JDHertz11

I just purchased a Trailex open car trailer and I'm curious how to strap the car down. I bought all the straps and rachets that they recommend but I think that there may be a cleaner way to secure the car. I like the idea of the through the wheel straps but the wheels on my cars (Fikse FM10's, Fuchs etc.) don't have big enough holes in them to lace the straps through. Anyone running a basket type over the wheel setup sucessfully? The trailer has two D type hooks built into the deck front and rear. Any help is appreciated. I'll post pictures later, but here is a link to the setup:

http://www.trailex.com/CT-8045.cfm

mooty

i had profil 10, you should have no prob to go through wheels.
a friend of my with cup car and BBS motorsport wheels (smaller opening than profil 10) also goes through wheel.

Gary R.

AW Direct is where I bought my straps and ratchets, seem to have good quality and pricing.

Edward

I have a trailex open (7541) and my SC has the circa 1980s BBS 3-piece mesh wheels. Sure with the Fuchs, through the spokes was easy. But now I have to hook to eye mounts: a set at the front T-bar mounts and the trailing arms. I like through-the-wheels much better, and I am not so keen on my current setup. So if anyone has a better solution, I'm also all ears.

Edward

fly2low

try Mac's custom tie downs
I go through the wheels on a set of BBS and CCWs. Biggest problem was getting to the inside of the front tires. Got a set of Pit Pal Sports car assist ramps. Allows you to raise the front end enough to reach under and grab the strap, and as a bonus, your car always ends up where it balances the tongue weight

JDHertz11

I've dealt with AW for straps in the past.. Which baskets did you get from them? Most require multiple attachment points (which I don't have).

JDHertz11

I put the car on the trailer this morning with the straps and ratchets that I purchased from Trailex. The rears look like they'll work just fine with the Fikse's but the fronts will rip up the front bumper/ lip big time. I screwed in the factory tow hook and proceeded to strap it in. It looks good but it puts a lot of downward force on the hook. The other predicament is that I have a few different cars that I'll be towing on the trailer. A few of them have solid wheels that will not allow me to use the trough the wheel straps.

Bri Bro

Very nice looking setup!

Some suggestions you might want to consider. You are a braver man then me to trust the front tow hook (and its mount) holding that weight at that angle for any extended period. The front tow hook is also above the suspension so the tow hook will move up and down causing even more vertical load on the tow hook. I secure the front wheels the same way you did the back. If you can shorten your rear straps up by finding a closer mounting point, you will get less strap stretch.

Clem

Run the front straps with the loops around the control arms diagonally.

mglobe

I wouldn't trust the tow hook either.

Kind of looks to me like you have your car too far forward on the trailer, particularly for a front engined car. I can't tell for sure, but that's how it looks. If you move it back some, the straps will probably clear the front air dam well enough. I have a Trailex 8045 that I haul my 996 on. I have no problems hooking it up with a through-the-wheel method front and back. Shouldn't be a problem with a 944 either. That said, I've been thinking about going with tie-down plates, among other things because I'm hoping it will speed up the process of strapping the car down a little bit.

+1 on Mac's Custom Tie-Downs. First rate stuff.

JDHertz11

Which tie down plates?

Racerrob

Agreed, appears way too far forward. Remember, 944's are 50/50 weight distribution. On my trailex, the door of the car is about centered over the axles, maybe a bit in front. It is very important to get the tongue weight right. Do a search here, many threads discuss it. Also, would not do the tow hook thing.

mglobe

Oops, meant to post a link. I've been thinking about these, but I really haven't researched it enough to figure out if they are the ones to get or not.

http://www.rennline.com/Tow-Hooks-Ti.../products/230/

Bri Bro

I installed several D rings in the ramps and frame. This allows me to put any car (that fits) on the trailer and it reduces the angle and length of the straps. Make sure you use D rings rated to your load and the ramp/ frame has proper backing. There are a lot of D rings out there that look solid but are on;y rated at 900 lbs of load.

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/category/DRings
http://www.uscargocontrol.com/drings...34a7745511207d

ltc

You can avoid wheel straps (and the associated issues) with Autometrics chassis tie down hooks:

http://www.autometricsmotorsports.co...s%20&%20Misc.:



Tie Down Hooks. These brackets bolt to the lower shock mounts and can be used on most Porsche track cars. Tie downs are powderpainted red for durability and make strapping the car to the trailer much quicker and easier, you just snap-and-go.
All Prices are Per Set

944, 951, 968 (1983-1994) $29.95