Drag Racing Tech - Trailering f-body, where do you attach your straps

I need to get new straps for trailering. I have used axle straps for the last 10 years. I am thinking about switching to hooks. Let me know where you are hooking to and what type of hook you are using. Thanks

Ryan

I slide hooks in a hole in the frame on the front, just behind the tire. Axle straps on the back. I cross both front and rear straps too. It's worked fine for years

I slide hooks in a hole in the frame on the front, just behind the tire. Axle straps on the back. I cross both front and rear straps too. It's worked fine for years

exactly what he said^^^^

I'm using the holes in the front frame everyone is talking about but I use holes in the rear frame near the bumper. It's hard for me to get to the axle because the antiroll is in the way and so is the panhard.

I slide hooks in a hole in the frame on the front, just behind the tire. Axle straps on the back. I cross both front and rear straps too. It's worked fine for years

this!

Frame holes up front and axle straps in the rear for me. Watch for the ABS connector on the driver side...everytime I would unstrap mine the axle strap would always seem to hit it and it bacame unplugged.

Front frame holes, and the rear would get crossed, around the axle, towed for 1000's of miles this way on an open car with no issues.

Now the car has a hook on the front of the K member I just hook the front to on both sides, back I will just hook to the wheelie bar mounts I think, will figure that out when they're on the car. Should make it easy enough to get the straps on and off.

The front holes in the frame. Are you talking about the ones just behind the tires? or are there other ones? What are you using for a hook, just a j-hook or a T-hook?

The rear: I was thinking the same thing, there are holes just in front of the LCA mount. Going around the axle, I dont think I could dodge the brake lines and e brake cables.

Thanks

Ryan

Even on my 68 I go to the frame on the front and around the axle, crossed on the rear.

I was side swiped starting at my drivers door, down the side of my truck, and the asshole went up on the trailer caving in the entire drivers side of my 68, totaling the trailer in the process.
Only one strap broke, the one he hit, and the car was said to be 6' in the air (left paint on telephone pole 7'-8' off the ground) so I have no reason to not believe them.

Do it right and don't short cut.

more pics here if you like (http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ20)

And idea of the forces involved....never came unhooked
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/DSCF0009.jpg

still on trailer, both trailer axles broke...shity cell phone pics.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/accidentcell1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/accidentcell2.jpg

truck did much better...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/DSCF0003.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/DSCF0004.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/Dougs68Camaro/accident/DSCF0005.jpg

The front holes in the frame. Are you talking about the ones just behind the tires? or are there other ones? What are you using for a hook, just a j-hook or a T-hook?

The rear: I was thinking the same thing, there are holes just in front of the LCA mount. Going around the axle, I dont think I could dodge the brake lines and e brake cables.

Thanks

Ryan

J hook on the front, but again, now I'm using the tie down hook on the K frame.

Rear.. easy solution, ditch the ebrake cables, gets all that out of the way, and the brake lines, run them on the body so that there's just the flexible line coming down off the body to eash wheel. No more worries about those. And if you have to pull the rear it makes putting the caliper on the car, and not cracking a brake line, easy (alot less time if the rear has to come out for whatever reason)

If that's not convenient, then have a set of hooks put off the rear side of the lower control arm bracket. Easy enough to do with a piece of 3/16 plate, and then you have a goodl solid place to hook the car and not worry about your lines.

Why do you guys cross them? I kinda thought if one broke it would pull the car to one side which would cause the 2nd strap to become loose and pretty much useless

If they were straight back in theory the car wouldn't move if one broke or came loose.....Realistically I guess they should be inspected before using them which means they should never break but shit happens.
I could be wrong but that's what I'm picturing in my head

Rear is crossed to keep it centered since its prone to bounce and the front being straight also helps to keep it square.
Even in my accident...the car stayed on the trailer.

