Low cars vs car trailers?

dansedgli · 12-08-2006, 06:18 PM

Hey guys,

With the heathcote meet coming up I am going to get the clutch fixed in the Maverick instead of registering my EA straight away so I can tow it up and race without fear of breakage.

Anyway we had some trouble getting the EA onto the car trailer last time as the front bar and cooler piping are too low and scrape on the ramps.

Does anyone have any easy tips and tricks to gain the extra clearance needed when putting a car onto a trailer?

We had to move the car onto an incline last time but I think the heathcote pit area is all flat.

**Falcon Coupe** · 12-08-2006, 06:36 PM

I got a couple of sleeper offcuts about 250mmx70mm and 600mm long, i cut a 45 degree angle on them and slipped them under the ramps with around 300mm sticking out front of the ramps, this lifts the car 70mm before it touches ramps and also flattens the ramp angle.
I also put a trolley jack under the trailer draw bar and jacked it up a couple of inches.
Works for me.

LimeGlaze · 12-08-2006, 11:45 PM

Yep break back trailers are your friend. Another handy tip, much like above, is to run the car up onto the ramps on boards first - it also lifts the car prior to the ramp taking over the job.

blackers10 · 13-08-2006, 12:21 AM

put the trailer on the road and the car on the curb with the ramps on the curb so you get 20odd cm free lift off the deck

and the other guys tips with sleepers etc help

montyv8 · 13-08-2006, 12:46 AM

i watched a guy with a pajero unloading his car at the local drags, he had a set of car ramps (the kind you use when you work on your car). he put them behind the rear wheels of the pajero and reversed up onto them... similar to putting a jack under the drawbar (my usual method) but safer and gives you more angle.

cedric · 13-08-2006, 08:28 PM

i have simlar problems with trying to get adjustable suspension for xr8 ute(i am a chippy and have to get on some very rough sites) my idea which i never tried but recon would work is make up some heavy duty nylon or rubber fingers that when you jack car up slide into springs which makes car 2-3 inchs higher. i got the idea from my local ford dealer as all of the xr's have these so they can be loaded on and of semi's to be freighted all round australia i tryed to get a set but they have to send them back. you don't have to take wheel of or anything just jack up and slot in .the fingers are connected like a comb l_l_l_l_l wohoo diagram!!

dansedgli · 13-08-2006, 08:34 PM

Thanks guys, that rubber spacer idea seems like it would work pretty well. It would take 2 seconds to jack the car up and get some rubber in between the springs.

Ill give all of these methods a go next time I chuck it on a trailer.

Interceptor · 13-08-2006, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedric

i have simlar problems with trying to get adjustable suspension for xr8 ute

what about a set of airbags? pump them up when you need the extra clearance

BPXR6T · 13-08-2006, 09:48 PM

I had the same problem with my EF. We stuffed around for a while and ended up using sleepers to reduce the gradient of the ramps. Petrol station trailers suck, hertz ones are slightly better.

Take a look on page 138 of the August 06 street machine. Now that's an awesome trailer. You could easily get a lowered car on something like that. I'll get motivated and build one some day.

schmidty · 13-08-2006, 09:54 PM

I've got a mates trailer in my yard, he custom built it to take their drag car. I used it the other day to pick up an xr6 from sydney, its great. Take 2 pins out of the front, and lift the front and put a stick under it. As you drive up the ramps, the triler tips right up, stick falls away, then as you drive onto it it tilts back down, put the pins back into the draw bar, and slide the ramps back in. Its as low as it could be made, and has low profile tyres on it to keep in as low as possible to the ground. Top trailer.

If you're using a standard trailer, either find a good dip in the ground somewhere and let the trailer wheels sit in the dip to get it down low, or i liked the idea of the 4wd backing up onto the ramps. Thats almost get the back of the trailer on the ground. But obviously if you've got a low tow car that wouldnt work.

normxb · 13-08-2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

I got a couple of sleeper offcuts about 250mmx70mm and 600mm long, i cut a 45 degree angle on them and slipped them under the ramps with around 300mm sticking out front of the ramps, this lifts the car 70mm before it touches ramps and also flattens the ramp angle.
I also put a trolley jack under the trailer draw bar and jacked it up a couple of inches.
Works for me.

Same here , I've got to get the ramps & trailer as level as possible . My FC racecar is very low & the exhausts exit under the front passengers door & are only 30mm off the ground.

13-08-2006, 10:59 PM

Just an idea, if you need that extra inch or 2 clearance, and have a portable tyre air compressor handy, deflate the trailer tyres to bring it closer to the ground.

jim1606 · 14-08-2006, 09:02 AM

DONT TOW ANY OF YOU, the last time i was in a veichle towing somthing was on the way back from silverstone after going to one of my dads races and the next thing i knew was thet the car was upside downhalf way across the centrel reservation, my step mom had flipped the car an caravan and it has put me of towing for life, so if you do HAVE to tow then go really really slowly!

xbgs351 · 14-08-2006, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1606

DONT TOW ANY OF YOU, the last time i was in a veichle towing somthing was on the way back from silverstone after going to one of my dads races and the next thing i knew was thet the car was upside downhalf way across the centrel reservation, my step mom had flipped the car an caravan and it has put me of towing for life, so if you do HAVE to tow then go really really slowly!

