Question on trailering
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Gary Karr
Well-known member
I strap my cars in by cradling the four tires and tightening them to the floor. No straps touch metal and the cars stay very tight to the floor. I installed four "E" track pieces about 48" long to line up with Model A's. I have never had a problem and have tugged the trailer across the country several times.
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Charles Coe
Senior Member
Gary, are those straps custom made to fit your tires?
1931 flamingo
Well-known member
On tying down, you could also run rachet straps thru the 4 wheels instead of to the axles. FWIW
Paul in CT
Paul in CT
Fred K-OR
Well-known member
"Question: I obviously will wrap up the loose ends of the straps when hauling"
I wrap masking tape around the ends after rolling them up. Then I wrap tape around this bundle and the straps that tie the rig down. Keeps all this stuff in place. Works great and you don't have the ends flying in the wind.
Also I cross the straps but I also can see the reasons for not crossing. I also watch the straps while I travel to see if they look like they are loose and do stop often to check them (and for other reasons us older guys stop often).
Nice looking trailer. Mine is almost the same and I like your idea of a box in front. That is the next purchase I need to get by the boss(wife).
I wrap masking tape around the ends after rolling them up. Then I wrap tape around this bundle and the straps that tie the rig down. Keeps all this stuff in place. Works great and you don't have the ends flying in the wind.
Also I cross the straps but I also can see the reasons for not crossing. I also watch the straps while I travel to see if they look like they are loose and do stop often to check them (and for other reasons us older guys stop often).
Nice looking trailer. Mine is almost the same and I like your idea of a box in front. That is the next purchase I need to get by the boss(wife).
Fred K-OR
Well-known member
Thanks, I noticed it on one of my times at HF. Now the problem is to get the wife in there sometime to admire it also so that it may be a doable thing to purchase. Maybe I can take her to a flower shop first to see what items she may get there so as to soften her up a bit.
tbirdtbird
BANNED
1. The best place to get high quality straps is AW Direct (Towing equipment)
http://www.awdirect.com/
get 4 axle straps and 4 ratchet straps. Get good stuff, you don't want to lose your baby on the side of the road.
2. Never strap to the center of a front I-beam axle, you will bend it I guarantee it. One strap each side of the axle as far out to the wheel as possible.
3. Forker, you have a problem.
As far as the rear of the trailer is concerned, the D rings should be way at the far corners of the trailer. I cannot tell about the front. With your present setup, if you hit even a moderate bump, the car can hop left and right and because there is little clearance between the car and the trailer on the sides you are in for trouble. I have seen this happen. You can either move the D-rings or cross the straps.
I always cross the straps and never worry about breaking a strap since I use the highest quality from AW Direct
4. after you have driven about 5 miles get out and re-tension the straps, or at least check the tension. They tend to loosen a bit at first
I would not run straps through the wheels; you will torque them and end up with some nasty run-out
http://www.awdirect.com/
get 4 axle straps and 4 ratchet straps. Get good stuff, you don't want to lose your baby on the side of the road.
2. Never strap to the center of a front I-beam axle, you will bend it I guarantee it. One strap each side of the axle as far out to the wheel as possible.
3. Forker, you have a problem.
As far as the rear of the trailer is concerned, the D rings should be way at the far corners of the trailer. I cannot tell about the front. With your present setup, if you hit even a moderate bump, the car can hop left and right and because there is little clearance between the car and the trailer on the sides you are in for trouble. I have seen this happen. You can either move the D-rings or cross the straps.
I always cross the straps and never worry about breaking a strap since I use the highest quality from AW Direct
4. after you have driven about 5 miles get out and re-tension the straps, or at least check the tension. They tend to loosen a bit at first
I would not run straps through the wheels; you will torque them and end up with some nasty run-out
Mitch//pa
BANNED
quote""""tbirdtbird::::
3. Forker, you have a problem.
As far as the rear of the trailer is concerned, the D rings should be way at the far corners of the trailer. I cannot tell about the front. With your present setup, if you hit even a moderate bump, the car can hop left and right and because there is little clearance between the car and the trailer on the sides you are in for trouble. I have seen this happen. You can either move the D-rings or cross the straps. """"quote"""
i agree with tbirds observation on #3 and to add to that,, the design of the model A rear axle tube is it is larger in the center and narrows as it goes towards the backing plate. i always put the strap at the narrowest part on the axle (behind the backing plate) and out to the rings which should be straight out from that point or even a little more apart. the reason being if the strap slides a little outwards an the axle housing since the taper gets narrower it will loosen up...
the front should be at the outer most points of the axle between the spring perches and the king pins and straight out to the rings or even a little more apart..
