tie downs

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racyroy1

racyroy1

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I'm a guessing that this would be the place for my question, since this is the racing forum and a lot of racers trailer their cars to the track.

Where do you guys put you hooks/holddowns on your cars, have you welded on some eyes onto the k member, do you use strap baskets over the tires or just what??

I have a trailer and a low sitting car that has to be strapped down and it was a b**ch to strap it down. So I'm looking for some experienced racers to let me know the best way to tie that hot rod down.

thanks

kevin
 
have a 18 foot trailer & I have many ways to strap a car down.I use the baskets over the tires on my Dart because I have plenty of room to get all around the tires.I also have streight ratchet straps with hooks in both ends,also I have 4 large hooks w/about 2 feet of chain that I hook around the rear axle tubes and through the large hole in k-member .I use binders with these.Hope this helps...........Jeff
 
For the front I use the straps with hooks for the front, just hook them into the holes under the kmember. For the back I welded a plate on the rear of the unibody frame (inline with my frame connectors) and welded a D ring that moves front to back so I can easily hook straps to that and cinch it down. Works great.
 
Don't have a race car now, but on my old Dart Super Street car I had a winch pull tab welded on the front of the K-member and two tiedown loops welded on each rear frame rail behind the slicks (back-halved car).
I'd winch the car onto my trailer against the front tire stops, then crosstie the back of the car to opposite sides of the trailer with tiedowns.
Trailer towed great and the car never budged.
Although the trailer was open, I had a large storage box built across the front of the trailer that also acted as a windbreak/streamliner with lights shining back onto the trailer to make it easy to load at night. Also had an electrical pigtail that I'd plug into the front of the car - it operated the race car tail lights the same as the trailer brake/turn signal lights. Never had a problem with other drivers not being able to tell when I was stopping or turning with both the tow truck tail lights, trailer tail lights, and race car tail lights all lighting up in unison.
 
I take a 3/8s chan cut four links for each side and weld them to the pads were the Ubolts for the rear go threw then hook my ratcht strap to them and (X) cross them to the back of the traler.and the front I get a 1/2 or 3/4inch.ring and weld the the front and do the straps the same as the back make them as tite as you can get them and theres know way it will come off....
 
I've never welded anything onto the cars I've towed on trailers. I've always used long rachet straps with hooks on both ends. On the front I would loop the strap through the K-frame and attach the hooks on the strap to loops on the trailer. On the rear I would loop the strap around the rearend and attach the hooks on the strap to the loops on the trailer.
 
Speaking as a professional new car hauler, crosstieing will get you in trouble if 1 of the chains/straps get loose or breaks.
Then the other strap will pull the car to one side which will lose the tension on that strap and the whole end of the car will be loose.
When you tie it down, make sure the straps are almost straight with the car. That way if 1 comes loose, the car can only move sideways just a small bit before the other chain will swing around and tighten up.

I have been towing/hauling cars since 1970 so I do speak from experience.
I can post some pictures tomorrow of how we do it and also the results of not doing it correctly.


My trailer
DSCN0867.jpg


DSCN0864.jpg
 
If it's a nice car, use wheel straps. They tie through the wheel....mine are wrapped in a thick fleece material. Mac's custom tie downs
 
I'm listening and gleaning a little from each of you. I have a 16 ft trailer with a 8000 winch and a job box welded to the front, I just put a new deck on it and I plan on laying down 2 2x12s on each side to raise the car above the fenders which i've seen done successfully. I like the winch idea but i want to drive the car up whenever possible (it's seems quicker) and use the winch when i break (cause i know i'm gonna be there a time or two). I can see the chain link idea working without a problem. I will have tire stops for sure and i'm definitely going with a four point tie down.

I want a quick tie down method for sure. I'm thinking the metal hooks over the rear axle is quick, if the front could be done in precut lengths of chain long enough to attach and then roll back off the tire stops a few inches when you tighten things down with the back adjusters?

let me know if this is nuts or not...
 
rjsjea said:
If it's a nice car, use wheel straps. They tie through the wheel....mine are wrapped in a thick fleece material. Mac's custom tie downs
Click to expand...


not nice yet,,,,,just getting it going,,,,, function over form for now says the budget but the wheel straps are on my mind...

72 scamp hollowed out, 340 medium built, polished and ported j heads 10.5-1. I was told the 340 was the 300 horse version,,, kinda doubt it though, plus now it really doesn't matter.
 
each strap should be at least the strength of the weight of your hotrod. strap them to the frame of your car so that the suspension is not working while you tow. yellowdartdave has a great idea about not cross strapping also but is not the perfered method for most. if the trailer moves around while you are towing move the hotrod forward a tad until it stops and mark the trailer where the front tires are or install a stop.
 
Like Bob said.. Use the best straps you can get. Not the cheapies. Mine have a 3500lbs each rating and are designed to tie a car down. My open deck trailer has D rings inset in the deck (full deck). I also dont cross straps for ther reasons metioned (racer friend told me that years ago). I have smaller straps that go around the axle tubes for the rear, and then the front stras go around the K frame. I hate using the tires or A arms as the engine's inertia makes the car bounce on the suspension. So I tie it down and pull the nose down and it doesnt bounce. I've jack-knifed and slid of the highway before with no slippage of the car on the trailer.
 
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