Tie down question when Trailering

[j-c-c-62]

34 years of lashing cars down with nothing but a strap around each tire with ZERO issues and for many years on my open deck 34' it was just that........View attachment 1723645

Until you have a tire lose air pressure

 

[j-c-c-62]

Totally agree. On a street car, I secure the unsprung weight so that the cars' chassis isn't in any sort of bind.

I'll add... if you're hauling a race car some guys like to make the car and trailer one so they're not cycling their shocks. A street car, I like the suspension of the car to be able to do it's thing. First time I didn't the plates went together in the battery from hammering down the road.

Not sure I understand all the logic here. Not sure what real "bind" exists here when securing the sprung weight, the car's springs already carry the cars full weight, and nobody I believe is pulling the suspension all the way down tight against the suspension stops. What "bind"?

And most trailers have suspension that's rated close to the trailered car's weight, so the car no matter how it is strapped is riding on a full suspension, and for the occasional say train track bump, the car still has suspension travel left for some additional movement no matter how its strapped.
For those concerned about overheating or wear and tear on their shocks when car is on an already
suspended trailer, anybody wear out the shocks on a trailered car, ever?
The odd potential sloppy handling over the road that might arise from strapping to a car's unsprung weight would concern me.

 

[Kern Dog]

I grab the rear axle housing with an X pattern. E strip on the front, over the tires, that way the cars suspension can do it's thing. Dadsbee has it right.

The X pattern might make sense to some people until you think about what happens if one strap comes loose. NOW the car want to move to the side still connected. Numerous videos online show what happens when a criss-cross attachment fails and it isn't good.
The 4 strap Fore/aft is safer.
I use straps like these over the control arms and the axle housing:

The suspension can move, the car can bounce. I'm no expert but this has worked for me.

 

[j-c-c-62]

This is my thinking. The forces potentially going forward on a trailer can are much greater than going rearward, ie a panic stop vs a burn out, and most weight is on front axle vs rear.
Meaning I usually cross the fronts, and straight line the rear.
I never depend on tire pressure for any retention.
I prefer to attach at front to sprung frame mounts and to rear axle because above mentioned weight bias.
My suspicion is front might creep around while trailering more than rear, and why my preferece for crossing the front.
I can't make a strong case any other solution is inherently wrong or lacking except for my aversion to inflated tire strapping, which seems to be common in the hobby none the less and few if any reports of straps loosening or dislodging because of flat tires of trailered vehicle.

 

[Cranky]

Tire straps look great but I don’t have the grated tracks in my trailer floor to facilitate using them. There isn’t a lot of breathing room between the side of the trailer and a loaded Challenger to work with to try to install the tire type straps even if I had the grated track. The Magnum has a little more girth than a Challenger too!
I have 2 foldable eyelets in the front of the trailer and 2 toward the back to attach the hooks on my ratchet straps to.
Be packing up Wednesday so no time to make a project out of modifications to the car or trailer to tie down now. I just need safe spots to tie it down as it exists now.
The car got delivered to me in a 24’ enclosed so I know it’s doable! The specs for Magnums show them to be 1" wider than a Challenger, and that spec undoubtedly doesn't include the factory fender flares. I am not looking forward to threading the needle getting the car in and out. The previous owner of the trailer installed a winch in it, but I bought the trailer from his estate, therefore he wasn't around to give me any lessons on how it works. It's a 3500 lb winch which I've been told is marginal for the job, so I had in mind maybe getting a 5000lb winch, which of course I never got around to.

View attachment 1723716

I've been using a 3500 lb winch since the late 70's and still using it without any problems. It didn't like pulling a 69 road runner with 2 flats on the same side of the car though but with the help of a buddy giving it a push once it was on the ramp, it went on the trailer. But, you can double the pulling power of what you have with a simple snatch block pulley. The down side is that will reduce the pulling speed by 1/2....

 

[padam]

Our favorite YouTuber UTG took one of his cars to the track, his minions tied down to the lca and pulled it so tight they screwed up the alignment (or broke something, I don’t remember.

I used to tie the front to the strut rod. Then after I removed the sway bar I loop a padded strap through the holes in the K member. Clip a ratchet strap from those to D ring in the floor.

The rear I use a strap over the axle. Same deal ratchet strap from those to D ring.

Nice and cozy, no room for mice.

 

[Cranky]

I can relate getting under the front of the car.

My trailer is only 20ft inside. So getting my old ars down to tie it down. ....isn't as easy as days past.

If I planned to trailer it more I might consider making up some brackets and bolt them on the front end to make it a little easier / quicker to tie it down.

I really like the lower shock plate brackets on the rear.
And not having to deal with the axle straps back there makes it nice

Transporter us "J" hooks into holes in the frame.

I would not use them excet for very occasional use =
Not ever weeks use.

I would worry about oblong or tearing the frame holes.

I used a 'J' hook like the wreckers use on the front end....hooked it to the back side of the K member. Just had to make sure it wasn't going to come in contact with the oil pan. My race car had a couple of 'eyes' welded to the front side of the K member.

 

[padam]

I see a lot of guys with rings welded on. Extra weight! The horror!

 

[j-c-c-62]

I used a 'J' hook like the wreckers use on the front end....hooked it to the back side of the K member. Just had to make sure it wasn't going to come in contact with the oil pan. My race car had a couple of 'eyes' welded to the front side of the K member.

I frown on any attachment connection that relies on constant tension for restraint, ie a closed locking hook vs and an open hook.
Since with open hooks, proper restraint is dependent on restraint forces in opposite directions, loss of tension in one direction, immediately also causes possible loss of tension in opposite direction allowing open hook to disengage, and vehicle becomes easily completely unrestrained.

