I was wondering how you tie down your cars on your trailers? Right now i'm just using the tow hooks, but to do so I have to back up onto my trailer which is a pain. Are there any slots for t-bolts or anything? Thanks for your help!

Now I've got a 2003 TS so things might be different but there are two obvious tie down loops just in front of the front wheels (easily visable from the wheel well). At the back, on the drivers side, there is also a loop on the frame between the swaybar mount and the muffler mount. On the passenger side there isn't one becasue there is that mystery canister, but the actual tow loop is on that side just under the bumper.

I used all teh factory tow hooks and criscross the straps on a 17 foot trailer (econo trailer, open deck) worked great

I used all teh factory tow hooks and criscross the straps on a 17 foot trailer (econo trailer, open deck) worked great

2nded. If you have to back on because the front will scrape the ramps, build a 'pre-ramp' with 2 2x4s staggered. Like this... __--- then put the ramp on the top one. I had to do that with all my cars.

--kC

2nded. If you have to back on because the front will scrape the ramps, build a 'pre-ramp' with 2 2x4s staggered. Like this... __--- then put the ramp on the top one. I had to do that with all my cars.

--kC

Yup what those guys said.

-mike

Unless you can completely compress the suspension, it is better to tie the car off to unsprung parts. Like the axle housing or strong suspension piece. Maybe the lower shock mounting points. The reason is that if you tie off to the body, the car will bounce and shock load the points you are connected to.
Richard with 25 years of towing experience.

To follow Richard's advice, use the rear trailing arm between the sway bar mount and the knuckle. I can't think of the best place in the front right now, for some reason...

I run the straps through the wheels on my car.

Unless you can completely compress the suspension, it is better to tie the car off to unsprung parts. Like the axle housing or strong suspension piece. Maybe the lower shock mounting points. The reason is that if you tie off to the body, the car will bounce and shock load the points you are connected to.
Richard with 25 years of towing experience.

LOL - with my spring rates I'd rip off the tow hooks, lol


PS - on the looping through wheels, I am against that, you can mess up your alignment and your wheels and suspension bits..

Thanks for the advice everyone! The reason i've been backing the car up onto the trailer is because when I drive it forward onto the trailer the car sits too far back on the trailer to keep everything level. Basically the rear tow hooks end up right above the d rings so they're useless. That's why I was wondering if there were any points further forward on the car to use for the straps.

Interesting, I alway tie down from the body-hooks and pull it onto the trailer straight, however if I pull too far forward, then it handles like garbage! So I painted some markings to make sure it sits properly on the trailer.

I thought about the wheel tie downs too but just had the other straps already setup so I never got the ones through the weels. With the Armada it's great towing the legacy as it's well under the max capacity :)

-mike

LOL - with my spring rates I'd rip off the tow hooks, lol


PS - on the looping through wheels, I am against that, you can mess up your alignment and your wheels and suspension bits..

The big open wheel teams, ie. CART, IRL, use tire hold downs IIRC. They use a 'basket' weave that goes over the tires.

As to messing up your alignment, I suppose it is possible if you pull at acute angles. But a reasonably straight forward and rear pull seems to work okay. Next time you have a chance to attend a pro race like World Challange, see how those guys tie cars down.
Richard

Rich do you tow on an open trailer or closed and would that matter? I've towed for about 5 years with car trailers and about 14 with boat trailers but always like to learn more!

-mike

Our rear hooks end up right above the D links too. I go up, loop the rear diff snout and back down to the other D link with a long single strap. Never had a problem with occasional triple digit speeds or evasive maneuvers (not at the same time anyway).

We'd need a new clutch if my codriver tried to back onto the trailer...probably a rear bumper too.... :rolleyes:

Jay Storm

Our rear hooks end up right above the D links too. I go up, loop the rear diff snout and back down to the other D link with a long single strap. Never had a problem with occasional triple digit speeds or evasive maneuvers (not at the same time anyway).

We'd need a new clutch if my codriver tried to back onto the trailer...probably a rear bumper too.... :rolleyes:

Jay Storm

We are going to make the front bumper removable on the Legacy so we can pop it off to put it on the trailer, especially once we put a splitter on it.

-mike

The big open wheel teams, ie. CART, IRL, use tire hold downs IIRC. They use a 'basket' weave that goes over the tires.


I've seen the results of a car, strapped down just with the wheel weaves, roll off the back of an open trailer, down the street backwards, across two streets and into a telephone pole.

I would suggest using those only if you have a closed trailer that can keep the car in (and at that, that the indy cars weigh well under 2k lbs).

--kC

Interesting, I alway tie down from the body-hooks and pull it onto the trailer straight, however if I pull too far forward, then it handles like garbage! So I painted some markings to make sure it sits properly on the trailer.

The guy who's trailer I'm borrowing nailed a couple 2x4's to the trailer to stop the car in just the right spot. Makes it much easier when you're loading alone.

I thought about the wheel tie downs too but just had the other straps already setup so I never got the ones through the weels. With the Armada it's great towing the legacy as it's well under the max capacity :)

-mike

I just run 2" straps through the wheels. I figure the forces on a trailer are a fraction of what the car sees on stage or the track.

