Towing quattro without driveshaft?

[Brett Dikeman]

On May 7, 2006, at 2:14 PM, Thomas Barbera wrote:

> Fellow audifans,
> I am trying to find a way to tow my sister's '96 A4
> quattro automatic from her place to mine, about 600
> miles.  The cheapest way is to rent a dolley and tow
> it with a truck.  The question is if we remove the
> center driveshaft is it safe to tow the car with the
> rear wheels on the ground?  This won't damage the rear
> diff will it?  Any advice would be greatly
> appreciated.  Thanks.

Yes, if it is the real wheels- the rear differential will just  
freewheel.

Be careful with the driveshaft- some are composite and can't be  
dropped, others have limits on how far the center joint can be bent,  
etc.  Give a quick look in the shop manual to see if there are any  
relevant warnings.

Brett