need to tie it down - 88 5K TQ

[Brett Dikeman]

On Jun 29, 2005, at 11:08 AM, Britt Crowell wrote:
> I'm moving tomorrow and I have my 88 5K TQ on my trailer (dual axel)
> What are the best points to tie it down? This is going to be about  
> a 1500 trip it will see a lot of bumps and stuff.

Tie- downs usually go to opposite sides; trailer left to car  
right...and ideally the straps(don't use chains- and use straps  
SPECIFICALLY for tying down vehicles) should not be very  
perpendicular to direction of travel, otherwise not much will keep  
the car from going straight forward in a hard-stop situation save  
tire traction on the trailer deck.  Usually the rear tie-down loops  
on trailers are pretty far back, so it's not a big problem.  Use ALL  
FOUR corners.  NEVER "hook" onto the body.  Wrap the strap around,  
and re-hook the strap to the loops provided on the straps (again-  
don't use chains).  Check what you're wrapping around doesn't have  
rough edges that could cut the strap.  The hooks should be of a type  
that won't accidentally unhook (ie spring-loaded clip over the opening).

    In back it's easy- the corner of the bottom plate on the  
suspension (sorry, forgot the official name for it...A-arm,  
basically?) by one of the bushings.  Front- I forget exactly where,  
but you want to stay on the lower suspension components, not the  
subframe.  You can also get straps that go around the wheels (think  
sort of like a parking boot).  However, unless you have aftermarket  
wheels or maybe fuchs, you're not going to get the hook through any  
5000 wheels I'm aware of.  The wheel method is nice- fast and  
secure.  The idea is to let the car bounce on the suspension, but use  
points on the car which won't move.  Why?  Well, let's say you go  
over a really big bump and you're using body tie-downs.  Example- you  
go over a speed bump way too fast with the trailer.  Trailer goes up,  
car suspension compresses in the car, slack in the straps, and now it  
can move/slide, or straps might unhook, or get overstressed when the  
suspension rebounds and the trailer drops off the bump and you have  
the combined momentum of the trailer+car in opposite directions  
hitting the straps.

Off lower suspension bits or the wheels?  The suspension compresses  
and uncompresses, without tension ever changing on the straps much.   
Even if the car completely lifts off the trailer (which would require  
damn impressive driving on your part), the straps let it go up a  
little (angle changes more than tension does), it comes down exactly  
where it left.

With straps, get them -tight-.  You should practically be able to  
play them.  Re-check after 25-50 miles, as the car has had time to  
shift around a little back-to-front and you may need to re-tighten  
all four if you had one set looser than another.  As another lister  
mentioned, try to get the tongue weight right, even if you have a  
sway-control hitch (which is highly recommended if you do a lot of  
towing, especially with a smaller vehicle).  I'm also assuming the  
tow vehicle has provisions for electric brakes, or the trailer has a  
surge brake system (which uses forward pressure on the tongue to  
provide force on a master cylinder).

Brett
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