Fwiw I toss the straps, or start using them for light stuff only after a couple years. Use them just for strapping down atv's in the truck, stuff like that, I won't use them on the car after 2 to 3 years, depending on condition. ANY freying at all, other then the very end if they were cut to be shorter, is unacceptable to me, and they get downgraded to low weight items only at that point, fwiw.

Rear is crossed to keep it centered since its prone to bounce and the front being straight also helps to keep it square.
Even in my accident...the car stayed on the trailer.

What he said. The cars bounce more than the straps break. I have hauled for thousands of miles and never had a strap failure. My dad has hauled for many more thousands of miles with straps that are over 10 years old (I would have replaced them by now), but no failures for him either.

The cars will jostle around more than I care for if they weren't crossed at least in the rear. My 4 wheeler is in the same trailer and I cannot cross the straps for it. It is never ends in the same place it starts.

I have a couple atv locks I use to strap mine down in the trailer.. what I usually will do is air the rear tires down to 2 to 3 psi and strap it as tight as I can, then air them back up to 6, holds the back tight, front I hook to the frame, and I will stand on the front brush bar and then attach the hook, so the suspension is about 85% compressed, which keeps it pretty stable. Couple times the trailer has moved with the atv in it, it hasn't moved, fwiw.

Just how I deal with that, plenty of ways to do it. But, this method keeps it from shifting so I know when the car is in the trailer as well, the atv and car shouldn't ever come in contact with one another... at least as long as no disaster's happen anyway :eek2:

The easiest way to hook up to the rear is to drill holes in the front faces of the shock mounts off the rear end housing that are big enough for the hooks to fit into. It will not weaken the shock mounts any and makes it super easy to hook and cross your straps. A very strong anchoring point as well. Obviously the closer the hole is to the housing, the better.

The easiest way to hook up to the rear is to drill holes in the front faces of the shock mounts off the rear end housing that are big enough for the hooks to fit into. It will not weaken the shock mounts any and makes it super easy to hook and cross your straps. A very strong anchoring point as well. Obviously the closer the hole is to the housing, the better.




LOL, Or better yet weld a simple d ring on the back of the shock mount...you not have a perfect tow hook. We do this all the time and man it makes towing a joke.

What's funny? It's the simplest and best all around way to do it. Great for someone who doesn't have access to a welder or doesn't want to add rings. If you saw it you'd probably agree.

You can get these too, I dont have a trailer but saw the AAAPlus guys using them once I think there called I, T and J hooks? They fit right into the slots on our cars. I bought a set for my friends trailer I used and there work great, alot better then just sticking a hook in the factory spots. I noticed on some friends cars there tow strap hooks are starting to rip up the holes, and bend them, And when you cross the straps it pulls the them sideways.

I didn't get them here but they work great. Fast, easy, clean to work with, and pulls on the car alot better.
http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/87/Towing

What's funny? It's the simplest and best all around way to do it. Great for someone who doesn't have access to a welder or doesn't want to add rings. If you saw it you'd probably agree.


I also did the same thing, but trap it down on the dyno. Alot faster and easier to hook too. Don;t have to get close the the roller, they tend to get dirty. And save a little weight on my rear end, and easier to work on the car.... less shit on it. Most of the time I put the hooks thu the side (inside) of the BMR reloc mounts. I think I drilled some 1inch holes on the sides and the back on them. I could use the shock mounts too. I braced them to the relco brackets too.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/studderin/Picture020-1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/studderin/Picture015-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/studderin/Picture021-2.jpg

What are you guys doing to the shock on your car, tighten them up? I think most do so it dosn't beat the car up more, and added wear on them. I know some friends with faster, top of the line class cars that block them too.

In your first picture where you have three holes cut in the front side of the factory type shock mount, picture the shock mount with only the middle hole and that is exactly what we do. It really works great.

My race car has been hauled since new with some tow strap rings on the axle housing in the rear, and some rings on the chassis in front. Nothing special. Still goes 1.02 60's like it did new with original shocks and springs lol. Some guys have rubber air bags to go under the chassis and unload the suspension.

