catinthehat85
Full Access Member
The 1k break in period before towing has nothing to do with your engine and everything to do with your diff. Towing and spirited driving are completely different. Your diff needs time to go through repeated heat and cool cycles to fully harden. Towing places loads on your driveline that is physically more demanding and wears your diff in a sightly different position.
Having said that, 1k is on the conservative side, most of the hardening takes place within the first 100 miles. After 500 miles it is generally accepted some light towing for short distances isn’t too much of an issue. Our diff covers hold quite a bit of oil and dissipate heat pretty well.
Depending on how old you are, there was talk years (decades?) ago in car enthusiast circles the best way to break in an engine, with many folks quoting the method race cars used to get the job done (a la “drive it like you stole it”). There are so many reasons that logic doesn’t apply to production vehicles, and your diff is one of them.
Having said that, 1k is on the conservative side, most of the hardening takes place within the first 100 miles. After 500 miles it is generally accepted some light towing for short distances isn’t too much of an issue. Our diff covers hold quite a bit of oil and dissipate heat pretty well.
Depending on how old you are, there was talk years (decades?) ago in car enthusiast circles the best way to break in an engine, with many folks quoting the method race cars used to get the job done (a la “drive it like you stole it”). There are so many reasons that logic doesn’t apply to production vehicles, and your diff is one of them.