Lug nut tie downs

[Jeremy Cottrell]

Have any of you racers out there used the trailer tie downs that take place of one of the lug nuts per wheel. If so, how do you tighten/torque them down? Do you leave them on for the track or put the stock nut back on?

[nick-moss]

It is much better to tie the body down to compress the car's suspension. That stops the car bouncing around

[maxnine11]

mr mooseman. the proper way to tie down a vehicle or piece of equipment that has a suspension is to tie down the UNSUSPENDED portion!! Yes, the vehicle body will move up and down somewhat (kind of like when you drive it down the road), but the suspended parts of the car (be it wheel, axle, suspension arm etc.) stays firmly planted on the trailer. The only way to 'safely' tie down the body part of the car, as you suggest, would be to continue to cinch it down until all of the suspension travel is gone (bottomed out). Ususally not recommended. The biggest danger of securing only the body(suspended) portion to the trailer is that unless you have completely bottomed out the suspension, the car body will move up and down and back and forth a bit on bumps, which means your chains and binders,or what ever you are using as a tie down, will be going: tight-slack-tight -slack and on and on...which is how things come unhooked, and how things break. I have been involved in picking up 'things' from along the road that were not tied down properly,and its not usually pretty; so I have learned the "whys" as well as the "hows". Here is a couple of pictures of things with no suspensions that the company I work for has moved . later, MAX

[Soterik]

I use the lug nut tie downs......you tighten them to the point where...when you attach the tie down you have a straight line from the tie down "through" the loop lug nut.....boy, that's difficult to describe....you don't need to torque the thing on....you've got 4 other lugnuts doing their job, and once the tie down is secured, there's no way the thing can "back off".....

They work great...you take the "tie down" lug nut off when you get to where you're going, and put the standard lug nut back one....

Been using for 3 years....., probably 15,000 miles or so.

Eric

[nick-moss]

Hi Max

I learn't these rule from an ex British marine, who had been in charge of moving vehicles all over the world, via road, rail, ship and air. They chuck Land Rovers out of planes so I guess they know what they are doing. I'll carry on doing that way.

Not sure whether they move anything as big as those mothers, now that is impressive.

[71T Targa]

When you use the lug nut tie downs, do you install them and then put the car on the trailer? Or do you load the car and then install them? I guess my question is really; does it matter where in the bold pattern you put the tie down, always on the bottom most lug or something else?

[Tim Polzin]

Max:

Was that first picture a shot of the Shell coker going up to Ft. McMurray?

Tim

[maxnine11]

Tim, not sure of that picture, but that could be it (just pulled it off a Mullen webpage, as I am not in Alberta now, with access to my pictures) I see it supposed to be -44 C with the windchill factor tonight in Lac La Biche!!! Keep the longjohns on!! T-shirt weather in LA!!! Max

[Tim Polzin]

Don't worry, we're tough.

Tim

[thabaer]

Keep in mind I have never seen the lugnet tiedown being discussed, but I would never want to risk flexing a single stud like that. It hasn't failed yet ?? I prefer not to indulge in 20/20 hindsight... especially when it's so easy (and quick) to throw a web sling on each wheel or the chassis, you know, the same tough stuff the tie-down straps ( and Tim? ) are made from.

[carnut169]

We have to tie down our race cars by the wheels & let them bounce around... if we don't compressing the suspension causes the chassis set-up to go out of wack (alignment, etc). I agree with max... do not compress the suspension!

[arrivederci]

I tie my car down through the holes in the fuchs.