Towing question

[Sawboy]

Hey all, I have a question. I just brought home the new car trailer and need some knowledge. I have decided I would like to go with tow straps instead of chains when I haul the car around. If I were using chains, this qustion would be unnecessary. Buy chains with hooks, buy binders, go towing! But, since I want straps, here goes"

When they rate straps they state a "working load limit" and "breaking strength".

Is the difference as obvious as it looks? ie.:

I can strap my car down with (2) 5,000# straps in front and (2) at the rear. That means they will each "hold" 5,000 lbs right? So while the idea of two at each end is for even holding power and stability, does the 5k indicate one can handle the load in the event one loosens or the car shifts? Of course if the car shifts I most likely have other issues!

-----AND-----

The 10,000 "break" is if I am in an accident, they will hold up to 10,000 lbs of sudden force?

Or am I wrong all over?????

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[johnrrogers]

Having towed my vintage race car for 8 years on an open trailer and now in a 5th wheel tow hauler I can give my insite. I was told by my racing mentor to buy the largest straps possible and attach them to either wheels through the spokes or around solid suspension such as A-arms or rear axles. Then attach then ends to the frame portion of the trailer, not the wood or aluminum floor. This way the car can move around somewhat which is better when taking bumps. He said that in most accidents they would keep the car and trailer together as one unit which would hopefully minimize car damage. I have seen picts of enclosed trailers upside down with the car on the floor which is what you want. For breaking strength, that is where the tiedown fails at what pulled load, but usually it is a steady pulled load, not a snap load. Working load would be the movement of the car as the trailer rolls along the highway. I was also told to replace them whenever I replace my racing harness which is every 2 years due to ozone and UV ray deterioration of the fabric. Good luck with towing.

 

[Red Monkey]

Sawboy,
I towed my 4x4 offroad rig with straps for 5 or 6 years. I got they from Northern Tool and I think they were rated for 5,000# each. I used 4 straps, two in the front and two in the rear. Both front and rear straps were crossed, attatched to left side of trailer and right side of axle, and right side of trailer and left side of axle, are you following me here...?
My offroad 4Runner weighted 4400# so I didn't worry about using four 5000# straps to hold her down. If you CRASH your trailer the load rate on the straps an't going to matter. For anything else the 4 straps you are considering will do just fine. She will be nice and stable with the straps and if you bind her down correctly she WILL NOT MOVE!! Unlike chains that can work loose, I know from experience and will not use chains anymore.
You have two ways to tie your vehicle down: The first way, the way I used, is to tie down the axles leaving the vehicles suspension able to flex. The second is to tie the vehicle down using the frame and compressing the suspension so the vehicle does not flex. Try them both if you like, I know guys that use both methods. I wanted the my truck to flex as we went over bumps etc. as the trailer didn't have much suspension.
Hope this helped, good luck towing.
Don't for get to get a control box for your trailer brakes, you have GOT to be able to stop!!!!!

 

[MBRPCrazyford]

Red monkey mentioned about strapping the frame down to compress suspension. I would say that is hard on your car and I personally wouldn't do it. Also, if I were you, I would put the E-Brake on while you are towing the car. At least, that's what I do when towing two ATVs. Good luck towing, and I hope this helps you some.

 

[BamaSixGun]

for what its worth, my dad and I are in the automobile transport business. now i'm not sayin that we know all there is to know about chaining & straping cars down, but it is our business.

as far as chaning a car down and you compress the suspension, that is exactly what you want to do in the case of a multi-car transporter. for one thing, it lowers the vehicle even more so when you stack a car on top of it, you are assured that it is not gonna move in any direction, and you keep your height down.

also, you want the car moving in the same direction as the trailer. if it is moving in the opposite direction, then that will do damage to the car/truck and the trailer itself.

we allways tie a car down with the chains pulling in the opposite direction of each other. you want the chains on the front pullin either towards the front or straight down, and the chains in the rear pulling back or they too can pull straight down.

now granted, a multi-car transporter is a whole nother beast from a single car carrier, but not much.

i would say that a good set of straps would be the best way to go, with a mulit-cluster of hooks on one end. the industry norm is a J hook or S hook.
then a T hook, and some will have an R hook.

the J or S hook will probably be the most common hook used, because it will fit into allmost all of the factory tie-down slots that are in the frame.

you can also run the straps thru the wheels, which i did alot of, because most of the higher-end (expensive) cars of today, do not have factory tie-down slots in the frame.

i would never wrap a chain around an axle, A-arm, or any suspension parts. you will warp them if you pulled the chains down too tight. you can use a strap along with an axle wrap strap that goes around the axle itself, and then you hook one of your hooks into both ends of the axle strap.

and as mentioned above, we allways set the E brake. now on some of your factory air suspension cars, you will want to turn of the air system, (i.e. your lincoln town cars, navigators, and the such like.)

there have been cases, where after these type suspension systems were chained down, they will try to build air pressure and can and have blown the air bags.

all in all, if you just use good commen sense and the right equipement, you cant wrong.

sorry for the long post.

 

[MBRPCrazyford]

Bama, not sayin that you are wrong by any maens, because you do it a lot more than me, but I always heard, and though that it was hard on the car to compress the suspension like that(for any long period of time), and especially when towing, due to the motions of pulling. Like I said that is just what I always heard. That is my two cents on the issue, for what they are worth.

 

[BamaSixGun]

maybe its a worth while myth for the myth-busters to try out

just kiddin. like i was sayin, you cant haul 8,9, or even 10 cars on a big rig, without tying down from the frame, you just wont be able to get low enough, and the cars/trucks will all slam into each other.

you can get away with straping a complete load of cars down, which you put the strap around the tires, and you can still get low enuff.

but throw in some pick-ups and some monster SUV's, and you just cant do it.

now if your just haulin one car, straps around the tires is a quick, easy, and still safe method of transporting your rig/car. there would be no need to pull down from the frame.

 

[Buffs F-350]

I have to agree with bama When I ran a flatbed tow truck we always hooked to the frame and copressed the suspention. As he said the only cars you have to worry about are the ones with an air suspentions. If anything it is safer If you have to swerve to avoid an accident you want the trailer to follow and not have the car suspention and trailers suspention to move an the same time. It could cause it to lean to far and that is not good a highway speed.

 

[BamaSixGun]

here is one thought, if overall it was not good to tiedown from the frame and compress the suspension, why do the factories build the frames with tie down slots?


one other thing you have to be careful off when hauling cars. alot of the cars today are what they call "unibody" cars. the frame and body are made as one.

if you tie one side down too much, you can actually warp the car. there are alot of over zealous haulers out there that put too much downward force on cars. it doesnt take much to tie a car down and keep it safe and still.

 

[MBRPCrazyford]

Bama, I agree, it is worth a look from Mythbusters!! lol Your right, I never thought about the frame tie-down slots. But, like I said that is what I heard, but you've sold me otherwise. Guess you learn stuff everyday!!