Repair 7

Adjust the steering wheel so that the front wheels point straight forward.

Pull the tow vehicle directly in front of the Camaro with enough room to lower the tow bed. Lower the tow bed so that it reaches the ground about 3 feet in front of the car.

Attach winch hooks to the front of the frame. Place towels between the tow chain and the Camaro body to prevent scratching and chipping. Place the hooks an equal distance from both ends of the frame to ensure a level pull.

Place the transmission in neutral. Winch the Camaro onto the tow bed slowly. Make small adjustments with the steering wheel to control the direction, and stop with the car in the exact center of the tow bed.

Place the transmission in park and set the parking brake. Strap the wheels and frame to the tow bed in the appropriate manner, depending on the model of flatbed tow truck being used.

Look over the installation instruction sheet provided with your hitch. Check your vans owners manual to ensure you have the right size hitch for your engine size. Park your van on level ground. Engage the emergency brake. Put blocks in front of the front tires. Hoist the vehicle off the ground using a jack or ramps.

Locate the part of the frame at the rear of the van that the draw bar will attach to. Make sure you find the exact center of the frame so the hitch will not be pulling in an unbalanced manner.

Hold draw bar up to the frame at the desired location. Use the C-clamps to clamp the draw bar in place against the frame. You can use a scissor jack to support the weight of the draw bar if you dont have access to C-clamps.

Drill any holes in the frame if the draw bar has holes that dont line up with those already in the frame of the van. Use the electric drill to make the holes. Insert any reinforcement plates provided with the hitch between the draw bar and frame. Place bolts through all the holes in the draw bar and fasten with nuts. Hardware should be provided with hitch.

Tighten the nuts with a wrench to the recommended torque levels suggested in the hitch instructions.

Insert ball into the hitch located at the end of the draw bar. Insert cotter pin into the hitch to secure the ball to the hitch.

Drive your F-150 to a point in front of the box trailer where you can attach the tow ball and hitch.

Place the F-150 in park, and engage your emergency brake.

Exit the truck, and walk to the tow ball. Wrap the cable in place around the tow ball, and clamp it shut so it stays in place. Test the connection to ensure it wont come undone easily.

Tie the other end of the cable to the tow hitch of the box trailer, taking special care to clamp it in place to stabilize it.

Turn on the hazard lights of your box trailer if it has them, which will alert drivers of other vehicles to take caution when driving behind you and your trailer.

Open the drivers door of the vehicle you intend to tow the Accord with. Read the towing capacity on the factory door identification tag, to ensure that your towing vehicle has enough towing capacity for the job. The curb weight or dead weight of the 1997 Accord is 2,921-pounds. This means that the vehicle weighs nearly 1-1/2 tons. Make sure that your towing vehicle reads at least 3,000 pounds towing capacity before attempting the tow.

Pull the towing vehicle near the front of the Accord, and try to align the two vehicles as parallel as possible. You do not want to start the tow off by having to jerk the Honda sideways to move it.

Attach a 2-ton or greater capacity tow strap to the towing vehicle. If the vehicle has a hitch, loop the tow strap around the hitch and harness the hitch ball for your tow point. If no hitch is available, go beneath the rear of the car and attach the tow strap to the rear sub-frame of the towing vehicle. If you are using a tow chain, loop the chain around the hitch ball or sub-frame, then attach the hook to the chain itself.

Kneel near the front bumper of the Accord, and visually locate the towing point or loop on the front of the car. Insert the tow strap through the hole of the loop, then perform a slip knot to tie the strap onto the loop. If you do not know how to tie a slip knot, please see the "Tips" section of this article for instructions. If you are using a tow chain, simply hook the towing hook from the chain directly onto the Hondas towing loop.

Communicate through brake-lights flashes. Instruct the driver that a double flash of the brake lights means gentle slowing of both vehicles is needed, and three flashes of the brake lights means slowing to a complete stop. Keep the tension in the strap or chain between both vehicles, or the towing apparatus could wind up wrapped up in the drive path of the Accord. Flash the brake lights by tapping on the brake pedal before actual braking.

Turn the ignition key on the Accord to the "II" or accessories position. This will unlock the transmission shift lever and the steering wheel. Make your route as straight as possible so that you keep the braking and turns to a minimum. Braking and turning increases the risk of the tow chain or strap being damaged. Depress the brake pedal in the Honda, and shift into "N" or neutral gear.

Pull the towing vehicle forward gently to remove the slack from the strap or chain. Keep one foot on the brake so that you do not jerk the Honda suddenly. When the slack is out of the line, you will feel a slight jolt in both vehicles. Driver of the towing vehicle, wave your hand out of the window to signal that you are starting forward.

Drive at a speed of no more than 15 miles per hour. This allows for ample time to stop both vehicles when necessary. The driver of the Accord should use the brakes gently to keep the tension on the strap. Remember that your job is to steer the Honda, stop the Honda, and make sure the strap does not end up under the Honda. Tow the vehicle to its destination safely and slowly.