 

[Frank Mopar]

3500 lb winch is more then enough. You’re not pulling the car up the side of a mountain.

Strap the front around the k frame, rear around the axle, underneath the brake lines if they in the way.

I don’t cross the straps but some guys do. It’s kinda like asking what kind of oil to use.

I tow my race car in neutral because once it’s in the trailer you can’t reach the shifter and the windows don’t roll down.

Check straps the after 100 miles

Happy trailering!

 

[j-c-c-62]

I see a lot of guys with rings welded on. Extra weight! The horror!

The effective simple laser cut steel eye attachment that mounts to the four-leaf spring U bolts on the rear axle, could easily be cut from Ti, but I can't seem to inspire the seller to offer that option.

Bet he will when somebody else runs with the idea.

 

[Krooser]

Ever notice the holes in the subframe front and rear? Chains and hooks in those holes. Chain binders.
P.S. NICE Satellite !!!!!!

The auto transporters use
nifty little RT Datsun hooks that they insert into those holes then give them a 1/4 turn. The chains fastern to those hooks.

When I was hauling vintage cars in my enclosed trailer I used wheel baskets attached to floor tie down rings.


5/16'' G70 Tow Chain Transport R T Datsun Hook Cluster

 

[MCODECUDA]

I cringe when I think about hauling my circle track car back in the mid ‘80 using two come-a-longs with the car in park. That’s how we all did it back then and never had an issue and we raced two nights a week. I would never think about doing that today.

 

[Krooser]

Transporter us "J" hooks into holes in the frame.

I would not use them excet for very occasional use =
Not ever weeks use.

I would worry about oblong or tearing the frame holes.

The railroads transport cars for thousands of miles over some of the worst rail lines in the world without issues.

Those Mopar frame rails are tough than you think.

 

[XS22J8R]

Strikes me that some degree of overthinking going on. There's more than one way to skin a cat. As far as damage goes when trailering the most common accident I've heard of over the years is in damp conditions and the rear tires starting to spin when driving up the ramp, and then the rear of the car moving sideways and hitting the ramp cables or rear opening of the trailer.
I had one accident during my T/A restoration debacle and one very near miss with trailering that are part of the reason I worry about trailering. While unloading the painted body out of a friends enclosed, the winch let loose. The two of us pushed on the rear of the car to keep it from gaining momentum as it rolled down the ramp, and as I pushed I watched helplessly as the front of the car slowly swung left until the ramp cable contacted the front fender, damaging my new paint job.
And a year or so later after that was fixed and I got the car assembled and running, I had hired another shop to fix a bunch of issues the previous shop screwed up, and do some detailing and such. He brought his rig to pick up the car at my house, and as he was driving the car up the ramp to get it in his enclosed trailer, BANG, half the ramp collapsed due to a ramp hinge failing, rusted or weld failed apparently. Thankfully the car was only about half up the ramp when that happened, another couple feet further up the ramp and the front of my concours restored car would have fell down onto the rear floor of the trailer doing all kinds of damage.
So I have a little PTSD when it comes to trailers!
Well the damn weather forecast for Bowling Green later this week has started to go to hell in a handbasket, probably due to the tropical storm/hurricane Francine pushing up towards Houston right now, so all my efforts trying to get my ducks lined up to trailer a car there might end up being for naught, I am not going to knock myself out trailering a car if the forecast continues to be rainy for Friday and Saturday.

 

[Bird 426]

This has came come up before, I believe over on FABO. I am a retired truck driver, I have hauled almost everything. Don't remember ever having a total strap failure, load shifting, total destruction of equipment and killing several people. Drive accordingly in weather and traffic conditions. We will have to agree to disagree. Look at what you are doing and think it out. Check your load frequently. There is usually more than one way to do it. You do it your way, I will do it my way.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

The X pattern might make sense to some people until you think about what happens if one strap comes loose. NOW the car want to move to the side still connected. Numerous videos online show what happens when a criss-cross attachment fails and it isn't good.
The 4 strap Fore/aft is safer.
I use straps like these over the control arms and the axle housing:

View attachment 1723866

View attachment 1723867

The suspension can move, the car can bounce. I'm no expert but this has worked for me.

View attachment 1723869

View attachment 1723870

View attachment 1723868

I’ve def used this style as well and happy with results

 

[j-c-c-62]

The railroads transport cars for thousands of miles over some of the worst rail lines in the world without issues.

Those Mopar frame rails are tough than you think.

That railroad comparison to this topic IMO is not accurate.
Trains primarily haul brand new cars (brand new tires, new pristine frames) on rails that effectively have no bumps, never make fast or uphill starts, nor panic stops, cars are never near towing car occupants, and worst situation is during rail car make up at low speeds in the rail yards, and likely only experienced a few times when being transported when new.

 

[440 4 speed]

I'll add... if you're hauling a race car some guys like to make the car and trailer one so they're not cycling their shocks. A street car, I like the suspension of the car to be able to do it's thing. First time I didn't the plates went together in the battery from hammering down the road.

I thought you residents of “ THE Province “ heh, heh didn’t have roads like Saskatchewan.

 

[gtx6970]

I used the straight up strap method on the rear of my car this summer. Ckd it after about 200 miles and the car had moved sideways almost 3 inches. It was REAL close to the trailer sidewall.


I crossed them and it never moved again

My method for the front is over axle straps lopped in the K frame. Then chains that are short to the floor D rings ( maybe 2 ft tops from K frame to D ring ) So there is virtually no chance it can walk sideways. The rears are almost 5ft end to end and has a much greater chance of walking sideways.

Thanks, But I'll stick to the way I do it.