Strapping your car down to the trailer: To the suspension or the frame?

i just go over the axles straight. i pulled from mi to home that lesabre at 85 mph. it didnt give me any problems.

 

New information: The U-Haul car hauler trailer used the straps that go over the front wheels. I towed the 69 Electra 150 miles. It rode great.

 

use Mikes straps to the frame check them every time I stop want car to be solid with trailer...specially with roads today...do not want car bouncing on trailer when you go thru a bunch of expansion joints in the road...45* angle...besides that..get a weight distribution hitch and sway control...makes the world of difference when towing...

 

my new trailer has E track the full lenght of the trailer under the wheels and i will be going over the tires (not as easy as it sounds with front spoiler) etc... but prob to the frame as JW suggests above. A big caution going over the rear axles, if the hook ends up anywhere near the front of gas tank area, once the car starts bouncing you can damage/dent your gas tank from the car hitting the hook! I know because this happened to someone i know:spank:

 

I use crossed ratchet straps to the frame. If you have a race spring ie Moroso you will kill the spring before you get to the track. It is real hard on the suspension if you don't strap it down by the frame........

 

What if you have no frame? What is your experience with type of strap that loops over the tires on the front? I need to use this type on MOPARS because the air dam on the front of our Featherlite trailer really makes it tough to apply axles straps.

 

Jim i ordered my enclosed trailer with 2 sets of E track full length down each side of my trailer under the wheels, plan was i had ratchet straps to go over each wheel down to the E track. I didnt work, my ratchet straps are too long and so the eyes that hook into the E track had to be to far from the wheels. So the straps on the front ran interferance with the spoiler and on the back wheels the straps and the ratchet part ran interferance with the trim and fenders..so i couldnt use the wheels straps as intended and I am back to the drawing board. An easy fix would possibly be shorter ratchet straps or E track eyes directly below each wheel in front and behind that the nylon webbing goes through so the straps wont hit the car body anywhere especially if the car is bouncing? till i get it figured i am going to the frame with the hooks all duct taped up so they dont mark my powder coated frame?

 

Well I made my first truely long tow last week. 750 miles down to Bowling Green. I had already tried it on a "short" trial run down to Cecil County(55 miles) a few weeks ago. Worked like a champ although it needs a few more ponies for getting over the "hills" in WV. Can't really complain for the load it was pulling. No problems down or back.

I crossed the straps front and rear from the frame. Where I placed the car to get the tongue weight right made the front straps short. Worked great and checking them every gas stop only resulted in an extra click or so. After thinking about it it makes sense to strap the frame down so that you don't have two suspensions fighting each other, the car's and the trailer's.

Pics from before the Cecil run.

 

Nice looking setup you have there Mike. I remember how fun it was back in the old days of open trailers when everyone gave you a "thumbs up" after seeing the car on your trailer. These days with the enclosed trailer all I seem to get is the "one finger salute".

Just as a note. I firmly believe in attaching to the frame and pulling the car down as tight as you can. I also always cross the straps. I've been towing for well over 30 years and this is the best way (and the proper way). My GSX has 75 passes on it and the rear shocks are junk. I doubt very much if most of that wear came from the track but most likely from the transportation. This winter I'll inspect the front suspension also as I suspect that's worn out too. I may look into the large size rubber bladder for door cars to help minimize the bouncing.

Trailering is very tough on the cars suspension. That's a fact that should never be taken lightly or overlooked.

Steve