Tying a Viper down on a trailer - advise?

[NOTVETTE]

Where's the best place to attach web belt tie-downs to a Viper when trailering? Someone told me to attach to the lower control arms but another said that this might cause a future alignment problem, better to hook up to the frame. I'm thinking that if they (the control arms) can handle all the dynamic stress that the wheels put on the chassis during acceleration, braking and cornering at high G speeds, they can certainly handle the web belts. Anybody know the DC recommendation?

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

No need to risk damaging the suspension. There are holes in the frame specifically designed for tow hooks. Or you can loop the straps through the wheels.

 

[Ron Hickey]

If you hook the tow straps into the holes in the frame, you will eventually stretch out those holes. There is a small hook available called an R-hook which is designed to go in the slot and to which the tow strap attaches. These hooks are available from most of the internet two strap vendors.

If it's an occasional trailer trip, you can probably get by without the R-hooks. Running straps through the wheels works great if you are not concerned about scratching your wheels.

 

[Matt M PA]

I trailer a '72 Plymouth mostly, and use axle straps.

For the Viper, you want to get the hooks...some call them J hooks, or T hooks. Then, you hook your ratchet strap to that. Only way to trailer a Viper and they were not expensive.

Another towing tip....when I started towing over a decade ago, I was told to NOT cross the straps to the tie-downs. An old timer told me that crossing the straps does not help side to side movement, but raises the center of gravity.

 

[GTS Dean]

Before I got the J-hooks, I used 2" axle straps to tie down. I carefully wrapped them around the inner pivot locations on the A-arms, then went diagonally across with the tie-downs.

I disagree with Matt on crossing straps. With all the heavy equipment we haul in my construction business, the standard is crossed chains. It prevents lateral shifting of loads.

 

[C-Note]

That D 10 doesnt have any suspension movment, I think that not crossing the straps helps with keeping the car down on the trailer instead of bouncing up or leaning around corners, therfore raising your center of gravity. Just my .02c

 

[DavidSB]

R-Hook and ratchet strap packages available from www.awdirect.com. Great prices and fast service. Set your e-brake but leave the transmission in neutral.

 

[2000_Black_RT10]

That D 10 doesnt have any suspension movment, I think that not crossing the straps helps with keeping the car down on the trailer instead of bouncing up or leaning around corners, therfore raising your center of gravity. Just my .02c

My Canadian .02c may not be worth more than yours, but the last time I was lazy and didn't cross my straps in the enclosed car trailer. The car shifted several inches to one side, lots of fun trying to get it out.

I would vote that a shifting load in a trailer is more significant than raising the center of gravity. In other words - cross the straps. I always did with my old Hemi cars, never had a problem with their old style plush suspensions.

 

[Shelby3]

Before I got the J-hooks, I used 2" axle straps to tie down. I carefully wrapped them around the inner pivot locations on the A-arms, then went diagonally across with the tie-downs.

I disagree with Matt on crossing straps. With all the heavy equipment we haul in my construction business, the standard is crossed chains. It prevents lateral shifting of loads.

Nice everything in that first picture.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

>Another towing tip....when I started towing over a decade ago, I was told to NOT cross the straps to the tie-downs. An old timer told me that crossing the straps does not help side to side movement, but raises the center of gravity. <

Interesting comment. Crossed straps will limit side-to-side vehicle movement better because one strap is nearly in side-to-side tension already. When leaning left, the strap anchored on the right will keep the car from moving, although the car may "rise" because the strap anchored on the left won't do much in trying to keep it down. Sort of like sliding into a curb.

Straps just thrown over the axle will prevent the vehicle from upwards movement better, but don't have much resistance to sliding.

I suppose you have to look at how much the center of gravity would really rise; about as much as the car itself would been running through a turn. Cars don't flip over in turns, so should be fine.

Of course, there is always an alternative:

 

[Matt M PA]

I guess it's the question for the ages....I have trailered for over a decade and my cars stay put. Plus, when using the hooks for the Viper, it would seem to me that crossing the straps would tend to make the hooks try to pry that plate off the frame.

To each his own, and I wish you all the best, no matter how you tie down. I only mentioned my experience as an old timer told me many years ago. I figured his years of experience held some value.


http://www.mrproducts.com/index.php?func=html&page=tie_down_tips

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I never cross my straps. I'm more concerned about front to rear movement than I am about side to side.

 

[Janni]

we don't cross our straps - but the trailer floor is aluminum treadplate and the car gets compressed so much by tightening the straps - it's usually stuck to the floor by the time we reach wherever we are going.

