<VV> trailer tie downs (Corvair)

airvair airvair at richnet.net
Wed Mar 23 00:51:31 EST 2005


I would tend to shy away from lashing a car down by any body structure, 
like the crossmember, for one reason. Unless you crank it down extremely 
tight (like to the bump stops), the car is going to naturally bounce on 
its suspension. If it's lashed down by the body, the tiedowns only act 
as limit straps for upward movement. Any downward movement will tend to 
momentarily put various degrees of slack in the tiedown, and the return 
bounce will put additional stress on your tiedown. Whether they are 
chains or fabric straps, it makes no difference. These motions could 
eventually stretch and possibly break them. I've seen it happen, and 
yes, even to chains. I once had a chain snap that I had foolishly 
attached to the rear towloop on a "Brier. Fortunately, it was also 
correctly lashed down in front, but the back end still hopped sideways 
about a half foot.

The dangerous thing about any tiedown, especially metal, is that you 
can't readily see that it's stretched. And a stretched chain, like any 
heat-treated/tempered steel, becomes significantly weaker after it's 
stretched. You haven't lived until you've seen (and heard) a 50 ton die 
crash to the factory floor from 20 feet, just because the (stretched) 
chain broke.

The best way, I feel, is to lash a car down by the tires, or at least as 
close on the suspension to the tires as possible. Then let the car go 
ahead and bounce, as its suspension and shocks were designed to take the 
beating. Your tiedown straps or chains weren't.

-Mark

Dale Dewald wrote:

> At 10:26 PM 3/22/05 -0500, Ed wrote:
>
>> I just purchased an aluminum car trailer. This is new territory for 
>> me and
>> I'd like to know from those with experience where the tie down straps 
>> go on an
>> EM? It came with tie downs but I plan on perhaps buying new ones. 
>> With that
>> said what do I look for, weight specs, brand, best place to but, etc. 
>> Thanks.
>>    Ed in Fla
>
>
> Hello Ed,
>
> I prefer to be on the safe side and tie my cars (and other wheeled or 
> tracked machinery) down with chains.  I have made up a set of 5/16" 
> high tensile strength chains (rated for transport use) that are about 
> 5 feet long with a chain hook on one end and a slip (choker) hook on 
> the other.  I purchased the cut lengths of chain and hooks from 
> Fleet-Farm (also check Tractor Supply).  The slip hook end of each 
> chain can be wrapped around a frame member or crossmember or hooked 
> into a hard point (as found F & R on FC's).  The other end can then be 
> adjusted to the most convenient mounting point available on the 
> trailer.  I then use a pair of load binders (5400# type typically on 
> the front chains) to tighten the vehicle down.  Another option is to 
> use two choke chains and one long (standard 16 ft) transport chain 
> that wraps around some secure part(s) of the vehicle.
>
> I have shied away from nylon straps for vehicles.  The nylon stretches 
> and allows the vehicle to move around somewhat (especially on our 
> rough MI roads) which can cause the strap to chafe, fray or possibly 
> be cut through.  Straps work fine for lumber, boxes, items in crates, 
> etc.
>
> For LM Corvairs:
> 1) Two chains wrapped around the front suspension crossmember.
> 2) One chain each on lower strut rods.
> 3) Load binders on front chains.
>
> For EM Corvairs
> 1) Two chains on front suspension crossmember.
> 2) One chain each on each rear axle/driveshaft.
> 3) Load binders on front chains.
>
> FC's
> 1) One chain through each tow loop at bumper brackets.
> 2) Load binders on front chains.
> Option: attach per EM.
>
> ALWAYS make sure to STOP and check what ever tie downs you use after a 
> short distance of transport (maybe a mile) and again after about 10 
> miles and at 100 miles, then whenever a stop is made for fuel, 
> restroom, etc...
>
> Dale Dewald
> Hancock, (UP) MI




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