How are you tieing down your car in your enclosed trailer

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Whether the vehicle tie downs are crossed or uncrossed doesn’t matter when it comes to load shifting.. If one side breaks, the other side can become slack. It’s just which way that changes.

I like crossed since there’s less loading per unit length of strap/chain than with uncrossed. A longer strap experiences less strain per inch than a shorter one. Crossed straps are inherently longer and therefore experience less load per length.

That said, they can stretch more too...which is why if they are straps rather than chains, they need to be checked for correct tension frequently while traveling to make sure they haven’t stretched and become loose.
 
rod7515 said:
Dfr360cuda,
You are correct on the safety chains for the hitch.
I think that 67dart273 was meaning the tie downs for the car on the trailer when he referred to the "cross" binding of the vehicles when being towed.
I was always told the same thing as well, so today I spent a lot of time and could find anything written that says its the law. I did find an article in a Hagerty insurance page that talks about tying down your car. Her is the page I found. It refers to the tie down can be done in either manner and then the picture they put in the article has them cross binded. I plan on asking my neice who is a PA state trooper if there is any documentation of what the law is here. When I do I will certainly post.

Here is the part of the Hagerty page:

"By tying down the chassis, the car floats down the road as it is supposed to. You can cross the ratchet straps or keep them straight. Wrap the axle strap around the axle housing in the rear, and then use the ratchet straps to increase tension. Up front, wrap the axle strap around something that won’t cut the strap – like an A-arm, chassis rail or solid front axle – and use the ratchet straps to finish tying the car down. Be careful not to secure the straps around the sway bars, steering arms or the steering rack. When positioning the straps, make sure that no brake or oil lines are crushed."
The pic that is part of the article didnt copy over.
Maybe there is someone else that can help shed some light on this.
Rod
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Yes, I understood he meant tie downs.
I was looking around the wide world web and found that. The tie downs, I didn't find anything but opinions. I do remember when I used a U Haul trailer it didn't have anything other than the basket straps and they didn't recommend straps on the rear.
I did however put my own straps on the rear. Can't remember which way.
 
Ddaddy said:
Whether the vehicle tie downs are crossed or uncrossed doesn’t matter when it comes to load shifting.. If one side breaks, the other side can become slack. It’s just which way that changes.

I like crossed since there’s less loading per unit length of strap/chain than with uncrossed. A longer strap experiences less strain per inch than a shorter one. Crossed straps are inherently longer and therefore experience less load per length.

That said, they can stretch more too...which is why if they are straps rather than chains, they need to be checked for correct tension frequently while traveling to make sure they haven’t stretched and become loose.
Click to expand...

Here's the thing.......I've had guys even claim that "it's the law" (to cross ties) and I've never seen anything says so.

If you strap/ bind them inline or close to that front to rear, and either front or either rear comes loose, then the other three will hold things tight It cannot move front to rear, and with relatively short chains, there's not enough radius for it to walk one way or other

But if you cross them, as on the rear, and one rear comes loose/ breaks, not only can the car walk sideways, but there's enough radius if that's the word---to allow the strap/ chain to "swing" and allow the fronts to walk the car forward or backwards. This happened to a friend of mine, and while it did not do a LOT of damage, it did damage the car as it hit the fenders on the trailer.
 
Ddaddy said:
I like crossed since there’s less loading per unit length of strap/chain than with uncrossed. A longer strap experiences less strain per inch than a shorter one. Crossed straps are inherently longer and therefore experience less load per length.
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I know you won't like to hear this, but that is incorrect. The force is constant throughout the whole length, regardless of the length. There is no such things as load-spreading along a lengthwise support, loaded at the ends. (1st semester mechanical engineering.)

And if you have both straps or chains straight back, if one breaks, then the other cannot become slack if the restraints at the other end are tight. Del has it 100% right.
 
nm9stheham said:
I know you won't like to hear this, but that is incorrect. The force is constant throughout the whole length, regardless of the length. There is no such things as load-spreading along a lengthwise support, loaded at the ends. (1st semester mechanical engineering.)

And if you have both straps or chains straight back, if one breaks, then the other cannot become slack if the restraints at the other end are tight. Del has it 100% right.
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That assumes a rigid (no stretch) attachment like a chain or a bar. Straps are not rigid and have stretch. Therefore, they spread the load as the strap stretches with acute load changes and return to original tension if they have appropriate elasticity.
 
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1/2 the time I am a lazy, just winch the car on the trailer, wrap a chain around the rear axle, and tighten the winch and go.
Mostly just parts cars, because after fighting them to get them on the trailer, I just want to go home.
I do watch the mirrors like a hawk on the way home, to look for movement, and check all tightness anytime I stop.
I have not lost one yet, once in a while the winch cable will get a little slack. But most hauls are short distance, that I pick up local.
 
I put in E-Track and use bonnets on all four tires. Snap-in turtle straps. All the D-rings are unused. I feel better using these!

