at most Shell Station have needed cleaning for a long time. This may be why my MPG drop after Shell took over 66. Anyway back to towing; I'd not chance a long-hall with such a load, but the short distance was cake.

The story is getting better, not only as I said has a lot of work been done to the LX. The PO had left this sitting for four months at the Auto repair shop trying to sell it, but everyone but me wanted to test drive. The shop said booster pump and master needed replacing. When I said reservoir was bone dry, they said; no it does not have any leaks, boost is plug up and master is shot...OK:oops:

Notice the wet spot on the rear tire. I found rear PS slave is leaking like a sieve. I notices this before getting on the road, the whole qt of brake fluid I added earlier in the day, is setting in the trailer wheel channel. I may have just gotten very luck a ~$3,000 brake job may just been $30 in seals.
00 LX470 001.JPG
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom