Tie-downs when trailering

Peter Cecil

Peter Cecil

True Classic
Greetings, I will soon be trailering my X. Any suggestions as to where would be the best place to use as attach points? I am considering the bumper shafts.

Thanks.
 
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My 86 I put on my tow truck a few times a month and I just use mini J hooks on the FACTORY tie down slots just under the factory bumpers
 
What model year is your X Peter? On some of the late 70s models, the shock tubes are the only choice. On most of the other years there are built in hooks like Rod mentioned.
 
Peter,

Here is a thread I started last year when I was getting ready to haul a 76 X over to MWB for a friend. I used axle straps around the bumpers at all 4 corner, then added a "safety strap" to one of the front control arms. If you are going to use the bumper shocks, make sure they are actually bolted in.

In that thread Mike Hynes made a good point which I forgot till I just went back to read thru the post. If the car has wheels that will allow it, pass a long axle strap thru the wheels and tie down that way. The U-Haul trailers use wheel tie downs. I ordered a set of four 36" axle straps to add to my towing gear bag.
 
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JimD said:
What model year is your X Peter? On some of the late 70s models, the shock tubes are the only choice. On most of the other years there are built in hooks like Rod mentioned.
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Hello Jim, my X is a '78. I have yet to locate anything that might look like a J hook.
I looked at the thread that you recommended, thank you. The ladder bumpers are similar to mine.
 
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Hi Peter,

I am guessing this is the car?
IM001948.JPG


I just went out to the garage to test Mike's wheel tie down. The standard D-ring on the end of the common straps will fit thru the opening of a CD-31. So that is a possibility. The strap in the picture is 36" long just so you know what you are looking at.

CD31_axle_strap.JPG
 
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JimD said:
Peter,

Here is a thread I started last year when I was getting ready to haul a 76 X over to MWB for a friend. I used axle straps around the bumpers at all 4 corner, then added a "safety strap" to one of the front control arms. If you are going to use the bumper shocks, make sure they are actually bolted in.

In that thread Mike Hynes made a good point which I forgot till I just went back to read thru the post. If the car has wheels that will allow it, pass a long axle strap thru the wheels and tie down that way. The U-Haul trailers use wheel tie downs. I ordered a set of four 36" axle straps to add to my towing gear bag.
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JimD said:
Hi Peter,

I am guessing this is the car?


I just went out to the garage to test Mike's wheel tie down. The standard D-ring on the end of the common straps will fit thru the opening of a CD-31. So that is a possibility. The strap in the picture is 36" long just so you know what you are looking at.
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Yes, that is the car. Again, thank you. I need to get over your way some time soon.
 
This is what I do.
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The strap goes behind the wheel with a short axle strap across the front of the wheel. I use axle straps without the steel rings so they don't damage the wheels. Has worked on all cars so far and it's tied by the wheels so the suspension is free to move as needed.
 
Hey there Peter - I still poke my head in here occasionally; old habits die hard.

Whatever you do, do NOT load the car on the trailer rear end first. A number of stories out there of folks who have had the wind catch beneath the back of the targa top and ripping it off.

Out of curiosity, does the car not run under its own power and need to be towed someplace?

Thanks - DM
 
Dave80GTSi said:
Hey there Peter - I still poke my head in here occasionally; old habits die hard.

Whatever you do, do NOT load the car on the trailer rear end first. A number of stories out there of folks who have had the wind catch beneath the back of the targa top and ripping it off.

Out of curiosity, does the car not run under its own power and need to be towed someplace?

Thanks - DM
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Hello Dave, thanks for the advice about not loading rear end first. Makes sense. All well with the little car. It gives me great pleasure. With the warm weather we are having here in MO at the moment, (60s), I have been able to be out during February. I am planning on joining some of the Fiat enthusiasts from Texas for their get together at the end of March. My preference is to trailer to the event and drive once there instead. The way the big rigs drive on the major highways I am likely to be run down and they would not even notice.
 
Peter Cecil said:
Hello Dave, thanks for the advice about not loading rear end first. Makes sense. All well with the little car. It gives me great pleasure. With the warm weather we are having here in MO at the moment, (60s), I have been able to be out during February. I am planning on joining some of the Fiat enthusiasts from Texas for their get together at the end of March. My preference is to trailer to the event and drive once there instead. The way the big rigs drive on the major highways I am likely to be run down and they would not even notice.
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Cool! Makes perfect sense, same logic behind my urging you not to drive it home last year.

