tie down car to trailer questions

[RDelissen]

If your paying a couple of hundred dollars each for a shock on a race car, it does matter. Then you get to the track and your set-up is crap due to hot shocks. FYI, when towing a rail, I used a couple of airbags under the frame also to reduce flex on the frame. Not everyone tows a Jeep.

then I stand corrected, even though we've towed my buddy's 'Chevelle 1/4 miler 'on my trailer strapped to the axles ... but he doesn't have shocks that are a couple hundred a piece :-laf

 

[dresslered]

Are you all leaving your towed vehicle in neutral? I've always heard that you can score the cylinder walls if you don't.

 

[Rman]

I always CHAIN to the axles, it's easy, never had any problems and the whole shock wearing idea doesn't mean squat to me. Having all that compressed energy isn't going to help your cause if anything were to happen.

 

[TKingsbury]

Are you all leaving your towed vehicle in neutral? I've always heard that you can score the cylinder walls if you don't.

If your vehicle on the trailer is loose enough that it can move and cause the drivetrain to turn/rock, you have bigger problems than scored cyl walls. After I tie the vehicle down, I put them in gear or in park. I've done this with every vehicle I've towed and have had zero problems.

Travis. .

 

[dresslered]

Thanks for the replies and they are as I suspected. I only asked because I have heard of so many people that leave their vehicle in gear and or park when towing. It doesn't take much movement to rock the drive train (especially when in first or reverse).

 

[bagd99dak]

well when i tow my dakota i have the trailer setup with wheelstops in the front. then use tirenets and the truck has no movement at all in any direction. the back i use 2 ratchet straps that go from axle straight back to mounts on trailer. truck has never moved a single inch. and thats with all the bouncing threw nyc roads. i would always recommend wheel stop and tirenets for the front, i wont tow my truck any other way, although their are many safe ways to do so. it comes down to the type of vehicle and how u can strap up to it. a huge raised 4x4 wheels nets might not work, but my dakota is a lowrider truck and with full custom air ride syspension and the wheelnets are perfect. air ride is very soft so it would be hard to tie it down with the frame, and if for any reason the truck lost its air supply the suspension would lower and the straps would fall off. using the wheelnets they stay tight no matter what.

 

[JHardwick]

If you want the best of both worlds, strap the tires down and block up the frame. Thats how we haul sprint cars, no wear on shocks or torsions bars while in transit.

 

[JStieger]

I like to thank all of you for the advice and lively discussion. I learned a lot! Due to time limitations I ended up doing what I was familiar with with my new-to-me trailer - strapped to frame with straps crossed. The only thing I noticed was that my Jeep's bias ply tires sure like to hold the flat spots from the compression until they get warmed up!



Next time though I'll definitely try the axle strap routine. In the following pictures I just used the stakehole pockets to hook the straps too, but I think I will get some D-rings and have my friend weld them to the trailer frame.



I still need to fab up a spare tire mount for the trailer (goofy 5x5 bolt pattern) as well as get a box to put on the trailer tongue. And last week after finally torching off the stupid receiver pin lock I have a lower drawbar to level out the trailer better.

 

[JHardwick]

I like to thank all of you for the advice and lively discussion. I learned a lot! Due to time limitations I ended up doing what I was familiar with with my new-to-me trailer - strapped to frame with straps crossed. The only thing I noticed was that my Jeep's bias ply tires sure like to hold the flat spots from the compression until they get warmed up!



Next time though I'll definitely try the axle strap routine. In the following pictures I just used the stakehole pockets to hook the straps too, but I think I will get some D-rings and have my friend weld them to the trailer frame.



I still need to fab up a spare tire mount for the trailer (goofy 5x5 bolt pattern) as well as get a box to put on the trailer tongue. And last week after finally torching off the stupid receiver pin lock I have a lower drawbar to level out the trailer better.

I'm gonna puke now !

 

[RankRam]

I'm gonna puke now !

Huh??????????????

 

[DaveHess]

I have a '73 A-Body Mopar that I drag race and have trailered and tied the car down both ways. I prefer to tie it down by the frame. I welded in hooks just forward of the front suspension and another set of hooks directly above the rear axle. The rear straps I cross and the fronts tie straight forward. I suck the car down hard. That way the car has no movement on the trailer and I'm not wearing on the shocks. I also use 4 10,000 pound capacity tie downs. I remember reading somewhere back in the '80's where the author stated when a car bounces on the trailer, it does so at up to 3x it's weight. I know the car doesn't gain weight on the trailer so I can only guess he meant the force that the tie down straps "feel". So, I promptly changed from 5,000 pound starps to 10,000. Incidently, I have never had a problem towing the car this way. I do worry about the strain on the torsion bars and leaf springs. It just made more sense to me rather than let the suspension on the car work while on the trailer.