Towing question
 

What options, do you as a racer, have for strapping down your race car?
The traditional two straps forward and two backwards off the suspension/frame leaves me with concerns of the car's excessive bouncing on our great "maintained" highways.
Larry

Re: Towing question
 

I would contact Larry Hill (he's on here) and talk to him about the results of the changes he made with Dumbo moving around and getting damaged.

I believe he is quite pleased with how the changes made Dumbo ride much better than before.

Re: Towing question
 

Turnbuckles and support under front frame

Re: Towing question
 

When towing straps should be cris-crossed side to side both front and rear that way the towed car can not bounce side to side.

Re: Towing question
 

My trailer D rings are secured with u bolts around the frame rails, so they are 6 feet apart, and set in front of and behind the mounting points on the frame. I made frame loops from Cumins engine lift straps that have about 1.5" holes in them and are bolted to the frame. I can attach ratchet straps quickly and get them reasonably tight.

Re: Towing question
 

I've always done that, too. But then someone mentioned that if one strap breaks or loosens, the car can go sideways.

Re: Towing question
 

You really can't cross ratchet straps without them wearing and fraying against each other .
Need to have sleeves made that slip on or wrap around with velcro fasteners, for where they cross.
Still, it seems every time I stop, I've got to click the rear straps another notch.I think the longer they are , the more they stretch.
Thinking about going back to chains in the rear.

Re: Towing question
 

I picked up my freshly painted car about 2 weeks ago and traveled about 300 miles. When I opened the trailer door, the mounts for my spare slicks were so loose they almost fell onto the rear quarter panels. The spare tire was also loose. I have nice slick and spare tire mounts. All were tight before I left. The roads are horrendous. Tie everything down and check frequently.

Re: Towing question
 

Had a set of slick mounts, I drilled a small hole and added a pin so it could not back off

Re: Towing question
 

I towed for years with straps crisscrossed an never had the wear problem.

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Ever notice no one has a problem....until they do? I use 4 straps not crossed, all have safety style hooks fronts don't have ratchets only the back.
I have seen someone open the trailer door to find their car against one wall because 1 strap failed. OP is correct about the rough roads and the car bouncing. Slicks have a lot of give so for insurance I'll pump my tires up a little high before loading. If going any distance I'll stop and check my straps and tighten the ratchets. I used the D part of weld on D rings and welded them onto the car to tie down with.

Re: Towing question
 

Than you racers for your ideas..

It's not so much as the car moving side to side, but more of the suspension loading and unloading while strapped down. I am pulling the car's front forward and the rear backwards with the total of 4 straps.
My concern is the shocks and leaf springs.

I have heard horror stories of broken leaf springs because of the suspension is still going up and down. Can you explain more of the turn buckle and block idea Glenn?

Re: Towing question
 

I used a railroad tie piece of wood under my front crossmember. The turnbuckles hook into the frame and pulled down against the railroad tie. The frame will have 2 areas that the factory uses when transporting vehicles from the factory to the dealers. I haven't used any wood under the rear suspension as of yet. You can use chains with the turnbuckles if that helps. If you want pics send me your email. And yes it's a learning curve when you have to always travel the roads thru NYC.

Re: Towing question
 

I add air to all four tires, cross ratchet straps and tighten my shocks full tight. Also balance trailer tires. Big difference. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

Re: Towing question
 

I cross the back straps and the fronts. I put the car in the trailer at running air pressure. I then add air to the slicks to a count of 15 to 20. The last thing is to snug the winch cable and I am done. Car has never moved. My typical tows are several hundred miles and my long ones are 1,000 to 1,500 miles.

Re: Towing question
 

If you tie your car down at the rear axle housing, try touching your shocks on the car after towing for an hour or so. The shocks are very hot. I don't know how this affects the life of the shocks or their function but I don't think it can be a good thing.
Years ago several of us stocker guys with open trailers left Bowling Green for Indy together. I couldn't believe how much the race cars were bouncing on the trailers.
I often wondered why car trailers don't have shocks.

Re: Towing question
 

On my Camaro I use “t” hooks that hook in the side of the subframe and in the rear I drilled a hole in the bottom of the frame rail and use a miniature “J” hook. I drilled the hole probably a foot from the rear valance.I can hook it while standing up and it doesn’t budge going down the road.

Re: Towing question
 

Have heard of door car using a chassis bladder under the front sub frame. after the car is fully strapped down then use place the bladder and pump it up to help keep it from bouncing in the front end I would think you have to be careful not to over load the bladder due to strap pressures could be hard on tie downs in trailer floor and frame of car.

Re: Towing question
 

This summer I left the track for home and 22 miles later I felt a bump from the rear when I stopped for a stop sign. A couple blocks more and another bump and stop. Decided to look into trailer and all 4 straps were broke. I know they were tight when I left the track. The front straps from the outside into the center of the front crossmember under the engine and the rear ones were one on each side from the axle straight back. The winches were both in front with no adjustment at the rear. I can’t figure out how all 4 could break but it happened.
I don’t have a solution but I bought very high quality straps to replace the destroyed ones. All the straps broke where strap is looped around her hook and sewed together. The sowing thread is what broke.

Re: Towing question
 

We have been building and selling trailers for 30 years or
more. I have seen a real quality difference between straps
that are rated the same breaking weight.
Some of the stuff at harbor Freight and the swap meets scare
me.
Be sure you D Rings are heavy enough and plated and welded
to crossmembers securely. I have seen trailers that I would not trust
my Grandkids bicycles on.

Re: Towing question
 

When my Dad ran s/c in the 90's with a hardtail dragster, he welded some angle plate on the lift pad of a GM scissor jack. The kind that came with every car back then. Glued some plush carpet on the parts that touched chassis crossbars and voila. He had learned that Eddie Hill could get more years out of his T/F cars and that Eddie attributed to how we secured the car in the trailer. Approached Eddie at the Springnationals one year asking about what he did. Eddie took my Dad in his rig and showed him his whole setup. Class act. I am going to setup a scissor jack for under the cross member in our Chevelle this winter. Something for the rear frame rails as well. We have high quality Mac tie-downs and spent a lot of time on properly mounting our d-rings. Our straps still like to loosen up unless I give them the gorilla ratchet job and make them banjo tight.