Towing advice needed!

[kmsnsx]

I finally broke down and bought a tow vehicle with brake controller, dual axle trailer is on the way. Now I would like to know what you guys use or recommend for towing supplies such as tie downs/straps, tools, etc. I have never tied a car to a trailer before and I would like to know how you guys do it. I have seen people tie thru the wheels, some tie onto tow hooks on the shock mounts, etc. Is there a good place to buy the straps? ANY advice or thoughts are helpful (usually ) I have about 3 weeks until mid-ohio and would like to be ready to roll. Thanks guys!

Kevin

[rsafreno]

I bought my tow straps from Summit racing.
On my other car I had tie downs on the car which were also my tow hooks that I used to tie the car down. If you let the car sit on the trailer release the pressure on the tow straps while it is sitting. I was told it is hard on the springs to keep the pressure on them.
I also welded on extra D rings so I could tie the car down the way I wanted to.
Make sure that your trailer has a spare tire and lug wrench.
As far as tools go I just carried my tool box with tools for the car.

[Steve_D]

Ahhhh. The most dangerous part of the race weekend. Towing.

Here are some random suggestions:

• carry two trailer spares
• come up with some way to remind yourself to check the latch that holds the tongue on the ball every time you tow (ask me how I know)
• don’t cuss the guy who keeps tailgating you - it is your race car (ask me how I know)
• check tire pressures before each tow

I use four 2" ratcheting straps with “snap hook” ends - the kind that clip on to a D-ring and can’t slip off. I use “axle straps” and tie through the wheels in the back and over the control arms in the front. The bolt-on eyelets for the lower rear shock mounts are probably good, too.

Some people advocate forming an X with the straps to keep the load from shifting side-to-side. I believe that tying straight is safer in case one strap lets go for any reason (you don’t then have the other side of the X pulling to the side).

In the rain, the straps will stretch. Tow for a little bit, then tighten the ratchets again. New straps will stretch, too. Wrap the loose end of the strap around the ratchet so they don’t flap and fray.

My trailer has wheel stops that can be adjusted to position the car in the same place every time. Use a bathroom scale and some lumber to create a lever to test the tongue weight (e.g. scale on one side, stack of 2x4s on the other, tongue jack in the middle = double the scale reading to get the tongue weight ~10% of the total trailer weight). I guess that only works if you know what the trailer weight is. Ask the manufacturer or go to a truck stop.

Good luck!

Steve D.

[Fred42]

Steve D wrote:

- come up with some way to remind yourself to check the latch that holds the tongue on the ball every time you tow (ask me how I know)

Personally, I use the big dent and giant scratch in my tailgate to remind me to latch the tongue before I put the car on the trailer.

[Coloradomark]

Get one of those wheel lift jacks (not sure what they are called - you drive the good tire on top of it and it lifts the flat tire on the other axle up enough to change the tire) - as most jacks will fail/strain to lift the weight of a trailer and its cargo.

[Patton]

Get rear tie-down rings that sandwich between the rear shock and the 19mm bolt that holds the shock in place, www.factory3performance.com

RP

[kmsnsx]

I was looking at Mac’s Ultra pack for tie downs. Comes with (4) 8’ Ratchet Straps
(4) Axle Straps
(4) Strap Wraps

[drumbeater]

That Mac’s pack is a good deal. I would have bought that instead of my G-force tie downs had I seen it. Nice to have the carry bag as well.

You can also get most of the stuff at Tractor Supply.

[kmsnsx]

here is the trailer I am considering:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CAR-TRAILER-16FT-UTILITY-FLATBED-ATV-GATOR-TRAILER_W0QQitemZ300323555242QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Trailers?hash=item45ecadc7aa&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A12|39%3A1|72%3A317|240%3A1318

[jonmca]

you want one of these: http://www.traileraid.com/traileraid/taproducts.cfm?SubCategoryId=267

also, always torque the lugs on the trailer before EACH tow, NOT each weekend. They seems to always back off from temperature.

always inflate to the MAX COLD PSI for the trailer tires

be careful when you load and unload the car, open trailer are more likely to move around potentially causing clearance issues with the underside of the race car (don’t ask me how I know).

Get a good set of loading ramps, they are worth their weight in gold.

Make sure you treat that wood so that it lasts. Best option is to cover the portions where your car’s tires will sit with 12x12 sections of diamond plate.

Buy a locking device for the trailer, they are easy to steal.

And finally, make sure you have the proper drop on the hitch ball so that the weight of the trailer is evenly distributed across both axles, driving down the road, you want an even distribution so that you do not overheat one of the axle’s set of tires.

Congrats.

[leggwork]

and check the tongue latch, straps tightness, etc. at the end of any stops in case some JD’s are dicking with it while you’re in eating.
bruce

[jlevie]

Fred42 wrote:

[quote]Steve D wrote:

- come up with some way to remind yourself to check the latch that holds the tongue on the ball every time you tow (ask me how I know)

Personally, I use the big dent and giant scratch in my tailgate to remind me to latch the tongue before I put the car on the trailer. [/quote]
Me three!

[9d3]

How come more guys don’t use the factory tie down points? I always use them in the front, and sometimes on the rear depending on which wheels I have on (one set doesn’t allow a strap through, so I use the factory point). Just curious, I’ll do whatever is safest.

I totally agree with ramps - mine are heavy as hell and wish I’d bought aluminum ones eons ago.

[IndyJim]

Steve D wrote:

[quote]Ahhhh. The most dangerous part of the race weekend. Towing.
Good luck!

