Tie down straps

lomodyj

lomodyj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Out in the Middle
I've been hooking my tie down straps to my frame now for a couple of years. I like it because I know it's not gonna get pulled off (like a bumper might) and it helps keep the suspension from moving the Jeep around while riding the trailer down the road.

I saw a bunch of people using the straps that go around the axle, a-la race car type straps...Wondering if there is any advantages to using the axle straps over the frame straps.

Any thoughts?
 
While there are surely varied opinions on this, you'll find that most professional haulers will compress the suspension to achive some degree of vehicle stability. ( by professional, I mean transporters and cross country hotshot drivers, most rollback operators are in too much of a hurry to do more that toss a chain anywhere the hook will grab)

Suspension compression will help keep your towed vehicle from swaying back and forth transmitting motion into your trailer.

Use straps/chains to the axles to restrain vehicle if the straps should break .

Kevin
 
You'll find as many opinions as people you ask. I've hauled both with the frame tied down and with the axles tied down. Compressing the suspension will reduce vehicle movement and the corresponding slight shifts in weight. However, the Mog is a pain to get the frame tied down well, with straps bending/resting on items sticking out from the frame risking a strap getting cut. The last time I hauled, I tied down the axles and it did pretty well. You notice the difference, but the Mog's suspension is stiff enough that the movements aren't that great. A super soft suspension and high sprung weight combo would be bad if you only grabbed the axles.
 
...as someone one mentioned this appears to be an opinions thing...I had always heard go over the axles because you are "not" gonna get the suspension compressed enough that a good bounce couldn't allow the vehicle to move?

In other words on a hard bounce, the suspension compresses even MORE, which means your strap is loose, and then the vehicle could move slightly, and the vehicle UN-comrpessess which then 'SHOCKS' the strap!

Whereas, over the axles, you are compressing the TIRES, and allow the suspension to work/bounce like normal...

SO...that is why I use my axles for tie downs...I CAN certainly feel the suspension / movements as mentioned above...thru the trailer tho...

Sam
 
SHINTON said:
...as someone one mentioned this appears to be an opinions thing...I had always heard go over the axles because you are "not" gonna get the suspension compressed enough that a good bounce couldn't allow the vehicle to move?

In other words on a hard bounce, the suspension compresses even MORE, which means your strap is loose, and then the vehicle could move slightly, and the vehicle UN-comrpessess which then 'SHOCKS' the strap!

Whereas, over the axles, you are compressing the TIRES, and allow the suspension to work/bounce like normal...

SO...that is why I use my axles for tie downs...I CAN certainly feel the suspension / movements as mentioned above...thru the trailer tho...

Sam
Click to expand...

Someone mentioned strapping down by the axles, and then also to the frame to put some tension on the springs, but still have the failsafe over the axles. If you don't have enough straps or chains to do both, I would do it over the axles. Last time I went to Crackers Neck I towed my truck with a friend's Chevy Dually, on a 16 foot trailer, with chains around the axles and didn't have any problems.
 
I strap the axles to the trailer. this holds the vehicle securely in place. (Cross either the front or rear straps)

Then, I take smaller straps, and cinch down the body a little, usually either at the cage or sliders. This just reduces body swap when you take curves and such.

Adding the body straps made a world of difference on the setup I previously used (Expedition with tow package, trailer with car tires)

What car transporters & hotshots do doesn't really apply verbatim for us.. Production cars don't have 14" of suspension travel. To cinch a rig down (by the frame) far enough so the body won't sway will put a tremendous load on the springs, wheel bearings, ball joints, etc...
 
Take this as a grain of salt, but ill never simply rely on frame tie downs - a few hard bounces and my buggy came unstrapped and moved a few feet on the trailor. Its hard to ratchet strap coilovers down all the way.

I now X the rear axle. The front i just toss a single strap around the axle and mount it to the trailor / \. I use a comealong in the front as well and compress the suspension a little just to minimize body movement.
 
I use four straps, one at each corner tied to the axle. NEVER a problem. a strap on the rear on the suspension sometimes, when it feels tight I cinch the front down with the winch cable. I notice no difference when I pull, and my Jeep has a very soft suspension. I do recomend, just like DOT recommends, drive a few miles and check tension on all tie downs. I do it at all stops for fuel, pee breaks and what ever.
 
I cross the front staps /\ and attach to the frame of my rig, on the rear i strap to the axles, l l . i have coilovers and definately can tell the difference without the suspension cinched down. I also run the winch cable loosely to the trailer for a safety chain. this has NEVER failed me and i bounce the trailer pretty hard sometimes!
 
