When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Headed up to Lake George NY with the 68 for the annual giant azz car show Sept 10th -12th. Anyone else?
Need advice from seasoned haulers on the best way to secure it to the trailer.
Does anyone have experience with a bever tail wood deck with 2x3 pockets on the side rails say for putting wood sides on it?
The trailer is an HD dual axle wood deck beavertail with the pull-out ramps, brakes, and 2 5/16" ball.
The tie-down pockets along the outside of the frame are about 2x3" spaced every 36"
We did a dry run on the trailer with the wire end ratchet straps. Those worry me as they just don't have the right geometry for the pockets. Flat style hook ends will. I can just see one of the wire ends popping off....you know they will bounce off the body.
I'm going over the front lower control arm between the sway bar link and spring. This will keep it away from the BJ boot.
At the rear, I'm going over the axle between the e-brake cable and the lower control arm.
I need ideas on how or what type of padding to put between the strap web and the control arms. Can't find the ratchet strap sleeves?
1. to prevent paint abrasion.
2. to prevent web chafe.
Please share your experience. I have never trailered this car so I want no mistakes. Might just drive the damn thing.
1. Make sure you have "softeners" where the webbing goes over edges like stake pocket corners. Cheap leather gloves work well.
2. I like to tie down the body also to keep it from "bobbing" around on the suspension thats tied down to the trailer.
3. Drive a few miles and then pull over to check strap tension to see if something loosened up. Do this a couple times. If the straps are loosening up, you want to know which ones and why.
4. And make sure you have enough tongue weight on the hitch and the ball is not to high. Going down a hill with no power applied can cause the rear of the tow vehicle to "wiggle" (side to side). This is a very spooky feeling and the trailer is choosing the direction it wants to go.
Others will chime in with good wisdom. Good luck.
Summit Racing 29-0012 Summit Racing® Vehicle Tie-Downs and Axle Strap Pro Packs | Summit Racing
There are many different opinions on how to tie a car down. This video on Summit Racing talks about some of the important things to remember.
More opinions in this search tutorial on tying your car down when hauling it on a trailer - Bing
I tie cars down below the suspension, I agree with your post, you say you want to tie your car down by the rear axle and the lower "A" frames (control arms) in the front. Tying below suspension allows the car to ride safely without the straps having the added stress of the bounce going down the road to pull against the straps.
I make sure my straps make 2 full turns around the ratchet spool to ensure it does not work loose. I have never had one come loose.
However, 20 years ago, I took a friends car to a show/swap/car event called "Charlotte Auto Fair" held twice a year at the race track in Charlotte NC. I took my truck and trailer to his house and he loaded his car on my trailer and used my tiedowns to secure his car to the trailer. I assumed he knew what he was doing, he owned a body shop and was a "car guy", but I was mistaken. I drove my car to his house in the wee hours of the morning, briefly looked to see the car had been tied down, and got into the truck and headed out. I got about 75 miles, I was on the WV Turnpike, pulling out of a toll booth, still pitch dark well before daylight, a PU truck pulls along side of me, turned his interior lights on so I could see him, and honks, waves, got my attention and motions toward the trailer. I got the message and pulled over. My friend who tied his car down on my trailer had failed to make sure the ratchet had made the needed 2 turns around the spool of the ratchet and the straps on the rear had loosened up, one had fallen off and drug on the road and ruined the strap. If that person had not flagged me down I probably would have lost my friends $30K street rod off the trailer all due to his not knowing about the 2 turns around the ratchet spool when tying it down. I got my flashlight out, got another strap out of the bag and secured all 4 straps and no more problems.
I hate to think what "might have been" if the good Samaritan had not taken the time to alert me to the loose strap.
Please, take the time to learn all you can before you actually do the job of securing your car to the trailer, and use straps rated for the job and properly tie your car and prevent problems that can arise.
Best luck and happy trailering.
I like the video on the summit page. It’s a pretty decent kit at well. Very similar to what I’ve been using safely for about 6 years.
I’ve trailered my car at least 300 times. Sometimes as far as 1200 miles.
The only thing I didn’t like about that video was how loose they tightened the ratchet. I definitely add some tension to my straps…as do just about every other racer I’ve ever seen that trailers to the track. But only use your hand of course.
The axle straps are key. They loop around the axles or control arms and then give the main straps two metal loops to attach to.
DO NOT use those wire straps in your first link. They’re WAY too weak IMO.
Another tip which they showed but didn’t mention is crossing your straps. (Left tie down goes to right side of vehicle etc.)
And the last thing I’ll say is that it doesn’t hurt to add a safety chain to the front. Kept loose, but just added protection.
One more thing isn’t actually in the tie down process but trailer loading.
You’ll want to pay attention to “tongue weight”. You don’t want too much weight resting on the hitch ball OR too little.
You want the trailer to support most of the weight of your car, not the trucks rear suspension. Try and get the truck to stay nice and flat.
Look up a few videos on figuring that out.
It’s not hard, just a bit scary at first. Be safe and double check everything.
-peter
If you have channel iron pockets welded to the side of the trailer the chain grab end straps are the best bet. (assuming the channel iron pocket is large enough to pass the grab end of the chain through). They eliminate the need for softeners and create a positive connection that can't release from the stake pocket
You drop the chain end through the pocket and hook the chain to the top of the pockets, not the bottom.
