strapping the car down

[dazzlesa]

since i can not crawl under the car in front, how do i strap the front of the car down?

[Team SSR]

How confident are you in your tow hook?

[mbuskuhl]

I use an axle strap on each front wheel like this http://www.truckntow.com/pc-11613-146907-axle-strap-w-d-rings-wearpad.aspx and then my ratchet strap attached to the 2 "D" hooks.

Someone's probably going to tell me it's a bad idea but I have no issues with it and it doesn't knock the alignment out of spec either.

[raffaelli]

I use a 2” ratcheting 10000# strap (Home Depot, $15) on each of the front OE tow hooks to a D ring on the front of the trailer. On the rear, I do the same thing except around the lower arms.

My plan is to make the front straps a fixed length and only ratchet the rear (Dick, thanks for the idea). Cuts down half my work and keeps the car in the same spot every time.

[trhoppe]

My plan is to make the front straps a fixed length and only ratchet the rear (Dick, thanks for the idea). Cuts down half my work and keeps the car in the same spot every time.

Kind of makes it a pain in the butt pulling off the trailer, as you have to move the car forward before you remove the front straps.

-Tom

[ITC Racer]

I have a similar setup with two fixed length straps on the front of the car which get attached first and then I pull the car back with the ratchet straps. Works well and allows me to quickly get the car positioned properly. The drawback is that very seldom is the car in the exact center of the trailer (width) so I always have one front strap that is tight and one that is slightly loose. Never been a problem but not ideal..

[raffaelli]

Kind of makes it a pain in the butt pulling off the trailer, as you have to move the car forward before you remove the front straps.

-Tom


I find pushing the car an inch or two is alot easier than monkeying around with two more ratchets and a balance spot.

[joeg]

Tow hooks are strong on the Hondas.

[keycom]

My plan is to make the front straps a fixed length and only ratchet the rear (Dick, thanks for the idea). Cuts down half my work and keeps the car in the same spot every time.

I use the same straps in front but the ratchet is welded to the frame. One end of the strap is fed through the front wheel (this is on both wheels) and both ends of the strap are then fed through the ratchet and tightened down.

The rear is secured with a fixed length chain (although it's adjustable if needed). On severe stops or emergencies maneuvers the chain will prevent the race car from moving forward. No possibility of straps coming undone or a broken ratchet.

(Lael, thanks for the idea and quality build.)

[CDS]

I have a similar setup with two fixed length straps on the front of the car which get attached first and then I pull the car back with the ratchet straps. Works well and allows me to quickly get the car positioned properly. The drawback is that very seldom is the car in the exact center of the trailer (width) so I always have one front strap that is tight and one that is slightly loose. Never been a problem but not ideal..
That's exactly what I do, except my front straps are chains. My car is light, never had a problem.

[ddewhurst]

Using one OEM tow loop front and rear I use a fixed lenght chain at the rear. Pin and clevis at the OEM rear tow loop and chain hook around 2 x 2 x 1/4 trailer angle iron open trailer. At the front I use a pin and clevis at the OEM tow loop with a logers over center lever with a chain hook around a 2 x 2 x 1/4 angle iron. By tightening down with the tow loops the suspension is taken out of the equation which I believe is a good thing. Less shock and spring movement. The chains have NEVER been found loose and the car has never moved in any direction while on the trailer.:cool:

[RacerBill]

+1 fixed straps in front, around lower a-arm right against the point where they are mounted to the frame (not the wheel end). Axle strap around the solid beam rear axle to a ratchet. All straps clip to individual D-rings. Trailer has ramps for wheels and has no deck, so getting under to attach straps is not an issue.

[keycom]

Using one OEM tow loop front and rear . . .:cool:

State law (not sure about Federal DOT) here requires FOUR load securement points.

But whatever method you use, be sure you at least meet the letter of the law.:023:

[x-ring]

I use a 2” ratcheting 10000# strap (Home Depot, $15) on each of the front OE tow hooks to a D ring on the front of the trailer. On the rear, I do the same thing ...

Are those the yellow nylon straps? I'd be careful with those, if they are the ones I'm thinking of, the kind truckers use to strap loads down to a flatbed.

There are two problems with that kind of strap. The hook doesn't have a safety catch, so if the strap goes slack for a moment the hook can fall off your car or out of the D-ring. Second, although the UTS of those nylon straps is plenty high, they will stretch more than real polyester car straps.

How do I know this? I used to use those (yes, from H-D) at all four corners of my car. Years ago I was towing up a rural highway near my house. A vehicle entered the highway in front of me, going realllly slow (not uncommon in a farming area), and I had to get hard into the brakes. The rear straps stretched enough to allow the front straps to unhook. When I released the brakes the car rolled backwards and the car's rear wheels fell off the trailer. Fortunately the car stopped there, instead of completely leaving me, crossing the double yellow and hitting a minivan head on (which is what went through my mind afterward).

