Mick
Rigging a trailer.
Place a pair of chains to the rear leaf spring shackles. and spread them to
the corners of the trailer. 3/8" to 1/2 inch size will serve, larger if
available. The fixing points on the trailer should be solid! I would bolt
the chain in a loop rather than using any non-locking grab or slip hooks.
If you are sure of you work, hooks can serve, Wrap them with tape or wire
them, however. I assume the Roadster is pointing forward, as I like the
heavy chain to secure the car in the event of a sudden stop.
At the front, place similar chains to the lower A-arms. NOT the anti-sway
bar!!
These chains should be a bit longer than required, so when the car is
sitting just forward of the trailers balance center,tight against the rear
chains, there is still a bit of slack.
Place chain binders, ratchet or toggle, on each of the front chains and
tighten up the chains. You should see the rear end squat down a bit, and
the front tires squish a bit. All four chains should be straight and tight.
Give each a few hard tugs to be sure things are secure and not riding on
some expensive car part.
Cable may be substituted for chain, but I don't like it.
As indicated, the car should be located ahead of the trailer "center line"
Some tongue weight is needed to keep the trailer stable.
Anecdotal: I tailored a Roadster from Florida when we relocated to Santa
Barbara C. in the early 80"s. I had to have the trailer made as there
didn't seem to be any around at the time of my need. It was a two axle
unit. The tow vehicle was a 1984 Landcruiser FJ60 that we still have. I
loaded the Roadster and an assortment of shop and household items on the
trailer and prepared to start out. At the last minute, I decided to strap
an additional motorcycle,a Ducati 250 to the rear of the trailer. We were
living in Miami Beach at the time and by the time we crossed the causeway, I
had been through two episodes of the most frightening fish tailing I can
imagine. The extra mass out back had upset the trailers sense of well
being. Needless to say my wife and I were not excited about going further.
We stopped in Fort Lauderdale, and I gave the bike to a dealer. Though I
explained my reasons, he was most cautious about the "gift".
Good trailering
Calvin Grandy
Vermont
----- Original Message -----
What are some of the things I need to do for safety? Do I need
> wheel wedges? Do I need to strap it down to the trailor somehow?
_________________________________________________________________________
>
|