I also use axle straps and a 1/2" screw pin shackle to attach them to the end of the strap. (if you want to go really crazy you can use a tie wire through the shackle pin to stop the possibility that the screw pin could back out) I use them around each side of the rear axle and around the front lower control arms. I also cross my straps
What I do is a little over-kill but I've been hauling construction stuff on trailers for 30 years. The only time I ever lost a load was my 442 going to the paint shop. I went over a large bump on the road, the front springs compressed (there were no shock absorbers on the car). The front hooks released and I watched in horror as my car rolled off the back of the trailer. fortunately I was only going 25-30 mph up hill on a dirt road and the car rolled slowly into a grassy ditch. Other than a bent up left front fender there was no other damage. It was a lesson learned. I had the car bound down tight, but obviously not tight enough. And there wasn't any positive connection. The shackles take care of that.
What ever you end up doing, just make sure you have decent tongue weight. If you have electric brakes learn how to use the controller to brake the trailer BEFORE something goes wrong. If the trailer starts pitching back and forth (usually due to inadequate tongue weight) this will stop it immediately. Surge brakes....well....good luck if that happens (In other words make damn sure you have good tongue weight before you start)
I don't have a pic of my 68 but this give you an idea. This is my dad's 87 Mustang the night I brought it home from my parents house. I should have crossed the rear straps. The fronts were too close to cross.
If you need to borrow anything, let me know. I'm dropping my daughter off at St John Fisher tomorrow
Last edited by allyolds68; Sep 3, 2021 at 05:17 AM.
As you asked for seasoning, I can only comment on the tire nets, as that is what I have used. They're designed for the loops to go on a rod going across the tire tread behind it, and the strap side is for a welded on ratchet, and it pulls the tire against the front chock. I have yet to mess with rear nets.
I can also offer the adage that one should strap the body, or the suspension, but not both (with the exception of lightly to eliminate bobbing around, like said above.) It seems to me the reasoning is they can fight each other and get loose over bumps.
I have used many different trailers, and many different styles of tie downs. All work just fine assuming you use them correctly.
I have a 20 foot trailer with a small truck bed style toolbox bolted to the deck. I keep the axle straps, winch controller, small tool box with basic hand tools, tie downs, etc inside. I pull whatever I’m trailer right up to that box, and then take the tie downs from the D ring in each corner to something solid on the vehicle. I position the load as far forward as I can. On the rear, I cross the tie downs and either hook them to the chassis, or use axle straps and go around the axle housing. I prefer to use the chassis, I think the load rides a little better if the suspension is under compression.
Once your happy with how everything is positioned, go for a drive. Get a feel as to how the truck handles. Make a few hard stops, the truck should stop straight abs without drama. If it sways or wants to set, you need more tongue weight.
Make sure the trailer brakes are adjusted correctly. Ideally, the truck should stop the same loaded as unloaded. As someone mentioned before, make sure you know how to engage the trailer brakes independently of the truck.
Make sure all the lights work. Check the tire pressures, drive a few miles, stop and check the straps. Good luck!!
This company offers USA-made bungee cords and a bunch of other USA-made stuff. I called and ordered 200 bux of equipment and thanked them for manufacturing in the USA.
Everything I see at tractor supply and ALL other retailers is chineasium....not doing it. Bad enough the trailer has chineasium tires, but they are new! It's my friend's trailer, not mine.
I heard to cross tie and to not cross tie. But the video and all of your suggestions make sense. So cross-tie it is.
This company offers USA-made bungee cords and a bunch of other USA-made stuff. I called and ordered 200 bux of equipment and thanked them for manufacturing in the USA.
Everything I see at tractor supply and ALL other retailers is chineasium....not doing it. Bad enough the trailer has chineasium tires, but they are new! It's my friend's trailer, not mine.
I heard to cross tie and to not cross tie. But the video and all of your suggestions make sense. So cross-tie it is.
If you want a good positive connection at the axle straps attach each with a shackle instead of the grab hook (shackle into the last link at the grab hook). 1/2" shackles have plenty of capacity for what you're doing
Follow up.
The 2" ratchet straps with the chain extensions are very high quality and worked well. I only bought 4 and should have bought 8 for the axle straps to work. The chain leads were a little long but that's all they had...chain shortage they said.
Mike (Ally) did you happen to notice the tie-down job when I went by you in the rain? lol...Or were you eastbound?
I couldn't use the axle straps because my DA only purchased 4 straps vs the 8 needed. But with extra Cordura sleeves, we made it work. It was tied down tight.
Enclosed trailer next time.
Follow up.
The 2" ratchet straps with the chain extensions are very high quality and worked well. I only bought 4 and should have bought 8 for the axle straps to work. The chain leads were a little long but that's all they had...chain shortage they said.
Mike (Ally) did you happen to notice the tie-down job when I went by you in the rain? lol...Or were you eastbound?
I couldn't use the axle straps because my DA only purchased 4 straps vs the 8 needed. But with extra Cordura sleeves, we made it work. It was tied down tight.
Enclosed trailer next time.
I was going EB…lol
i only use four ratchet straps with the axle straps. I’ll give you a call one of these days and explain it.
