Poor Tow Job Ensures Ford Ranger Headed For Early Grave: Video

It’s usually a bad sign when the wheels off the ground are spinning just as fast as the ones on it, especially if the vehicle in question is equipped with four-wheel-drive (4WD) and being towed. A concerned motorist recently spotted a Ford Ranger being hauled on the interstate with all four wheels spinning, and they have every right to be worried, because that poor tow job just might spell the end of the pickup’s life.

The video is making the rounds on the Reddit community r/IdiotsTowingThings. The original poster poses the question, “Is this correct?” in the title. The video shows the poor Ford Ranger being towed behind a flatbed at highway speeds, its rear end cranked in the air and its front wheels in contact with the road. Problem is, the rear wheels are spinning, too – a death sentence for any 4WD vehicle’s driveline.

The general consensus is that, no, this isn’t correct. The fact that all four wheels are spinning despite only two touching the asphalt indicates a mistake on the tow truck driver’s part. The Ranger was likely left with 4WD engaged, which means its transmission, transfer case, or both are being absolutely thrashed as it rotates. In the absence of proper cooling, these components will build extreme heat, causing catastrophic damage to its more delicate internals.

To save this Ford Ranger, the party responsible for towing it should have taken a few steps, like disconnecting the driveshaft if they didn’t have access to the cockpit or placing it in Neutral Tow Mode if they did. Or, quite simply, the Ranger should have been placed with all fours on the flatbed, which would have helped avoid the situation altogether. Even a Ram driver’s questionable towing methods while hauling a Ford F-150 would have been better than what happened to the Ranger.

While the towing incident likely spells the end of this Ranger, it’s likely that it was headed for the scrapyard anyway. Some commenters point out the stickers on both the pickup and the vehicle on the flatbed, which indicates they were auction cars that are already totaled.