We have been accused of either lengthing the Viper, or - shortening the trailer.....

No movement in 7! years.

man - Viper Days has killed my vacation planning........

 

[NOTVETTE]

Many thanks to all who replied so far. Seems there are many different opinions based on one's various past experiences and successes. Good discussion.

 

[C-Note]

Tom, What are you towing with your Viper?
Just a fun fact its says in the owners manual, Do not tow anything with your viper.

 

[2000_Black_RT10]

The link you provided looks and it clears up the advice from your old timer, having the 25 - 35 degrees would help any lateral movement. The only reason I have crossed was to gain that angle whereas to avoid a 0 degree / parallel / inline with the car position of the straps.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

I tow a small trailer; I think it's like 40" x 48"? Only big enough for four tires, toolbox and an aluminum jack. I welded a rail on three sides to strap down the tires. Loaded the trailer weighs 400 lbs. You'd never know it's there except for a little visibility problem behind you. 80MPH no problem, just make sure the trailer tires are good quality. Wheel bearings not an issue since it's well under the capacity of the trailer. Trailer lights come through pre-cut opening in faux rear bumper grill and through a slit I put in the big 4" rubber plug in the trunk floor. Viper has yellow turn signals, so you need the conversion box as the trailer has the red turn signals.

 

[Bonkers]

Here's a dumb question that has plagued me the past
couple of weeks. When I try to balance the car over the
trailer axles the trailer becomes unstable and attempts
to "wag the dog" so-to-speak. Especially at higher speeds.
So I position the car just a little forward of the axles
so there's more weight on the hitch. The trailer rides much
better and at 80mph there's little wiggle. But I was recently
told this is a bad practice because I could over-burden
the hitch with the extra tongue weight and damage both
truck and trailer.

Anyone care to comment?

 

[NOTVETTE]

Bonkers: Your procedure is correct. All trailer manufacturers I know of, advise that to minimize a tendency to "fishtail", approximately 10% of the total combined trailer and load weight should be on the hitch. So if you have say a 3200 Lbs. car on a 3000 Lbs trailer you should position the car so approximately 620 Lbs. is on the tongue at the point where it attaches to the hitch ball.

This is easy to confirm with a scale. At home not many of us have a scale that goes this high. This is how I did it: Make sure the loaded trailer is level, parked on a level surface with the wheels securely blocked before beginning. I used a regular bathroom scale with a 4 ft. long 4" by 4" placed horizontally, one end on the center of the scale and the other end on center of a narrow stationary object of the exact same height as the scale. Keeping the trailer level, if you apply the weight of the trailer tongue (You want to be where the ball connects, not at the tongue jack) exactly 1 ft. (1/4 the length) from the stationery support end of the 4 x 4, the scale will read at 1/4 the actual tongue weight on the scale. Therefore to get 620 Lbs as in our example above, you would want to read 155 Lbs. on the scale. Obviously, observe all safety precautions, make sure your trailer is level and the wheels are securely blocked and be sure there is weight on the tongue before disconnecting it from the ball on the tow vehicle or the tongue will go up in the air until the tail of the trailer rests on the ground.

Another consideration obviously, in the example given, is that the hitch on the tow vehicle has to be specified capable of supporting well in excess of least 620 Lbs. of vertical load as well as pulling the combined weight of the trailer and it's cargo. I wouldn't use anything less than a class IV or V heavy duty hitch with weight distributing bars when trying to tow another car on a trailer. But that's a whole other story.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Not sure how I do it is a good example. What I do is line up the centerline of the car a specific distance in front of the center between the two axles. Since the Viper is nearly 50/50 weight distribution it makes the calculation easy. With the Viper somewhere around 3500 lb each foot over center provides 3500x1 torque. If the distance to the ball from the axle center is 10 ft the ball load would be 350 + the initial tongue load when unloaded. (about 120 lb for mine since it is a 1200 lb aluminum trailer). That gives about 470 lb tongue load for a 4700 lb trailer plus car.

So that is my basic gauge. Try to get the car centered about 1 ft or slightly more forward of the trailer axle center. Easy enough to do in the dark after the track closes

 

[NOTVETTE]

Your math seems logical to me. A good way to do it without having to weigh the tongue, assuming the trailer unloaded has 10% of its unloaded weight on the ball.

I tow three different model cars on my trailer from time to time and I have marked the center line of where each front axle should be for the appropriate car, then I use one of those car front wheel stops designed for parking in a garage and stoping you in the right place to stop me on the trailer when I pull on. Works great and my tongue weight is correct and consistant each time.