I use chain, from my front and rear d-rings and X them to the trailer, only compressing the suspension. I then use a wheel block srewed into the bed of the trailer to minimize movement. If I'm feeling squirly, I'll hook the winch loosely to a D-ring welded to the front of the trailer. I've been towing like this for quite a while, with no problems. I'll try to dig a pic up sometime...
 
winch as a safty ? is this incase you accelerate to fast ? Seriously though, at most you guys are pulling .5 G on a really super fast foot to the floor acceleration. (.6 for rich) On a sudden impact stop/crash your gonna see 2-3 G (or more) I wouldnt trust a rachet strap to hold that.. or a cable rated at 8k, I run rated 3/8" (30k-50k type chains) chained to a seperate mount to the axle, in the back. Then 2 straps up front crossed, to take up slack, and hold on acceration. I also use axle straps with the abrasiions covers as its not hard to compromise a strap on a rough spot..

If your using a strap looped back its only as good as 1 strap as if eaither mount point fails your load is not secured...

And what stud nuts said is dead on, Straping the body only on our rigs isnt really safe due to the amount of flex that is possible, by most rigs... Those are fine like rich said as an EXtra item, to control roll etc.....


Also many racers either strap the chasis down to blocks of remove the shocks as the bouncing in a trailer can "wear" out a shock same as if you drive it that far... :)
 
yager said:
Also many racers either strap the chasis down to blocks
Click to expand...

Hmmm... Interesting idea... take a couple of wood 4x4's, standing on end, 1/2" shorter than the height of your chassis, and strap the body down until the wood is firmly held in place... That would SURELY control the body sway without putting an undue amount of force on the springs, bearings, etc...

Might want to drill a hole through the 4x4 and wrap a short safety cable on a clip around the frame though, just in case that block comes loose.. ;)

I think I'm gonna try that... once my junk is rolling again under its own power. :D

Thoughts?
 
yager said:
And what stud nuts said is dead on, Straping the body only on our rigs isnt really safe due to the amount of flex that is possible, by most rigs... Those are fine like rich said as an EXtra item, to control roll etc.....
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the time we were on a long road trip... one of the guys in our group was towing, and wanted to suck down the suspension on the trail rig to cut some of the body sway.

We tried several times to do it.... took a couple of 3" ratchet straps to D rings on each end. Even put a hammer in the ratchets to get extra leverage... but it would get an hour or so down the road, and every one of the straps would eventually come loose. No matter how tight we got it, it would still bounce enough to let a strap go slack and unhook itself sooner or later.
 
...REAR axle question.... how are you guys "wrapping" your chains etc around the rear axle without messing up brake lines?

Pics?

On my last trip we actually cinched down the "suspension" despite my "normal" practice of just the axles, because of the rear brake line issue. I was eyeballing "axle straps" and race car straps at Northern Tool this weekend...which is what brings this up.

Sam
 
under the tubes, over the center diff (by the pinion) and back under the tube. mine sways pretty good, but has never been an issue, i strap the body down and both axles, and it tows great.
 
I use axle straps around the tubes, and under the brake lines.

No thoughts about the 4x4 under the frame? :D
 
Rich said:
No thoughts about the 4x4 under the frame? :D
Click to expand...

Going air shocks or something?

With a link suspension, pulling the springs would be a pretty cool way to get a smooth ride, IMHO. Build some short adapters out of tube to bolt in place of the air shocks/coilovers/etc, keep the chassis right on the stops.

Little bit of work for a weekend trip, but it would be sweet for all-day towing.
 
Nope, staying leafs for now, but the body roll I get when the rig is on the trailer was quite noticable... Should be better with the new shocks, but I'd like to get the rig snugged down solidly... without compressing the ever-loving hell out of the suspension.

There's no way I'd go through all the trouble of pulling springs...
 
SHINTON said:
...REAR axle question.... how are you guys "wrapping" your chains etc around the rear axle without messing up brake lines?

I was eyeballing "axle straps" and race car straps at Northern Tool this weekend...which is what brings this up.
Click to expand...

I have two chains with a chain hook on one end (so I can put the chain through the D-ring on my trailer and hook back to itself) and an axle "J" hook on the other end, like Northern sells. The brake lines on my rear axle are on the *rear* or top side of the axle tube, so the J-hook doesn't touch them since it touches the front side and bottom of the axle tube. I put the hooks on the axle tubes out near the tires, not in the middle near the center section.

The axle straps I got from Northern work well too. I use them on my front axle in combination with some 10,000 lb ratchet straps like they sell at Northern. Here's a link the axle strap I'm talking about:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...tDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=28659&R=28659

I also carry a couple of these hook clusters for use with my ratchet straps when I need to hook to the frame of some vehicle:
http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=10058

Later!
Richard
 
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