quattro towing

[george mills]

Dave Eaton Wrote:
>had a conversation with a bloke about towing a quattro.  he has a gen 1
>quattro (early wr ur-q) and was of the opinion that he didn't need to worry
>about any towing restrictions as he didn't have the torsen diff.
>
>this is *not* correct.  the same towing restrictions apply for all
>quattro's.  50 km at 50km/hr maximum.
>
>if you exceed this the manual warns that damage could occur.

Okay, let's have a look at the manual. Gen 1 specific.
*Vehicles with manual transmissions
There are no restrictions on speed or distance when towing
manual-transmission cars behind other vehicles.*

There is a caution however for CS quattro only:
*Whenever possible, tow with front wheels off ground. The central and
rear differential must be "unlocked" during towing...* etc. 
Note: "whenever possible."

I do not personally see how anything could be damaged in a
manual-transmission quat by towing at any speed with four wheels on
the tarmac, in neutral, diffs unlocked, but the manual confuses the
issue. If someone has a definitive answer for this, I would love to
hear it. 

Best regards,
Geo