Trailering Tie Down Information

[Karl Roth]

Tie downs are rated by weight not speed. Look under any car that has come from Japan or Korea and you will see just a simple wire loop. Cars buit overseas have some sort of tie down points.
they are all just fine for securing your car on a trailer. Have a few miles with the car on the trailer still consider it the most dangerous part of a track weekend and never had one fall off (yet) as he knocks on his wooden head.
karl

[Kermit]

I was at the Hyundai dealer a few months ago and the tow bolt hole covers were off. I was told this was their way they were tied down for the trip over. Of course that is a Hyundai .

I wouldn't begin to try to do the calculation for the required restraint you'd need just for tying down to a trailer. If you asked me what you'd need for a plane if you happened to have your own cargo plane. Then you'd need about 6k lbs of forward restraint, 4k of aft restraint and 3k of vertical/horizontal restraint. If you went with those numbers you can't go wrong. I've seen some cargo planes that crashed and flipped upsidedown on takeoff and the cargo stayed chained to the floor using that formula.

That of course is just talking about needed restraint and of course still doesn't really address the best place to tiedown the Smart.

[Karl Roth]

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

I agree Karl, some a ship can make very rapid changes in direction; anything not secured for rough seas moves. I wonder if it is enough to make for safe trailering should someone have to stop suddenly or change direction at freeway speed, 55 mph? Do you think they use a special eye bolt, say one bent 90 deg, for the tiedowns on the transport?

they are the same as what is in the car
karl

[Tireman9]

Having towed a Camaro race car from Ohio to: Canada, Florida and California and a lots of locations in between with no problems I would like to offer my 2 cents.
1. I strongly suggest you invest in ratchet tiedowns from a company that sells to racers.
2. I would use four "over the tire" straps.
3. The rating should be at least 5,000# each
4. Over the tire straps are available from Summit Racing (I have no connection with them) for $50 each

[piglet]

just bought our smart car. while reviewing the owners manual, it states to NOT tie the car by the frame or suspension. only use the over the tire tie downs. I'm in the process of rigging up a double axle flat bed trailer with over the tire tie downs on the front and just a simple nylon sling with d-rings through one rear tire just to prevent it from shifting side to side or as a backup to keep it on the trailer should the front two ratchets fail.

hope its enough.