IMO the trailer won't beat the car up. I've ridden inside mine for short distances and it rides pretty smooth.

What's funny? It's the simplest and best all around way to do it. Great for someone who doesn't have access to a welder or doesn't want to add rings. If you saw it you'd probably agree.

I will not be cutting any meat away from my shock or LCA mount locations. Sorry, I doubt I'd agree to it. If it's working for you, then i say go for it though!

My race car has been hauled since new with some tow strap rings on the axle housing in the rear, and some rings on the chassis in front. Nothing special. Still goes 1.02 60's like it did new with original shocks and springs lol. Some guys have rubber air bags to go under the chassis and unload the suspension.

IMO the trailer won't beat the car up. I've ridden inside mine for short distances and it rides pretty smooth.


1.02 60' on a stock suspension setup with LCA's and stock shock mounting locations?! That's gotta be some kind of record!

Thanks guys, alot of good options. But I need something that will work on all of my f-bodies, even the 100% stock ones. So no welding or drilling. The cluster hook is what I had in mind, just wondering which hook will work the best. I found one with a J hook on one side and a T hook on the other side. I think that is what I am going to try, unless someone has a better idea. Thanks

Ryan

X 2 on that 60! That's a hell of a ride right there!!!!!!!!!

Guys thats a 25.1 car with a nitrous bbc, I highly doubt there's stock suspension in the car... probably a 4 link car.

Regardless that's leaving HARD!

Thanks guys, alot of good options. But I need something that will work on all of my f-bodies, even the 100% stock ones. So no welding or drilling. The cluster hook is what I had in mind, just wondering which hook will work the best. I found one with a J hook on one side and a T hook on the other side. I think that is what I am going to try, unless someone has a better idea. Thanks

Ryan

Ryan,
I bought a set, now that I think about it. I think I got them form summit, I'll look for the PN, But I wasn't sure too what would work best, so I got a bigger ring, that has 2-3 of the hooks on it. So any strap tailor setup you can get them fit nice and pull the straps for what you want. Some friends I know only tow there car, and have tons of miles on them and they say its fine. But their hooks dont really fit all that well were they put then, and pull on the straps nice. Like I bet I could side kick a few of them and there about to pop out, just putting the hooks on the body holes and having them pull off to the side.
I gave the J/R/I hook rings to someone I borrowed there tailor and they love them for there car.

these
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MTD-340001/


But this is the hook the fits the floor behind the firewall I use. Kinda were you jack the car up, behind the fender tab. Hook them in the Slot there, and cross the straps.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MTD-340003/

1.02 60' on a stock suspension setup with LCA's and stock shock mounting locations?! That's gotta be some kind of record!


No it's not stock suspension lol. Never was. My Firebird came stock as pipes on a rack and fiberglass resin. It's a lot of fun.

Fergy you have what's referred to as a real race car :nod:

No it's not stock suspension lol. Never was. My Firebird came stock as pipes on a rack and fiberglass resin. It's a lot of fun.

Fergy you have what's referred to as a real race car :nod:

LOL, exactly! My jaw was about to hit the floor, haha.

Thanks studderin, thats what I was looking at except it also has a j-hook on the other side of the t-hook. Those should work good for both the front and back. Thanks

Ryan

ya if you have stock front arms they have the oval hole in them too, if your straps don't reach the firewall ones. And there another set in front of the rear LCA bolt, were you put a jackstand for the rear. or you can get axle straps too, Just watch the brake lines. And crossing them and sliding in to the center section so I dont think Ive ever used them. But we use them (2 sets) on the dyno not crossing that set.

I have the J-hooks and T-Hooks Mac's Custom Tie-Downs and have no troubles.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MTD-340003/

I have the J-hooks and T-Hooks Mac's Custom Tie-Downs and have no troubles.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MTD-340003/

I too am running Mac's straps, but using the "Pro Pack with 40" Through-the-Wheel Straps" ... these are the best straps I have ever owned!