Your gig sounds like a blast -it's just the sort of thing that I did with the car, attending various FreakOuts over the years. Be certain to post pictures here!

Cheers - DM
 
Agreed that towing with the targa facing back could well have it tear off, having a rear weight bias on the trailer could be catastrophic for both the cars and you.


When I was younger, and even dumber than I am now which I know is hard to believe possible, I had to put an X on a really short, high trailer and tow it with a IH Scout which had a pretty short wheelbase. I had to put it on the trailer with the engine to the rear. Going down a long straight hill the tail started wagging the dog, big time.

Happily I had tied the X down well because as I went down the hill I saw the entire side of the X in one mirror and then the entire other side of the X in the other mirror. When I say the entire side I mean from end to end as the trailer literally jackknifed from side to side. A car coming up the hill drove onto the field alongside the road in fear of the assembly coming completely adrift. I got it stopped at the bottom of the hill and got out to collect myself. Looking up the hill I could see the skid marks of the "outside" wheel in arcs from one side of the two lane road all the way up the hill.

One of those moments you never forget and are grateful nothing really bad happened, though it was a close thing.
 
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Dave80GTSi said:
Hey there Peter - I still poke my head in here occasionally; old habits die hard.

Whatever you do, do NOT load the car on the trailer rear end first. A number of stories out there of folks who have had the wind catch beneath the back of the targa top and ripping it off.

Out of curiosity, does the car not run under its own power and need to be towed someplace?

Thanks - DM
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I have always towed my X backwards with and without the targa top on and never had any problems.
 
RacerRon said:
I have always towed my X backwards with and without the targa top on and never had any problems.
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I have no first-hand personal knowledge of this ever occurring, simply passing on second-hand anecdotal hearsay which "sounds good" but which may (or may not) be based upon actual experience.

Even so, if you can trailer the car nose-first, that's one less issue to be concerned about during the ride.

Thanks - DM
 
kmead said:
Going down a long straight hill the tail started wagging the dog, big time.
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In my youth I would trail a 27 foot sailboat in a badly balanced trailer. I learned that when going down hill and it started to wag: first hold the steering wheel straight ahead with no corrections, and second accelerate. It is counter intuitive, and it is very scary to accelerate. It does work though.

Paul
 
PaulD said:
In my youth I would trail a 27 foot sailboat in a badly balanced trailer. I learned that when going down hill and it started to wag: first hold the steering wheel straight ahead with no corrections, and second accelerate. It is counter intuitive, and it is very scary to accelerate. It does work though.

Paul
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As it happens that is exactly what I did. I slowed down on the uphill rise after the hill. Not a happy moment for anyone
 
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kmead said:
As it happens that is exactly what I did. I slowed down on the uphill rise after the hill. Not a happy moment for anyone
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When I trailer my car I am forced to back the car on to the trailer. The X is heavier at the back of car and the trailer has been built for an old dozer that I restored many years ago. I need tongue weight and that is only way I can do it. As for the roof, yes it will lift if the sockets on the roll bar are not adjusted correctly.

Bob Martin worked for AAA for many years and told me never to chain the X down on the hard points of the body but rather only the tires. The 79 and the 87 X rims were too solid to put slings through them. When using the hard points I found that you need to compress the springs on the car so that it becomes part of the trailer mass. This prevents shock loading on the car when the trailer hits bumps. I have never had an issue with this method. I use a chain on the front and a 2" ratchet strap on the back of the car. Here is a few pictures of the dozer before and after. The trailer was custom built to move it from place to place. As you can see the trailer was built to take the weight of the dozer over the 2 axles. The X must be backed on to obtain correct tongue weight.

TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.



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I towed my x from Houston to Tucson, AZ with the front forward and had no issues traveling between 60-75mph. I used a uhaul trailer and had the front tires starps and then used the bumper hooks for the rear. Since then I have towed it by hooking my tie downs through the bumper mounts without an issue.
 
The more flat you have the tie downs the less it will be an issue.

If the tie downs are going straight up and down you will have a LOT of shock load.

I move my X on a trailer and a flat bed tow truck a lot and use the factory tie down points with no problems. but I also spread the tie downs out as far as reasonable. Something the shorter trailer can not do as well. But in the pic I can see the tie downs on the front of the trailer (rear of the car) are going about as far forward as you can.

Looking at the other car's in the parking lot must have been a fiat gathering where the pic was taken. Cool energy!!!
 
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