hauling show tractors

wjytexas

Well-known Member
I've been hauling work tractors for some time but when I finish the '54 NAA I want to keep the paint as nice as I can. I have hooks bolted onto the front axle but I curious as to how y'all chain down the rear wheels? Thanks for any responses. John
 
In general I have found the back easier to chain than the front of tractors. I usually use the drawbar. If you can't loop a chain through it you can usually put one or two shackles in it and put the chain to them.
 
On my "show"39 Ford I have the sway brackets mounted under the axle as normal. I do not have the pins installed . I just use shackles and chain to them. I had to use 2 shackles on each side as the hole in the bracket is to small for the chain. On my other tractors I use an axle strap. On my chains I have a slip hook with a safety snap on one end and a grab hook on the other.
 
My IH 450 has drop chains with hook on front and clevis on both corners of draw bar. Allis Chalmers WD45 has tow hooks on front and chains around draw bar on rear.
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Thank you! I show and pull both of these tractors and have the 450 balanced out so it pulls great. I am still moving weights around on 45 trying to hit its sweet spot. I just added another set of rear wheel weight and am going to put the electronic ignition system on it that will look stock.
 
I have seen some pretty shaky tie downs in the sake of saving paint. Remember that it will likely get scuffed worse when skiddng along behind the trailer upside down after some dim whit cuts you off and you have to head for the ditch. Be leary of cheap China cast hooks too. I bolted two of them to the drawbar bracket on my model A Allis tractor and first big bump in the road broke both of them. I replaced them with Crosby and have hauled it many thousand miles since. Straps over the tires and then attached hooks which ultimately are attached to the cross members under the deck are an excellent and legal means to tie down but your placement choices are then limited by the tie down points.
 
I use 2in. ratchet straps one looped over each rear tire the down to the trailer and two on the front wheels. Set the brakes and in gear I have never had one move. In Calif. all four corners need a strap or chain. Steve
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I'm with Gene here. Even IF or where straps are legal, anything with wheels gets chained. 3/8ths" Transport rated chains at a minimum, not some swing set stuff. If I'm moving anything on a trailer more than 1 mile and more than 10mph (behind a tractor), I want it as closed to welded to that trailer as I can get it. All my stuff is in work clothes, so a chain over an axle isn't an issue.

For the pretty stuff, most put a clevis in the drawbar for sure. I've seen folks make up a bracket for a clevis in the front, and in factory paint, they look good. I'm not so sure about open "tow hooks", as in a worst case scenario, a chain could come loose of one (or more), and often the safety closures aren't anything to write home about. A loop (clevis) would be far better to my thinking; something a chain can't come out of, regardless of the forces applied, unless something devastatingly catastrophic happens and a chain and/or loop breaks.
 
(quoted from post at 10:59:19 02/23/17) Straps are illegal. Anything with wheels cannot use strap. Chains for wheeled units.

WRONG Subpart I of Part 393 of title 49 of the Federal Motor Carrier Act specifies that straps are fine. Requirements are not at all stringent for units under 10,000 lbs. Requirement is simply that the means of securing must keep the unit from shifting side to side or front to back. The only piece of freight that requires chains are blocks of stone. Get a book. They keep your local DOT office well stocked with them because they want YOU to have one.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I have been using two chains on hooks from the front axle to stanchion holes.. In back a single (large) chain thru a clevis on the drawbar with a boomer but this would allow the tractor to shift.I'm going to look at two clevises (or clevi) on the drawbar with chains going to each side. I just wanted to avoid chains on the rear axle. I have been told by several equipment haulers chains are required on anything with wheels but as you can see from all the responses many stories are out there. Thanks again jy
 
I use straps most of the time,each one has a DOT work rating of 3,3000# one on each corner. Watch the car haulers,almost all of them are using straps now.
 
If chain breaks or comes totally loose no clevis or hook will do any good. The hooks on front of my Allis are grade 70 same as chain and bolted with high strength bolts.
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There is a law and if your tractor is over 10,000 lbs it has to have four chains and if over 22ft.long it needs chains in middle or so many
feet apart(don,t remember the distance).
 
Your tractor is not strapped right. You can't have straps or chains on out side of rub rail of trailer.
 
D beatty
Can you post a link to the rule that says chains must be used.

I have never found any law in the federal regulations that say chains must be used.
In fact it does not say you have to use any product.
In other words you could use kite string if you had enough tie downs to hold the weight.
 
(quoted from post at 20:49:16 02/23/17) If chain breaks or comes totally loose no clevis or hook will do any good. The hooks on front of my Allis are grade 70 same as chain and bolted with high strength bolts.
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You apparently like to have a large margin for safety by the look of your chains on that 45. Just curious, what would you use if you were hauling a CATD-9?
 
(quoted from post at 17:15:41 02/23/17) Thanks for all the responses. I have been using two chains on hooks from the front axle to stanchion holes.. In back a single (large) chain thru a clevis on the drawbar with a boomer but this would allow the tractor to shift.I'm going to look at two clevises (or clevi) on the drawbar with chains going to each side. I just wanted to avoid chains on the rear axle. I have been told by several equipment haulers chains are required on anything with wheels but as you can see from all the responses many stories are out there. Thanks again jy

If you think that your tractor is going to shift sideways with a chain through a clevis on the draw bar, you need to tighten your binder.
 
I like how you strapped over rear tires. I've seen wrecker drivers pull flipped semi trailers back upright pulling there after unloading product with little damage to trailer.
 
(quoted from post at 10:59:19 02/23/17) Straps are illegal. Anything with wheels cannot use strap. Chains for wheeled units.

Every tow dolly ever made has straps for the towed vehicle tires.
 
Just go to fed.laws on tie down requirements and go down to wheeled vehicles or equipment. A wheeled under 10,000 lbs. need only two tie downs nylon strap or chain heavy enough to tie it down. There is a law about putting more tie downs if vehicle is over 22 foot long.
 
If I was going to haul a Cat D9 all the time I would use Grade 120 1/2" chain and binders rated at 17,900 lbs. I don't want a tractor coming off trailer or coming through on me.
 
(quoted from post at 15:26:17 02/24/17) If I was going to haul a Cat D9 all the time I would use Grade 120 1/2" chain and binders rated at 17,900 lbs. I don't want a tractor coming off trailer or coming through on me.

Isn't that living a little dangerously? Your 3/8 chain that you use on your 45 is rated for 1.5 times the weight of the 45, while that 1/2 inch chain is rated for only 1/6 the weight of the D-9.
 
Where the chain goes through the clevises , just throw a twist in the chain. It will not be able to slip. Hard to explain what I mean , just take the chain from the right side and loop through the clevis from the left side ,this will put a twist sround itself and cannot slip side to side. Pull the binder tight and all will be good. joe
 
Grade 120 1/2 binder chain is the heaviest binder chain that I can find. A D 9 should be blocked with heavy wooden chocks and throw
enough chains on it so it doesn't go any where. If I remember right that a Cat D 9 is over 22 foot long so you need a chain every 5 foot plus chains over dozer blade if it has one.
 
(quoted from post at 19:18:55 02/23/17) I've been hauling work tractors for some time but when I finish the '54 NAA I want to keep the paint as nice as I can. I have hooks bolted onto the front axle but I curious as to how y'all chain down the rear wheels? Thanks for any responses. John

For the rear I made a drawbar/clevis set up out of scrap all I had in it was the weld on clevis X 2. It stays in my truck tool box and always ready for hauling.
 

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