car on a trailer, letting the cars suspension work vs binding it down? (1 Viewer)

[RavenTai]

Next Wednesday I am going to haul my LS400 (about 3700 pounds) about 200 miles to to my tools to change the timing belt, I need to do this as safely as possible,

I have a wells cargo 8'x20' enclosed "Auto Wagon" , it has four flush d-rings for tie down but they are just mounted to the plywood decking, not what i would consider heavy duty.

There seams to be two camps concerning securing a vehicle to a trailer,
1 attach to the wheels and let the cars suspension float
2 go to the frame and bind it down taking most of the play out of the suspension making the trailer and car on attached mass,

where my rings are located I really cannot take much out of the suspension , they pull more to side than down, I am worried about the car coming down on a bump and then rebounding into the straps, 3700 pounds is a lot weight to stop once is starts moving, that's a big slide hammer on my not so great tie downs.

so for now i am planning of just running a 3K pound strap through each wheel to the D rings, the wheels are smooth and should not cut the strap, but from what I hear the moving car on the trailer can cause handling problems? anybody have any experience here? I had a large tool box full of tools slide in its binds in this trailer before, you could defiantly feel it from the drivers seat. the car will be about 3 times that weight.


if the floating suspension is going to be a safety hazard I can try to get it up on wood blocks or something, but that could bring issues of its own though.

thoughts? experience?

 

[zebrabeefj40]

I've hauled vehicles both ways depending on the vehicle. IMHO you won't have enough suspension movement to matter with a car. A long travel rock crawling suspension would have more of an effect on handling vs. a short travel car suspension. As long as the car can't bounce into the trailer body and damage the paintwork I would just be careful and tow it as you normally would.

Nick

 

[scrapdaddy]

I think I would be more concerned with the tie down rings being mounted to the plywood. In a panic stop, they may not hold. I'm no expert, but I always over build, try to beef up the under side with some metal, if you have the time.

 

[RavenTai]

I am concerned about the D-ring mount but there is nothing I can do about it here, I live in an apartment, my work space and tools are 200 miles away, I just have to hope the guys that build car haulers know what they are doing.

 

[Dell]

I'd secure it using the method the mfgr's do for transport

weight shifting/movement can be a hazard
the least amount of movement the better... JMO

 

[Corbet]

I have also aways secured vehicles to the trailer from the frame as professional car transports do. Personally I don't buy into letting the hauled vehicle suspension work while in tow. JMHO.

(I used to haul vehicles regularly for a auto dealership I managed)

But if you rent say a U-Haul car trailer it comes with wheel straps. Either will work as long as its connected to something solid. That sounds more like your issue. Drive slow. Try to avoid any hard/panic stops. You'll be amazed how little the vehicle will move if you set the brake and trans in park.

 

[Gumby]

I snatch the suspension down on the pig when I trailer it. I don't like the sway on corners. I typically put a safety chain on the front axle too just because. When I tow a car I'll put the straps on the factory tow hooks on the body if it has them, but many times I loop a strap through the rim like the tow truck drivers do and like you have in the pics. It will stay tight. I worry about the suspension unloading the straps if I don't pull all of the travel out.

So - on the pig it matters, but on a car not so much.

I would think an LS400 would have factory boat tie down hooks on it.

 

[RavenTai]

I would think an LS400 would have factory boat tie down hooks on it.

It does, i tried that first, in the front there are two sturdy bent solid rod loops similar to the 80 series loops just behind the rear bumper, when I attached to those the straps were at a low angle similar angle to the pick of the front above,

in the rear there are sheet metal loops marked "emergency only not for tie down" just forward of the rear bumper, the real tie down points are forward of the rear tire near the center of the car, the angle was very low, almost flat, the straps were pulling mostly against each other instead of down on the suspension. just my weight would get movement from the suspension.

I am glad to hear that a cars short suspension is less of a concern than a land cruiser, this thread has me scared, https://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat-section/90693-double-cruiser-rollover.html, main problem was the broken tongue but the swaying piggy was an added factor, this trip is going to be my LS my LX and my car hauler all tied together, not to mention the GF and my dog, all my eggs in one basket.


I will defiantly be taking it easy, have my route scouted out, mostly empty very smooth toll road to a little traveled 4 lane country highway, like the rest of FL flat as Gwen Stefani, I have a good brake controller for the trailer and airbags on the 80s rear axle to help with tongue weight, the max speed with this trailer is a bit over 50, empty or loaded, the air resistance exceeds what the 80 can pull in fourth gear, I have pulled more weight before when I brought my tools down from GA but it was a static load,

 

[se2000]

I would at least build something to fill the space between bumper and front wall in case of panic stop. you can use scrap wood to fit between frame and desk to minimize cars suspension. you will feel all that weight if you hit a series of bumps.

 

[CO_Hunter]

The way you have your picture is the way I have done it and other club members transporting their race cars, not professional but meticulous. Some others would weld tie downs points to the rear axle spring perches. If you tie to the frame the straps will lose tension when the suspension compresses and upon rebound the straps receive what is essentially an impact load. I have seen cars trailered this way and the result is loose straps. One recently on I-25, if they didn't have front wheel straps I think they would have lost it. YMMV.

 

[RavenTai]

Got it here without issue last night besides being tired, had to pull over and take a nap, every once in a while over a big bump I could feel the car, it was like a second after bump a moment after the trailer hit a bump, but the trailer always felt stable, and generally the same as it feels when heavily loaded, d-rings held, car did not shift, it was exactly where I left it in the trailer. thank you for the advise guys,

 

[Elbert]

on new style car you are pretty much forced to use the frame pull down points with the small t hooks and small j hooks becasue on the rear there is no-where else to grab. ON teh front you can tie down to the lower a frame if the car has that or also frame attachment points.

On solid axle truck I use axle straps on the front and back. Two straps with straight down pull on the front and two straps on teh back with the straps in a x pattern. I attach the straps on the front just on the axle tube where clearing the spindle (one each side). At the rear I clear the spring hanger or whatever depending on the truck (one strap each side)

The wheel / tire straps work well too, if you have room or the setup to use them.

Last choice in my view is to pull down from the bumper or frame if you have access to the axle assembly. I use a metal deck open trailer...enclosed trailer or other setups might force you to make the best call on where you have access to. I also use a safety chain from the d ring on my front bumper to d ring on the trailer in case something were to break...keeps the truck from coming off the trailer backwards but not much safety from teh truck rolling forward if straps were to break. But that's the way I go. 10,000 lb ratchet straps about 10 ft long with 4 similarly rated axle straps (not exaclty sure of the axle strap rating without having to go get one out of the truck). I should get a saftey chain for the rear too...just to be safe...that might be my next purchase at the local tractor supply.