Now I use three real car straps (like this: http://www.mrproducts.com/index.php?cat=(Auto)%20Ratchet%20Straps ) and one 3/8" chain. The chain has a lower UTS than the straps, but it won't stretch.

FWIW

[tom_sprecher]

I use four 3500# working, 10,000 capacity rachet straps from Northern http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21895_21895 with the hooks and clasps on four D-rings in the floor. The front ones attach to the "radius rods" in each corner and the rears to the lower shock mounts. Never had anything get loose and the car is in the perfect spot everytime no matter where it is.

[ddewhurst]

***State law (not sure about Federal DOT) here requires FOUR load securement points.***

Good point, will look at state laws. I have thought about one chain front & one chain rear many times & said to myself, hmmmm. As I'm typing I remembered the time I was towing at black night to Blackhawk Farms, stoped by a state troper because the two chains from the trailer to the truck were sparking. He looked at the car tie down & said every thing else looked ok. Hmmmm:shrug: I'll add an extra locked chain just to make sure if either of the others let go the car stays on the trailer. Thanks ;)

[slowautoxr]

So should the straps be crossed or not? Currently I'm not crossing the fronts only because it's easier for me.

[Greg Amy]

Sweet! The thread is EXACTLY two years old today! Great timing.

[slowautoxr]

Does that make a difference? Instead of starting a new thread I thought I'd post in an existing thread that was applicable.

[shwah]

It doesn't matter. Just a fun coincidence.

I cross mine. I like having the straps on enough angle to resist side to side and front to back.

The VWs have some nice slots/hooks in the unibody that are used for train/truck transport, and I just use those to tie down. Sort of tough to reach, but dead rock solid. I would imagine most cars have something like this designed into them.

[slowautoxr]

The front of the RX-7 has tie down points I use. The rears would be nice to use but they're literally at the back edge of the trailer. So I use the lower control arms at the axle and cross the straps. I've never really cared to hook up that way on the back but I really can't figure out a better one.

[lateapex911]

Crossing straps is a risky idea. if one of the cross straps loosens or fails, now the car will move to the remaining strap. Simple geometry will predict what happens next, and it's not good.

If the straps are pulled straight back, they have to lengthen to allow any other position of the car, so a failure isn't as big a deal.

The anal guys do both, of course.

[GKR_17]

Crossing also multiplies the load in the strap, could easily be two or three times the load depending on how steep the angle is.

[DaveITB1]

The U-Haul trailers only secure the front tires and have a chain in the rear Has anyone been pulled over due to this set-up?


***State law (not sure about Federal DOT) here requires FOUR load securement points.***

Good point, will look at state laws. I have thought about one chain front & one chain rear many times & said to myself, hmmmm. As I'm typing I remembered the time I was towing at black night to Blackhawk Farms, stoped by a state troper because the two chains from the trailer to the truck were sparking. He looked at the car tie down & said every thing else looked ok. Hmmmm:shrug: I'll add an extra locked chain just to make sure if either of the others let go the car stays on the trailer. Thanks ;)

[Sandro]

I don't cross my straps for the same reason as Jake mentioned.

Similar discussion here a few weeks ago:
http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?t=28282&highlight=straps

[Andy Bettencourt]

Textbook method: Cross the fronts and straight back on the rear.

Crossed fronts give you the side to side you should have and straight rears give you the strength under braking or in a crash.

[billf]

Having straight straps in the front will allow the front to move sideways, due to the fact that the straps form a parallelogram. Crossed straps do not allow side to side movement.

Since the greatest shock to the tie-down system would be a front impact (tow vehicle and tralier), I want the strongest hold keeping the car from moving forward (acceleration forces are much smaller). I use chains in the rear, pre-set for length, and pull the car forward to its final position. I want the system to make the car and trailer as one, not the car bouncing on the bed of the trailer. Saves shocks, and provides better control of the mass of the trailer. Example is commercial car haulers...cinch the dam thing right down on its springs.

My opinion.

Bill

[Lael Cleland]

I have recently changed my method a little..... I use one long 10000lb chain in the rear, I have 2 channels to run the chain threw, so if it ain't quite straight on the trailer, the will still have equal tension.... I also put some 1x2 chunks of wood on the trailer in a place that will let me know that its forward enough to hook up the chains, it keeps the car from rolling back also......
Front is like Keycom's, welded ratchets in line with tow hooks, there is only 2 straps to loose! I am thinking about running a safety chain in the front, just in case......