MikeJim

Damn, I did it again. Ripped off another chunk of splitter trying to load the car on an open Featherlight trailer.

I'm using the longest, lowest stock Race Ramps available Model RR-TR-5 (67" length, 5" height. 4.3% grade) and I STILL bust up the fiberglass every time.

The splitter has only a 3-inch ground clearance (in this photo, the car is on jacks).

Race Ramps says it will take a 14-FOOT ramp to load properly.

How do the rest of you load and unload without having to replace splitters every weekend?

KaiB

Jack the front of the trailer. (yes, you can do it while the tow mule is on there also)

I keep a jackstand in the back of my truck and simply jack the trailer until the stand slides beneath the frame in a certain spot.

Always right, never guessing on a hot Sunday afternoon.

J richard

Most every cup car the splitters are removed to put them on the trailer. That said you can do the above and use the tongue jack to raise the front of the trailer but it depends on where the pinch point is.

Jarez Mifkin

Definitely jack up the front of the trailer as much as possible. When I used an open trailer I would back up on to a 8x8x24 block of wood so I wouldn't have to jack it up. Still would have to use long boards to make it happen though.

Frank 993 C4S

+1 on jacking up the front of the trailer or putting the rear wheels of your tow vehicle up on boards. Best is to just make the splitter removable.

Tedster

Can you back in and get the weight distribution OK?

MikeJim

How to make the splitter "removable," I wonder. I usually have to rubber mallet it into place. Much sweating involved.

Any recommendations on GT3 splitter suppliers? My last came out of Canada.

Does anyone make a flexible splitter instead of HARD fiberglass?

paver

the PMNA version for Cup cars is very flexible plastic and it looks just like the one you have...it's even more flexible than the street GT3 splitter. Fits right in a GT3 street bumper
edit: I'm talking about .2 cars. Yours looks like it may be .1 so I'm not sure

jrgordonsenior

A couple of other tricks.... If you live on a inclined street or area with hills park the truck and trailer facing downhill and then jack up under the trailer ball connection. You can get the ramping level if the hill's steep enough but any incline will really help...

If stuck in a level parking lot find a culvert or open drainage channel and drop the rear axel (tires) of the trailer in there. Again, always jack up the front (or place the trucks rear wheel up about 6-8") and you'll get a better transition plane....

As for ramps, an enclosed trailer has both the rear door about 7', and ramps (mine are 6') so Race Ramps has it about right....

Surfbum

I had Race Ramp make an "extender" to the ramps, however I would also recommend a cup front splitter.

CRex

OP your splitter looks like an aftermarket part. OEM lips for the street 997.2 GT3 are plastic and the cup car, rubber/vinyl-like soft stuff. Neither is fiberglass that breaks like yours.

Get PMNA cup splitters from GMG or other reputable vendors around this forum.

P.J.S.

Cup splitter
Scrape away
Bend right back into shape

Also a race ramp dealer called "reverse logic" (fred) sells a proprietary race ramp product with a curved top that is nice

Google it - no affiliation just happy customer of his and he is a straight shooter

dan212

I use race ramps plus a fold out flap on the ramp When my car got EVEN LOWER it scraped a little.

So I put a couple of boards under the front of the race ramps to raise them more and that does the trick.

tlarocque

Cup splitter. Mine comes off at the corner every time I back out of the driveway even though, for some reason, every time I back out I think I can get the angle just right this time. Gently pound it back in with my hand and off I go. Super easy to just pull off for loading.

mglobe

The original Featherlight ramps have a flaw in design in the "nose" of the ramps that makes them sit very high. Take a look at this picture which has the original ramp design.



I had mine modified so that the nose is articulated, which is shown in the next picture. I copied this from the new design Featherlight has introduced.



This design will still require the use of Race Ramps or similar approaches, but I think it will take care of the splitter issue. Because of the length of the articulated nose pieces, you will need to have custom Race Ramps built.