One of the more difficult jobs a light-duty tow operator may be asked to take on is towing a vehicle with missing wheels or a broken ball joint. Though the job can be intimidating, with the right knowledge and tools, any operator is able to safely and efficiently handle it.
Loading a vehicle with a missing wheel or broken ball joint can be done with either a light-duty tow truck or a car carrier, though different methods must be used to properly hook up the vehicle for transport.
LOADING ON A CARRIER
Depending on the severity of the damage, loading a casualty with a missing wheel or broken ball joint on a carrier can be extremely difficult. Rolling a vehicle with a missing wheel onto the bed of the truck isn’t the simplest task, however using a WreckMaster skate can help simplify the process.
MISSING WHEELS
Loading a casualty that has a missing wheel with an intact rotor is much simpler than loading with a broken ball joint:
REMEMBER
If the skate is not able to clear the lip of the carrier bed, flip a second WreckMaster skate over and use it as a ramp to reach the bed.
Once the missing wheel is on the bed, winch the vehicle onto the bed and properly secure the casualty for transport.
BROKEN BALL JOINTS
Loading a casualty with a broken ball joint on a carrier is one of the more difficult tasks a light- duty operator will be faced with. While a WreckMaster skate can be used to load the casualty, it is not a straightforward as loading when the rotor is still intact:
Once the vehicle is safely on the bed, secure the vehicle with at least four attachment points before transporting.
LOADING ON A TOW TRUCK
When loading a casualty with a missing wheel or broken ball joint on a tow truck, care must be taken to ensure that the vehicle sustains no further damage during transport. After carefully surveying the scene, doing all calculations and explaining the procedure to the customer, the following steps should be taken when hooking the casualty up:
LOADING A CASUALTY WITH A MISSING WHEEL STEP-BY-STEP
Click the arrow on the right of the image to go through the step-by-step process of loading a casualty with a missing wheel on a tow truck.
After all rigging has been double-checked, the casualty is ready to be towed.