Steve D.[/quote]

Is this all stuff that OPM told you to do ‘if’ you ever tow your car somewhere?

Like if they’re unavailable or something? Sort of along the lines of hide in the basement during a tornado?

[Ranger]

Patton wrote:

[quote]Get rear tie-down rings that sandwich between the rear shock and the 19mm bolt that holds the shock in place, www.factory3performance.com

RP[/quote]

+1 for Chuck’s rear tiedowns.

There’s some long threads at BF.c on towing. Lots of good ideas there. The ideas I’d add here are:

1. Some people cross straps and some don’t. I’m in the don’t group. I think that if you cross straps and you lose a strap, the diagonal strap will put undesirable lateral forces on the car.

2. Bolt a chock block on to your trailer to help you park in exactly the same place every time.

3. The tongue weight is serious stuff. The trailer will be scary if you don’t have enough tongue weight. So make an effort to measure it and then keep it in mind anytime you are considering loading your trailer in some out of the ordinary fashion.

4. Put the race car in neutral when you are towing. There’s lots of anecdotal reports of drive train problems that folks decided were related to having their race car in gear on the trailer. E brake on would be good tho.

[SGrace]

A couple of suggestions -
as far as checking and latching the coupler - you should use a pin through with a retainer hoop through the lock hole (Tractor Supply). If you tethered it with a small wire it would always be there when you connect / disconnect and reduce odds of forgetting.

look for hold down straps with the protective sleeve. They will keep your straps from getting frayed if they are in contact with anything on the underside of the car.

Get hooks with snap latches not open hooks

check out this site for some good prices on straps and accessories. Auto Hauler Supply www.autohaulersupply.com

Good luck

[poppy]

These guys have it all and how to do it!

http://www.awdirect.com/recovery-and-tow-straps/

I have eyes on the rear shocks and hook the front straps in the factory tie down holes on the frame rail just back of the front tires, simple and so far no problem.

[Steve_D]

IndyJim wrote:

[quote]Steve D wrote:

[quote]Ahhhh. The most dangerous part of the race weekend. Towing.
Good luck!

Steve D.[/quote]

Is this all stuff that OPM told you to do ‘if’ you ever tow your car somewhere?

Like if they’re unavailable or something? Sort of along the lines of hide in the basement during a tornado?[/quote]

Where do you hide during a tornado? :huh:

I know Billy will back me up on this…

Steve D.

[Carter]

Getting the tongue weight correct is very important. I used the “Bergstrom Method.”

1. You should be able to estimate the total weight of the trailer and car, and anything else you put on the trailer. But using truckstop scales is better of course. I’ll take a wild guess, just for the discussion, and say it’ll be around 4,500 lbs.

2. You then need 450 lbs. on the hitch/tail of the tow vehicle. Have 450 lbs. of friends stand on the rear of the tow vehicle and measure the height of a known part of the tail of the tow vehicle, to the ground directly below it. Write down this measurement.

3. Hook-up the trailer and drive the racecar forward until the tow vehicle tail drops to the measured height.

4. Mark the spot where the racecar is now sitting on the trailer and you will have the correct tongue weight. Put the car in this same spot everytime and you’re good.

If you don’t have enough tongue weight, the trailer will sway and will pull the tow vehicle’s tail from side to side…until you get it stopped. This is very bad and can result in a huge crash, for you and possibly other drivers.

Get the tongue weight correct and you should be able to drive at normal highway speeds very comfortably.

Also, consider a weight distributing hitch. It consists of a larger hitch that locates two longitudinal bars on each side of the hitch, that also attach to the side rails on the front of the trailer. Some people think these are “sway bars” but they really distribute some tongue weight to the front of the tow vehicle by “prying” the trailer hitch upward, which lifts the tongue. This helps maintain proper tongue weight but keeps the rear of the tow vehicle from sagging so much from the tongue weight. You’ll see them on camper trailers.

A weight distributing hitch is expensive but I used one for years and it was a good thing. Normally, they are used on larger/heavier trailers but I towed my race cars on an open steel trailer with a Mazda MPV (the old RWD version rated at 4500 lbs. towing) and it worked great. It also keeps your headlights from aiming up and into other driver’s eyes; and we do tow at night alot. If your tow vehicle can easily handle 450 lbs. of tongue weight (a large SUV or truck), without sagging down, use a standard hitch.

All the other advice here is good, especially the part about having a spare. In 18 years of club racing, I have changed about ten trailer tires on the side of the road. We had one blow on the way home from Summit Point Sunday. It didn’t come apart from low air pressure/overheating; the sidewall blew out.

Good luck and read every post here three times.

Carter

[sneville44]

Apex Performance has a pretty decent price ($87) on a package deal of USA-Made ratchet tie downs plus axle straps:

Here’s the link:

http://www.apexperformance.net/CartGenie/prod-962.htm

Includes 4 tie downs with ratches and 4 axle straps. Made with long lasting, exceptional wearing polyester webbing. Designed for rigorous use.

* Set includes four 8' tie downs with 11,000 # snap hooks & ratchets and four 36"' axle straps with protective sleeves.

* All webbing is black, 2" wide.

* Stiched with heavy-duty bonded thread, handles are solid & strong, springs & s-pins are large to provide a longer service life.

* Web break strength per tie down: 12,000 lb.

* Meets or Exceeds all C.H.P. & D.O.T. Regulations.

* MADE IN THE U.S.A.

* Axle Straps rated at 10,000 lbs. with a working load limit of 3,335 lb.