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Trailering with axle straps, chains, tire straps

No Hay

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Jun 4, 2014
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I see lots of opinions tying down the rig with the first two. What about tire straps?

U-Haul says I can put the Bronco on their trailer. 33" tires are OK, I just can't use their tire straps. I'll need axle straps or chains. My 14 year old 33's are going away before the trip anyway, so I'm thinking some stock size rollers for a one time use are cheaper (found 4 for $50) than buying good ratchet straps. The rental trailer comes with tire straps. I wouldn't have to worry about rubbing brake lines either. Any reason not to use tire straps? Thx

Another Q: Of all the threads I've seen, only one referenced leaving it parked on the trailer in 4LOW. Seems like a good idea since my C4 has to be made sure it's in PARK, and the E brake works fine but who knows for how long?
 
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74BroncoCO

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I don't see why not. Inspect them well.

Not that you asked, so I apologize in advance, but I prefer to use 4 straps rated at 10k ea. to pull the frame down taking the bounce out of the frame. Actually I use two at the rear, one at the front, and then a come-along to really pull it down.
 

Bogar

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I just hauled my '74 with 31s last month from the transmission shop and I really like the tire straps on the trailer. The uhaul trailers have a chain at the front and rear to strap around the axles, but I view the chains as 'belt and suspenders' and not at tie down. My vote is to use cheap rollers and add a ratchet strap or two to the rear to keep Bronco from bouncing.
 

Yeller

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as long as you don't need to adjust tongue weight the tire straps are perfect with the small rollers, don't have to have them on the rear, just the front.
 

Nothing Special

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I prefer to tie to the axles rather than the frame. That way you don't need to tie down so tight to remove all of the bounce. You still need it pretty darn snug so the tires don't shift around on the trailer, but you don't need to worry about the suspension compressing more and then banging back up against frame tie-downs.

The downside is that the Bronco will bounce around on its own suspension which theoretically could make the load less controllable. But I've never run into trouble with that (knock on wood), so I'm not too concerned. If others have horror stories I'm willing to listen.

I've never used tire straps. Personally I don't think I ever will, but if U-Hauls lawyers are letting them suggest it then they are probably pretty similar to tying to the axle, but without the risk of damage to brake lines and such as you point out.

As far as what gear it's in, with an auto I think I'd leave it in neutral to avoid banging against the park pawls. I'd set the e.brake so it didn't roll when I release the tie-downs if I forgot to put it back in park. But I wouldn't be counting on anything other than the tie downs to actually hold it in place.

With a manual trans I often put it in low range to drive on the trailer and then leave it there, with the trans in gear. but still I'm just counting on the tie downs to actually hold it.
 

Bogar

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as long as you don't need to adjust tongue weight the tire straps are perfect with the small rollers, don't have to have them on the rear, just the front.

Great point on tongue load. Hard to see in this pic, but the loaded uhaul trailer weighed down my F250 and fuel mileage.
 

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JWMcCrary

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I always have mine in 4LO when trailering, and I set the park brake. If you have a park brake it keeps the drivetrain from rocking in the gears, etc if you get a little slack in the straps. I’ve also noticed that on long hauls the straps tend to stay tight better if the tires are at full pressure.
 

Yeller

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I always have mine in 4LO when trailering, and I set the park brake. If you have a park brake it keeps the drivetrain from rocking in the gears, etc if you get a little slack in the straps. I’ve also noticed that on long hauls the straps tend to stay tight better if the tires are at full pressure.

Second the tire pressure, unless you tie it down during the coolest temp your going to see then it doesn't mater.

There is no need to tie down the suspension. The reason you see commercial haulers do it is so they can't bounce and damage the vehicle or vehicles around it. The trailer typically rides better too.
 

Apogee

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The trailer typically rides better too.

For that reason alone, I would tend to still strap down the frame in addition to tire straps versus tire straps alone. It's one thing if you're hauling your Formula Atlantic or muscle car to the track with a super low CoG, but a bouncy, lifted, tall CoG EB is a bit of a different story. Trailer height plays a roll as well...the higher the deck height, the more I'd worry about it. Hauling an EB on a 14k equipment hauler with a low deck height is totally different than doing it on a deckover with the load sitting 12-16 inches higher.
 