3. Forker, you have a problem.
As far as the rear of the trailer is concerned, the D rings should be way at the far corners of the trailer. I cannot tell about the front. With your present setup, if you hit even a moderate bump, the car can hop left and right and because there is little clearance between the car and the trailer on the sides you are in for trouble. I have seen this happen. You can either move the D-rings or cross the straps. """"quote"""
i agree with tbirds observation on #3 and to add to that,, the design of the model A rear axle tube is it is larger in the center and narrows as it goes towards the backing plate. i always put the strap at the narrowest part on the axle (behind the backing plate) and out to the rings which should be straight out from that point or even a little more apart. the reason being if the strap slides a little outwards an the axle housing since the taper gets narrower it will loosen up...
the front should be at the outer most points of the axle between the spring perches and the king pins and straight out to the rings or even a little more apart..
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29ModelA
Well-known member
Not legally, and this could damage the wheel in a hard stop or a bouncy road.
When the handle is completely folded like this it is locked and cannot move.
I get my straps from TSC. I have NEVER had an issue with one. I haul a lot of stuff significantly heavier than the A often.
I have the HF tongue box on one of my trailers, spring for the bigger one, it is a much nicer unit for only a few bucks more. It is still cheap compared to the US made ones though.
1931 flamingo
Well-known member
29ModelA: Most high end car manuf suggest to run straps THRU the wheels if not using the wheel basket tie downs. FWIW
Paul in CT
And if you tighten the straps thru the wheels without OVER tightening there shoukd be no problems.
Paul in CT
And if you tighten the straps thru the wheels without OVER tightening there shoukd be no problems.
whirnot
Well-known member
29ModelA
Well-known member
Those are modern car wheels. Those are a completely different animal, while strong, A wheels are not nearly as strong as a modern car wheel.
It has nothing to do with how tight the straps are. It has to do with the forces involved when the Model A shifts in a hard stop. It wouldn't take much to bend spokes, or the wheel for that matter.
Edit: It appears that it is legal to do it, but you have to be careful not to put the strap too close to the 6 o'clock position or it will loosen quickly. I am actually surprised that is legal, I don't think we would ever get away with that hauling equipment.
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tbirdtbird
BANNED
29Model:
you and I have hauled our fair share of heavy construction equipment, and I agree we would never get away with straps thru the wheels for that. It is a silly idea when you consider there are so many other much stronger places on a vehicle to get a good purchase on. Chains and load binders were our way of life. And we always crossed to avoid hop. And any vehicle can hop. It is not just forces front and rear. I saw a lot of mistakes out there, and they were never pretty.
you and I have hauled our fair share of heavy construction equipment, and I agree we would never get away with straps thru the wheels for that. It is a silly idea when you consider there are so many other much stronger places on a vehicle to get a good purchase on. Chains and load binders were our way of life. And we always crossed to avoid hop. And any vehicle can hop. It is not just forces front and rear. I saw a lot of mistakes out there, and they were never pretty.
Forker
Senior Member
Mitch
Your point is well taken and thanks for raising that concern. The D-rings are welded in place between slats that the ramps rest in, which was the only place I think the trailer builder felt they could go (btw, the D-rings were at my request, not the location). I guess I will need to add additional straps to the far back corners or eliminate the use of the rear D-rings altogether.
george
Fred K-OR
Well-known member
One other simple thing to remember is to place your car far enough ahead on the trailer so you have enough weight on the hitch so that the hitch does not bounce up and down when you travel. But don't put to much weight on the hitch either. You will find this proper spot by some trial and error.
tbirdtbird
BANNED
Fred is right on. Not sure how much length you have to the trailer to shift the car much either way but a good thing to be aware of. If you have the car too far back the trailer will fishtail like crazy. We've all seen guys trailering who were creeping because if they went any faster they'd fishtail. If the car is too far forward it will lift the front of the tow vehicle up in the air somewhat which will take weight off the front tires and your steering will go bonkers. You are usually trying to achieve about 150 pounds of tongue weight. A trailer builder should have known those D-rings were too close together. What is the spacing in the front?
The biggest problem that people have while tying down Model T's is that they pull the front axle and rear axle (in opposite directions with the straps and when they crank them tight, they basically pull the car apart at the ball socket/transmission.
When I trailered my T home (9 hours one way, part of it through the mountains in WV and PA), I used 4 large straps. Two from the front axle to the rear of the trailer, and two from the rear axle to the front of the trailer. Snugged them up good, and it stayed put all the way home. I stopped multiple times to check, but they were fine.