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Re: Shasta weekend

To: "Roadster List" <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Shasta weekend
From: Ronnie Day <ronday@home.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 19:57:52 -0600
>> Kim:

>>Any suggestions on where to tie a roadster down to a trailer. Not sure
>>what points are safe to attach straps to. 
> 
>Tom:,
>
>If you can, I would recommend locking down all four wheels! They
>have those tire nets that go over the wheels, best to used them.
>
>This would allow the roadster's suspension to soak up some of
>the vibration passed along the trailer. You still want a trailer
>with springs on it, too.
>
>Usually I have used a chain to hold down the front (wrapped around
>the front cross member), and two come alongs on the rear to the
>rear leaf spring shackels. 
>
>We once used a springless trailer, with a roadster tied down pretty
>tight. I think we rattled loose every bolt on the roadster! After
>a long 800 mile trip, there were quite a few bolts and nuts on 
>the trailers wooden floor! Opps.

Seems like we keep coming back to trailering. <G> Saw a very interesting 
video clip a while back. Seems that several of the big drag racing teams 
were having trouble with damaged suspension components, particularly on 
long tows. Since these folks had the real nice enclosed trailers and 
therefore couldn't directly see what was going on, they mounted a 
camcorder in the trailer.

They found out that even though the trailers had full suspensions, the 
cars (tied down at the wheels) were being thrown pretty violently through 
their full suspension movement range since the wheels were tied down and 
the motion of the trailer was transferred  to the car bodies. They solved 
the damage issues by using additional straps to limit car body movement.

In my experience, the trailers we use do not have shocks to dampen spring 
oscillation. I've been told that in addition to the small leaf spring 
axles commonly used on this type of trailer, there's also a tube within 
the axle torsion bar type. Anybody have experience with this style, or 
with adding shocks to the leaf setup?

FWIW, Ron


Ronnie Day
------------------
Dallas/Ft. Worth
------------------
'71 510 2-dr (Prepared Class Autocrosser)
'73 510 2-dr (Street Toy)


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