West Tn Dawg

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I haul them both ways. Tie down the frame or tie-down the axles. I really prefer to tie-down the axles and let the truck"float" on it's own suspension. I have hit pretty heavy bumps and the truck/car would bounce down and when it snapped back, break a strap. You dont have that when you tie-down the axles. I never hauled our race cars tied by the axles, because it would also work the shocks the whole trip. Those racing shocks were expensive. Didn't need to wear them out on the trailer.
 

Slowleak

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I thought that was what you meant Yeller. I let mine bounce too. Just tie down the axles.

I had a old Riviera shipped from California one time. The shipper hooked a chain into a drain hole in the frame to clamp it down. By the time it travelled across the country, it had torn a big hole in the frame....
 

Nothing Special

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I should have been more specific, when the frame is free to bounce it generally tends to ride better

Generally, yes. But Apogee has a good point that a tall Bronco on soft suspension, especially if it's on a tall trailer with soft suspension, could make things exciting. I've never trailered a tall, soft vehicle, and the trailers I've used have usually been low and stiff as well, so tying to axles has always seemed best to me. But I definitely see an argument for tying to the frame in some situations.
 

74BroncoCO

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When I was a towing newbie, and wheeling at least once a month in CO. I tied down the axles at first and that worked reasonably well. But there was one instance where I was rounding a fairly tight corner on a narrow 2-lane and admittedly, coming in a little hot. As I was about 2/3rds around, a deer jumped out in front of me. I didn't have to panic stop, but I needed very solid braking to avoid the deer. But once the truck and trailer slowed, i felt a additional hit when the bronco leaned on it's own suspension and that was enough to put the passenger trailer tires in the bar ditch for maybe 10ft. The bank was steep, but the trailer managed to pull back on the road. Ever since, I have tied down the frame effectively making the bronco and the trailer one unit. I'll certainly take some fault in that scenario, but it would have been a lot less uncomfortable if the bronco and trailer acting as one.

What I've found works best is securing down in such a manner to make the straps as long as possible. That way when it does bounce, it's simple pivoting at the ends of the strap instead of slacking and then hammering tight again.

What this looks line on my 18ft trailer, is running straps from the center of my rear bumper to the back corners of my trailer, and then from the front frame horns on the front to the front corners of the trailer. So all straps are angled both inboard and fore and aft. And as I mentioned above, I attach the rear first, then I really crank down the front with the come-along and double secure the front with another 10k strap on the other front corner. The lowers the height of my bronco some 2" easily.

I used to criss-cross the straps at the rear, but that resulted in the straps cutting each other.

In the end, you have to find something that works for you as every setup is a bit different.
 

Yeller

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Since we've moved to more of a tech nature. I don't ever cross straps front or rear. I've found that just having the trailer side wider than the axle side is more than suffiecent. And yes crossing them can cause them to chafe and do not hold as securely. Crossed actually allows the vehicle to lift if bounced hard in a corner and upset the trailer resulting in the above described scenario
 

NC_Pinz

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I've tied down frames and axles. Ultimately I settled on axles. This is for offroad trucks of varying sizes but no lighter than 4200 lb and up to 8600 lb. I never had an issue with the movement of the towed vehicle causing any undue issues with the trailer loading or movement.

I was always very particular about tongue weight and having both enough and not too much. I figured about a metric that worked for me and my 3/4 ton truck that allowed me to set the position of the vehicle on the trailer based on the amount of drop in the truck's bumper. Set the tape measure and drive on the trailer until you match the drop you want. Takes a bit of ciphering and experience with hauling known weights but it worked beautifully.
 

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74BroncoCO

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Set the tape measure and drive on the trailer until you match the drop you want. Takes a bit of ciphering and experience with hauling known weights but it worked beautifully.

I use this same method, although not as scientific. However, once I get it where I like it, then I note the location of a tire on the trailer. I think I may even screw a block down or some other type of mark that doesn't require my memory...

Tongue weight is just as important as how you strap something down. 3/4 and heavier trucks have quite a bit more leniency than the smaller trucks for this, but it's better to have a little more tongue weight than not enough.

Funny how we have gotten way off track here. OP, I hope you've got the answer you are happy with!
 

sprdv1

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Another Q: Of all the threads I've seen, only one referenced leaving it parked on the trailer in 4LOW. Seems like a good idea since my C4 has to be made sure it's in PARK, and the E brake works fine but who knows for how long?

always leave mine in park, 4 Low.. No issues yet
 
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