For Trailering...

[Wellwood]

Looking for first hand recommendations for best ratchetvtie down straps to tie-down your car onto a car trailer.

I've seen a few 'kits in a bag' and have used a few from Lowe's/Home Depot. Looking to put a set aside and dedicated for my P cars.

TI

[FrenchToast]

Don't get something from Lowes, etc. I've never seen them carry anything for trailering a vehicle, only light duty stuff.

Look at Mack's tie downs (maybe it is Mac's). Expensive but many people use them. I imagine they are made in different ratings (tension).

That's the only brand I know of, but there are several others. Many race shops carry them.

Get a good set, not something chintzy. A good set should last a long time. (Probably longest in an enclosed trailer).

I would also ask the racing/track forum.

[ckelly78z]

If I were going to tow a car (race car) alot, I would mount small tow hooks on both ends of the car, and use properly sized ratchet straps (4000#) to keep it stationary.

[OPRN]

My 944s both run!!

Just kidding, couldn't resist that - my bad!

Both of my cars have tie downs on the front from factory but I like to use the A frames out near the wheels on the front and the trailing arms near the wheels on the back. Just snug them up firm, no need for huge tension. This allows the car to float on it's suspension over the bumps. If you tie down to the body you must get the suspension sucked down pretty hard in order to stop the car from bouncing up and down on the bumps and jack hammering/slamming the tie downs to failure.

Those tie downs that go over the tires look like the answer to me, I just haven't bought a set yet.

[Mr. Squid]

In the back of my 944 I have these:

944 Rear Tow Hook

There is actually factory mounting points for these tow hooks back there, no need to drill, etc.

I the front I used to use straps through the wheels (I have 5 spoke 968 wheels, and it is easy to get these through)

https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-04228-Premium-Strap-D-Ring/dp/B00I5HRTU4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1508246631&sr=8-7&keywords=tow+strap+d+ring

For Ratchet straps I would use something similar to these with the safety hooks.

https://www.amazon.com/SmartStraps-Ratchet-Straps-RatchetX-Hooks/dp/B0047D0S30/ref=pd_cp_60_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0047D0S30&pd_rd_r=K1T8G0KBW7FWK6XZ1S2V&pd_rd_w=t8elt&pd_rd_wg=fBQSB&psc=1&refRID=K1T8G0KBW7FWK6XZ1S2V

Hope that helps!

[944 Ecology]

Here's a trick I learned from a dirt track racer (with expensive shocks).

In order to keep your shocks from wearing out, put large (e.g. 6x6 posts) under the frame rails and tie down the chassis, not the wheels, so that the chassis is firmly locked down onto the posts. The oscillations caused by trailering, even on relatively smooth roads, will cause your shocks abnormal wear.

That said, when I used my rollback tow truck to move cars around, I used two chains in front (straight to the corners) and two chains in back (crossed in an X). After 10 miles of the tow, I would stop and retighten everything, since it would invariably loosen.

[IdahoDoug]

So, I've towed a lot of cars a lot of miles. Get good straps and I also always put a heavy chain from the car to the rear of the trailer in the event of an actual crash. It will help prevent the towed vehicle from coming through your back window just when the vehicle you're in doesn't need to be crushed more. I also suggest the car be secured against motion by the straps and the parking brake, not by being in gear if its a manual. Over a long tow, the constant pressure can cause drive train damage when its going gently back and forth over bumps. A little flat spot on gear contact faces from a cross country tow can suck later. Remember, up and down motion at the hitch ball translates into fore and aft pressure on the car. I've heard Automatics are fine - the pawl is very stout. I also take anything out of the car I find. Never leave something laying on the seats for a long tow - you'll find permanent wear marks. Be safe!

[Wellwood]

Thanks for the tips guys. Great info.

[DaddyGlenn]

Originally Posted by IdahoDoug

{snip} ... put a heavy chain from the car to the rear of the trailer in the event of an actual crash. It will help prevent the towed vehicle from coming through your back window ...{snip}

+1

I saw this happen a couple months ago. (not to me) Really made a bad situation much worse.

[IdahoDoug]

Here's how much force is involved. I'm an expedition offroader with the LandCruisers. Part of the recovery gear is a type of tow strap called a snatch strap which allows a lighter vehicle to help me by using slack, then hitting the end of the strap at 10mph to create larger force than their weight to get me moving. To calculate the strength you need, you get on the company's website and tell them the mph you will hit the strap and the weight of the vehicle. Mine weighs 6000lbs with full gear. At 15mph the force spike is about 27,000lbs if I recall. That's a big strap out there in my Cruiser. Makes tie downs look like wet noodles.

For a 944 on a trailer, that's 3000lbs but you may hit something at 60mph. That's a crazy force and tie downs aren't going to slow the car coming into the tow vehicle. Add a worse variable which is the 944's height. It won't be a rear end collision where the two vehicle's bumper systems and frames take the brunt and you'll be protected. Nope. That 944 will be like a "Dukes of Hazard" jumping vehicle that will bring its frame and engine up high against your vehicle's sheet metal and relatively fragile greenhouse. And it will kill you.

[Racerbvd]

I have these tow loops on my 944s for track weekends.

[IdahoDoug]

Those are nice looking and adequate for pulling a stalled car off the track. Kind of a unique and smart mount actually. I would use caution as a tie down and more caution as something to pull you out of a ditch or recover you from snow. I know you didnt say they were for those purposes but want others to know that.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by IdahoDoug

Those are nice looking and adequate for pulling a stalled car off the track. Kind of a unique and smart mount actually. I would use caution as a tie down and more caution as something to pull you out of a ditch or recover you from snow. I know you didnt say they were for those purposes but want others to know that.

I only use then for tie downs and have been since the 90s, never been any issues. We used them on all the B&B Porsches, towed from Sebring to VIR.

Never tried them in snow, but have sold a bunch of them at the track over the years