OT Hauling a car

theoldtexasfarmer · Aug 14, 2012

I recently helped move my daughter and her b.f. to Tn.The convoy was b.f. in his motor home (what he lives in),daughtter in her loaded tacoma and me driving a loaded rental truck pulling a rental car trailer with b.f.s Nissan sports car.I know how to properly tie down a tractor from reading YT but this car hauler did not provide much to secure the load.All it had was the strap things that go over the front wheels,ratching to the front anda chain near each axle but no way to tighten and this car did not have convential axles. My solution was to use two of my hay straps,thread them through the fancy spoke wheels and hook them the best I could to the trailer (no hooks),pulling rear ward.It worked,but what are the rules for securing a car when they provide nothing to keep a car from sliding forward.Now I have two of my straps in Tn.I didnt want to explain to airport security why I had them in my bags when I flew home :lol:

GordoSD · Aug 14, 2012

I think the bf can pony up the postage to get your straps back to you. How much did you spend to help the two kids?
Text him a msg to send them to you.

Dutchman · Aug 14, 2012

Know what you mean ... I'm a beliver on haveing car { what ever } tie down BOTH ways ..
My son came from Jamestown RI .. w/ a u haul and trailer w/ jeep on trailer .. same thing .. straps over the Front wheels { suppose to be good enough , per place he rent from }
Called me and ask what I thought ... told him to get something on the back pulling backwares ..he got some 2 inch straps and tie the back and the front ..plus the straps over the tires ... which didn't fit good , because he has bigger tires on it ..

anyway just my thoughts ..
mark

Ray · Aug 14, 2012

Hooking through the wheels usually doesn't work.If the wheels are free they can turn with all the bouncing of hauling.If it's the wheels
hooked to the tranny it puts undue stress on the drivetrain.Usually a strap around the rear frame or differential,if you have one is all you need in the rear and across the frame in the front.Two straps are plenty.Some cars have tow hooks on the frame from the factory.

Hobo,NC · Aug 14, 2012

I drove a tow truck form 71 to 79,,, brought my own in 1980 and still use/have it... You did good to add extra tie downs,,, you would not believe the cars I have seen hauled and cars that have been hauled into my shop were they had no tie downs at all... I question every one and this is the pattern answer,,,
"I have been towing for 20 years and never had one come loose",, My reply it only takes one unsecured vehicle to kill someones wife and kids then I call the number on the side of the tow truck and report it... The pattern answer is " I have told him to secure the vehicle" They know about this but don't give a chit...

It is not a waist of time going the extra mile to secure a vehicle... 8)

DoubleR · Aug 14, 2012

I use to work next door to a car-haul outfit that hauled new GM cars and trucks. I picked up a number of short chains with the T hook on them. They would fall off the trucks on the roadway if the driver didn't sucure them when mty. They hook into the holes on the front and rear of the frames on GM cars and trucks. They would come in handy whenever I loaded a vehicile on a trailer and would secure it good. I don't know where one could buy them though.

theoldtexasfarmer · Aug 14, 2012

This car is wierd.No tow hooks,frame not accesible,and all suspension was made ot 1/2 thickand about 1 1/2 bar.I was afraid I would mess up alignment if I pulled against it.I thought about causing force to rotate the wheels so I ran the strap level to the rear of the side rail.We made it up and down hill and Nashville rushhour.Got there at 5pm,2nd day.Left for airport at 7pm and in Houston by 11pm.I am not able to do that again(parkinsons isslowing me down)but I didnt want my 21 yr old daughter pulling a trailer loaded with her tacoma in those hills.

Jim in MN · Aug 14, 2012

Northern Tool sells the T-hooks. Our local store has them on the shelf.

ericlb · Aug 15, 2012

you probably did just right either the wheels, or the lower suspension arms[ only if there stout enough to take the stress], the reason is once properly secured they wont move, using the tie downs on the car or any part of the car that is sprung unless pulled down super tight,can lead to unhooking when you cross over a large bump, like railroad track crossings, as the car can compress its suspension, and then its possible to have the securing straps unhook, always secure to a part of the car that does not move with the suspension, also this leaves the vehicle riding free on its own suspension while in transit so no damage occurs to it

Hobo,NC · Aug 15, 2012

(quoted from post at 05:34:53 08/15/12) I use to work next door to a car-haul outfit that hauled new GM cars and trucks. I picked up a number of short chains with the T hook on them. They would fall off the trucks on the roadway if the driver didn't sucure them when mty. They hook into the holes on the front and rear of the frames on GM cars and trucks. They would come in handy whenever I loaded a vehicile on a trailer and would secure it good. I don't know where one could buy them though.

http://www.awdirect.com/

http://www.cargoequipmentcorp.com/Grab-Hooks-Chain-Anchors-s/77.htm

glennster · Aug 15, 2012

on our flat bed tow trucks, we have the cluster tie downs like on hobo's link, we also carry basket straps. they are good for difficult vehicles to tie down, like mercedes and corvettes. there are not a lot of points to anchor on these vehicles, and the basket straps allow you to do the tie down without damage. we use two tie downs in the rear, the winchline in the front and two saftey chains on the front, for a total of 5 tie down points. with basket straps, we run 4 baskets, plus two saftey chains on the front, no winch line tension. also have j hooks on the trucks, but they rarely get used, occasionally for a bigger truck, of if it is a very bad wreck to winch out. heres a link
poke here

mkirsch · Aug 15, 2012

The strap webs that go over the front wheels hold the car in BOTH directions.

Notice how they run front to back over the top of the tire.

They're more than adequate to secure the car. The rear chains are attached loosely just in case you hit a large bump at high speed. They will keep the car's rear end from flying way up in the air.

There's no place on the trailer for your own straps/chains because they don't want you using your own straps for liability reasons. That is, if you use your own strap, and it fails, and something bad happens, they're on the hook for it no matter how many release forms you signed.

OT Hauling a car

theoldtexasfarmer

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GordoSD

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Dutchman

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Ray

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Hobo,NC

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DoubleR

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theoldtexasfarmer

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Jim in MN

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ericlb

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Hobo,NC

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glennster

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mkirsch

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