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Got the whole kit from E-trailer and just got the grade 8 bolts, nylock nuts and washers from Tractor Supply (best place for bulk hardware) and all fasteners for the E-track go through the frames rails.
 
Ddaddy said:
That assumes a rigid (no stretch) attachment like a chain or a bar. Straps are not rigid and have stretch. Therefore, they spread the load as the strap stretches with acute load changes and return to original tension if they have appropriate elasticity.
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The force is constant from one end to the other and does not 'spread' or change versus length. Nor does the strain change IF the same force is achieved on the strap. If you think that you are getting less force on the longer strap, it is not due to any 'spreading' but due to putting less force on it period!

Stretch appears to be being confused with force and strain here. The stretch is the accumulated length changes due to the strain. If the same force and thus strain is achieved, then the stretch will be longer on the longer strap. Conversely, if the longer strap is stretched the same physical amount as a shorter strap, that is ONLY because a lower force and thus a lower strain is being applied.

BTW, the same applies for straps and bars and chains; they all have strain and stretch.
 
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sireland67 said:
1/2 the time I am a lazy, just winch the car on the trailer, wrap a chain around the rear axle, and tighten the winch and go.
Mostly just parts cars, because after fighting them to get them on the trailer, I just want to go home.
I do watch the mirrors like a hawk on the way home, to look for movement, and check all tightness anytime I stop.
I have not lost one yet, once in a while the winch cable will get a little slack. But most hauls are short distance, that I pick up local.
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I always use 1 or 2 chains around the rear axle too, and 2 come-alongs on the front. My tows are often 500-1000 miles each way. I want the car and trailer to stay together in a wreck, rather than the car coming at me through the back of the truck.

Just my IMHO, too many guys here are thinking just of keeping the car from moving around in normal driving and not thinking about emergencies. D rings are gonna rip right out of the floor of most trailers in a wreck.
 
nm9stheham said:
The force is constant from one end to the other and does not 'spread' or change versus length. Nor does the strain change IF the same force is achieved on the strap. If you think that you are getting less force on the longer strap, it is not due to any 'spreading' but due to putting less force on it period!

Stretch appears to be being confused with force and strain here. The stretch is the accumulated length changes due to the strain. If the same force and thus strain is achieved, then the stretch will be longer on the longer strap. Conversely, if the longer strap is stretched the same physical amount as a shorter strap, that is ONLY because a lower force and thus a lower strain is being applied.

BTW, the same applies for straps and bars and chains; they all have strain and stretch.
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But the force of inertia in not constant, it is dynamic. That is where stretch comes into play.
 
Last November...a racer came to Vegas from Idaho....they put the car in the enclosed trailer...put it in park and pull parking brake......they said car never moved...and went home the same way...
 
70aarcuda said:
Last November...a racer came to Vegas from Idaho....they put the car in the enclosed trailer...put it in park and pull parking brake......they said car never moved...and went home the same way...
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That just sounds stupid to me. My luck would be to open the tail and see the car upside down!
 
67Dart273 said:
Here's the thing.......I've had guys even claim that "it's the law" (to cross ties) and I've never seen anything says so.
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Here in PA, the safety chains for the trailer tongue have to cross.

Not the tie down straps.
 
Bad Cuda said:
This is the same kit I bought. Really stout, no worries about stretching or loosening. I bought the direct hook option to get the ratchet closer to the bed of the trailer. Made in USA!! Great quality... and no, I don't work there...
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I did too. Awesome to have the ratchet right on the D ring & not under the car, no more banged knuckles or scratched valance paint.
 
It was a member here making and selling them. Look at post number 7 in this thread. This is who I bought them from. Work great!!
 
ZMan67S said:
It was a member here making and selling them. Look at post number 7 in this thread. This is who I bought them from. Work great!!
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Yah I found the post on BBodies only but couldn't contact him there. I found a member of the same name here and sent him a message but haven't heard anything.
 
Nobody has had their car sideshift when going down a crowned road. Cross ties prevent this.
 
If the straps are crossed then the D-rings in the floor get side loaded. It can also could side load parts of the strap or however the strap is attached to the car.
 
Ddaddy said:
Whether the vehicle tie downs are crossed or uncrossed doesn’t matter when it comes to load shifting.. If one side breaks, the other side can become slack. It’s just which way that changes.
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Disagree especially depending on the situation. If you have fairly short front/ rear ties, and one breaks, the load cannot shift very far simply because the straps/ chains are so short. But long crossed chains can do anything, an JUST ONE TIE can completely release any effective tie

Picture this..........Car is strapped crossed front and rear. One strap, front or rear becomes broke/ loose, whatever. The remaining strap can allow the load to "waltz" to one side which causes slack, and THEN it can move forward--in the case of a loose rear tie, and THEN the two crossed front ones don't have any control, front/rear/ side/ side.

You want SHORT ties front to rear. You could break one or two on one side, and the remaining two would prevent front / rear as well as excessive side-side movement.
 
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