<VV> trailer tie downs (Corvair)

[Robert Marlow, Vairtec Corp.]

Ed in Fla 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.

Ed, there is no cut-and-dried answer because of variations in the tie-down 
points on different trailers.  For example, I can put my lowered '64 coupe 
on my steel Deande trailer easily, but when we loaded it on a friend's 
aluminum Trailex trailer, there was no way to make the tie-downs work -- 
yet he carries a stock '65 on it with no problems.

You've already seen the opinions concerning tying the car to the "body" 
(i.e., the front crossmember et al) vs tying it to the suspension.  I am a 
big believer in tying not only to the suspension, but to the outermost part 
of the suspension.  On my cars (both early and late), this means so-called 
"axle straps" over the front lower control arms, way out at the ball joint 
end.  On the rear of the '64, I was not satisfied with the available 
tie-down points, so I welded steel loops to the semi-trailing arms and I 
click my tie-downs to those loops.  On the rear of my '66, I put axle 
straps over the lower strut rods.

You'll have to experiment with your car and your trailer.  With a set of 
adjustable straps designed for this purpose (such as those from M&R, 
http://www.mrproducts.com ) and two or four axle traps, you can vary the 
arrangement until you find the right balance.

--Bob in NJ

Robert W. Marlow
Vairtec at optonline.net