Rich do you tow on an open trailer or closed and would that matter? I've towed for about 5 years with car trailers and about 14 with boat trailers but always like to learn more!

-mike

Open trailer. I don't think it matters as to how you tie it down as to what type of trailer it is.

As to crossing the straps, it has been my experience that a straight pull is better. Kurt Janish, to use his name in vain if my memory is faulty, used to cross his straps in an enclosed trailer. But when one strap broke loose, the car was then pulled sideways into the wall of the trailer.
Richard

I've seen the results of a car, strapped down just with the wheel weaves, roll off the back of an open trailer, down the street backwards, across two streets and into a telephone pole.

I would suggest using those only if you have a closed trailer that can keep the car in (and at that, that the indy cars weigh well under 2k lbs).

--kC

I almost lost my rally car once when the wheel weave came off 3 of the 4 tires. That said, U-Haul seems to think these are a good idea as that is what is on their dollies that they rent.
Richard

Am I the only person who throws a backup chain on at least one of the points so even if one strap loosens up, it won't roll/wiggle but so far?

Am I the only person who throws a backup chain on at least one of the points so even if one strap loosens up, it won't roll/wiggle but so far?
I've got chains on my dolly. I've never seen something like that on a trailer.

I can verify that the chains will hold the car, as about half the time I forget to unhook them before trying to back off the dolly. :o

Stock early Impreza A arms have a hole in the bottom close to the ball joint. I hook in there on the front. Agree with leaving the car sprung. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, leave the car in neutral, not in gear. If in gear you can chip a tooth under extreme circumstances. Better safe than sorry.

Stock early Impreza A arms have a hole in the bottom close to the ball joint. I hook in there on the front. Agree with leaving the car sprung. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, leave the car in neutral, not in gear. If in gear you can chip a tooth under extreme circumstances. Better safe than sorry.

Interesting, I always leave it in gear as a backup for the straps. I have to say the straps I have are pretty beefy and have chains on the ends of them for attaching to the trailer side and the shackle side. We've done some pretty nasty manuvers to avoid accidents w/o issue. But I think you are right, leaving it in gear may be a bad idea.

-mike

Oh yeah, always in Neutral.

As to crossing the straps, it has been my experience that a straight pull is better. Kurt Janish, to use his name in vain if my memory is faulty, used to cross his straps in an enclosed trailer. But when one strap broke loose, the car was then pulled sideways into the wall of the trailer.
Richard

I've seen pictures (that I cannot find) of the difference between cross straps and straight straps when a trailer has been in an accident and/or off the road and the amount of damage that has occurred or been prevented to the car. Crossed straps have aways prevented more damage than straight straps. Think of a trailer on a 30 or 40 degree angle off the side of a highway out midwest way... car untouched. Straight straps will not prevent gravity pulling the car to the side in situations like this.

Crossed straps also prevent more side to side motion under normal driving, especially when you have a car on a stock(ish) suspension. A car has more of a potential to hop or walk with straight straps under normal conditions.

I always have and will recommend crossing your straps.

And if they broke, well that's the owners problem. They should be inspected and/or replaced every year or two.

--kC

FWIW, I take the car out of gear, but pull the e-brake.

Never used the e-brake either. No stress anywhere except on the tiedowns.

--kC

I've always gone through the wheels with 3" straps, pulling straight forward/backward. Never had any alignment changed by trailering. One thing you need to watch if you have humongous brakes though, is the strap rubbing on the rotor. I had one crew man tie the car down heading out to Rim of the World, with the straps touching the rotors, and then got to find out what that banging noise was eminating from the enclosed trailer (front straps both severed, car was bouncing off the back of the trailer) :(.

A bit more caution applied since then as far as strap routing goes, has yielded many years of happy trailering. A safety chain or two is always a good idea.

I don't like the idea of tying off to the control arms, except on my #1 car which has prodrive uber reinforced bits (you could hang the car from one of them). I'd say don't tie off to anything you wouldn't throw a floor jack under to lift the car, but that's just me being paranoid...

Oh yeah, and always take the car out of gear when trailering!

Cheers,
-Doug

KC, any recommendations of a good place to buy straps? We are looking to replace ours, but the ones we've found so far are little puny things. :(

http://www.racerwholesale.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=10

I picked up some beefy straps from Farm & Fleet. I think they're 10,000 lb. They were only like $10 each, too.

The only downside is the straps are over 20 feet long, so it's a pain to deal with all the slack.

I found a local hardware shop that sells great straps for like $17 each, it's a one off store so that's not much help, made for strapping down farm equipment.

We went local too. They actually ordered for us from their trucking place some straps that were for ratcheting down loads on big rigs. They made them custom so that the length wasn't too long on the slack side for us. So far have worked out well for about 3 years.

-mike

Although I don't suggest this so you can use them for different things you can always cut the extra strap material off and melt the frayed end with a lighter to make things easier. In the back I put the straps in the trunk of the car and shut the trunk lid so all teh extra strap ends up in the trunk of the subie and in the front I wrap it around the tongue stays and tie it off.