Tie down eyes

[Ralf]

Just got myself a new trailer and have been researching the best way to tie down the race car and came across these tie down eyes. The sites that I found are mainly for Porsche cars but wonder if anybody has used some on their VW's? They have different configurations and angles, and I wonder which one fits best on our cars. Here are a couple of links in case you don't know what I'm talking about.
http://www.rennline.com/Rennline-Tie-Downs-set-of-2/productinfo/E04/

http://www.rennenmetal.com/products.asp?id=3

Looks like Rennenmetal ones are quite a bit cheaper, but not angled.

[EV]

Just about every street vehicle has tie down points to chain a car down while being delivered to the dealership. There are various frame holes put there for this very purpose. I use two of these on the rear of my car, http://www.awdirect.com/ba-grade-70-hook-cluster-w-single-forged-mini-j-hook-117jl/hooks/ and those same factory points in the front, but without the mentioned hook as they are accessible directly.

You can also get this cluster http://www.awdirect.com/grade-70-forged-mini-j-hook-t-hook-11-7gh/hooks/ with the "T" hook that fits into the oval frame holes and is less likely to fall out if the strap gets loose.

[Ralf]

Saw those also but for ease of attachment, I think I like the tie down eyes. Last year I was using a friends trailer and used the axle straps to wrap around the beam and that was a pain in the butt because of where the vehicle is parked on the trailer and where the trailer fenders were. I believe the J-hook location would be forward of the axle beam and therefore more difficult to hook into.
The front straps are hooked into the factory tie down eyes and they pretty much control body movement.

[shwah]

I grab the train tie down points just in front of the rear beam bushings - 2" slots on the bottom face of the car, and at the back of the front subframe - the "ears" that hang down right there, and cross the straps.

Holds things really really well.

[EV]

I grab the train tie down points just in front of the rear beam bushings - 2" slots on the bottom face of the car, and at the back of the front subframe - the "ears" that hang down right there, and cross the straps.

Holds things really really well.
Why do you cross them? Just curious...

[Lael Cleland]

On the last few trailers I have built, I have been using one long chain welded, some pipe in the rear of the trailer for it to go threw, 2 chains is a PTA, Eye let on the shock mounts would be nice, we just hook them to the beam. There is a 1x2 that the front wheel goes over placed so you know when to attach the chains, also holds the car if your by yer self. The front I weld the ratchet's to the trailer, in line with factory hooks, But hooks from rennlist on the C-arm bolt would be very nice....
There is only 2 straps too loose.... I think the best angle of the straps is a 45 or less? closer they are to the bed of the trailer the more front to back movement is taken away, the higher they are, the more they pull the car down, happy medium....
When you cross the straps, it takes side to side movement completely away...

I am not an engineer, when it comes to safety, check out DOT....

[shwah]

Why do you cross them? Just curious...
Two reasons.
1. I can't route the straps straight from the D rings on the side of the trailer to the attachment points unless I cross them.
2. It holds the car side to side pretty well.

[JoshS]

I cross mine too (not a VW) but ... the problem with crossing is that if you lose one strap, the other one at that end will pull the car to one side of the trailer as it bounces along, slackening that remaining one and then you only have one end of the car tied down, allowing it to now move fore or aft.

But due to the inability to route straight, and the use of T-hooks requiring lateral tension to stay in place, there's not much choice. Just check them every stop.

[shwah]

I cross mine too (not a VW) but ... the problem with crossing is that if you lose one strap, the other one at that end will pull the car to one side of the trailer as it bounces along, slackening that remaining one and then you only have one end of the car tied down, allowing it to now move fore or aft.

But due to the inability to route straight, and the use of T-hooks requiring lateral tension to stay in place, there's not much choice. Just check them every stop.:023:

What he said is what we should all do, regardless of how stuff is routed.

[EV]

Two reasons.
1. I can't route the straps straight from the D rings on the side of the trailer to the attachment points unless I cross them.
2. It holds the car side to side pretty well.
Okay... Lots of people believe that crossing straps IS the way to go. My theory is unless you have to (your case), don't. My reasoning is, if one strap was to break/come loose, the cross tension from the other strap would pull the car to the side and cause it too to get loose.

I have never noticed any side movement in a car on a trailer and always strap as straight as the set up will allow.

YMMV