Or buy a good car trailer, load it correctly and toe as fast as you like.

dansedgli · 14-08-2006, 09:28 AM

Sounds like the car wasnt up to the weight of the caravan.

Was the caravan heavier than the towing vehicle by any chance?

We towed the car from Forster NSW to my place in Bayswater Vic. In the 16 hours of driving we had no problems and were sitting on about 120 all the way home.

86XFFairmont · 14-08-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbgs351

Or buy a good car trailer, load it correctly and toe as fast as you like.

Lol or a Tow Truck with a extra Long Tray on it as there made to do the job i find for cars that are dumped on their **** (skylines supras falcons and commos) that if u use a set ove angled wood boards (maybe sleepers) but pine is better, that way if u make them urself u can customise them to ur vehicles height, the longer the ramp the more reach u get under the car and less to no chance ove scraping i tend to use 2 sets one long and one short putting the long set from the road to the tray then piggyback the short set from the long set to the tray as the short set is angled and at times leave the tray floating bout an inch or 2 aswell (same principal as jacking up the drawbar on the trailer) Hope this helps :voldar02:

jim1606 · 14-08-2006, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansedgli

Sounds like the car wasnt up to the weight of the caravan.

Was the caravan heavier than the towing vehicle by any chance?

We towed the car from Forster NSW to my place in Bayswater Vic. In the 16 hours of driving we had no problems and were sitting on about 120 all the way home.

No it was a 05 plate subaru legacy wagon, so it was up to it but i thing she went too fast, but still towing is abad idea!

LUXO_8 · 14-08-2006, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1606

No it was a 05 plate subaru legacy wagon, so it was up to it but i thing she went too fast, but still towing is abad idea!

garbage....nothing wrong with towing if you know how to tow.....

sounds like it got the wobbles up and the driver didnt know how to correct it

normxb · 14-08-2006, 09:48 PM

I towed my race car around Sydney for 12 years , Oran Pk. Amaroo Pk raceway & hillclimb(when it was open) Silverdale hill climb (some along freeways at 100kph) . 400 k's when I moved up the country , 200k's to Orange & back for a car club meet .

I used the XB 302 when it was Dads & now it's mine to tow , never had even a "close call" . If you've got the car balanced right , a good trailer , right pressure in the tyres and don't do anything silly , it's quite safe ...

blackers10 · 14-08-2006, 10:01 PM

we have towed countless cars from sydney to brisbane(empty trailer down full trailer return).. sitting on 80-100kmh (tow car and car weight on trailer depending)

the best were a VS commodore V6 auto and EA 6 cyl auto lowered on SL springs..

no dramas
got the sways up once or twice but no problem what so ever!
had everything from a econovan to a 84 supra to an excel sedan
NO dramas!

dvk · 14-08-2006, 10:24 PM

Nothing wrong with towing if you aren't stupid about it. I just towed around 4 tonne of panel van and car trailer from the Gold Coast to Maryborough with my stocko 6cyl auto EL. Towed in the dead of the night, sat between 110 and 120 most of the way.
Handled fantastic. Just have to remember to position the car properly on the trailer, and of course you have terrible stopping distance and no agility. Heh.

jim1606 · 14-08-2006, 10:26 PM

well i would much prefer to use air travel to transport them around, its much safer and out of your hands.

dvk · 14-08-2006, 10:33 PM

Yeah. We did vaguely consider putting the $170 panel van onto a massive aircraft to transport it the 350km.

LUXO_8 · 14-08-2006, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1606

well i would much prefer to use air travel to transport them around, its much safer and out of your hands.

you've got to be kidding mate.......

you paying???

jim1606 · 14-08-2006, 11:24 PM

Kidding??? erm no. and it may be a bit expensuve but it is safe and reliable. what more could you want?

blackers10 · 14-08-2006, 11:29 PM

alot of transport companys dont treat cars they transport with any kind of respect..
even a certain prestige service that scratched and spread grease all over a certain show built commodore (was on boostcruising.com)

and alot of other storys of similar occurences with other companys.. id prefer to take my own!!

XRQTR · 15-08-2006, 01:01 AM

Not all transporters are forged in the same press. :Reverend:

blackers10 · 15-08-2006, 01:04 AM

didnt say they were mate!!
but as normal a few ruin it for many
just stating a preference to doing it DIY!

XRQTR · 15-08-2006, 01:14 AM

I know hehe, but ye if you're anywhere near a building site some 200*45 cut to about 1-1.5 m and place it about 1/4-1/3 of the way up the ramps, of course then you have the problem of the undercarriage snagging as it gets to about half way on, for this you would need to jack up the hitch point.

JADED6 · 15-08-2006, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvk

Yeah. We did vaguely consider putting the $170 panel van onto a massive aircraft to transport it the 350km.

Hilarious.

My car is far from the lowest I've seen but combined with the GT front bar, getting it on a truck would be a nightmare.
Still need to find a trolley jack - that at its lowest point will fit under my car.