Martin S.

Picked up a used Featherlite 17"6"...been lusting over one for years. Since I had previously tied my car down on a Trailex open trailer with no issues hooking up the straps, I assumed (to assume makes an *** out of U and me) I could tie down my 993 car with no problems...wrong. The front and rear tie down receptacles on the deck of the trailer are closer together compared to the Trailex. (See Evil 10" (%) tie down strap pic below)

Note, there is a 10" strip of tie down between the deck tie down hook and the ratchet. This means it was very difficult to have enough room between the car and ratchet to do a thorough tie down. And further, this close placement meant that I very limited flexibility as to where the car sat on the deck...it had to sit where both front and rear ratchets could be used with out interference from the front spoiler and rear valance.

I came up with all sorts of hare-brained schemes...add an additional tie down bolt further forward, or???

Did a Google search and came up with Cargo Equipment Corporation....gave them a call. (http://www.cargoequipmentcorp.com/Ratchets-s/74.htm) Eureka, they make a ratchet with the connector to the deck right on the handle. I ordered four (4) of them...their customer service guy was great. Using this new set up, my problem is resolved. Just though this info might help somebody else out..me, I am ecstatic!

kgorman

We had Mac's tie downs do this for us a few years ago. Agreed, it rules. Also, we attach only one side with ratchets, the other is hung from fixed chains. Makes tie down a snap.

J richard

The other solution for a short distance between the d ring and hook point on the car is to hook the ratchet to the opposite side, run the strap through a d ring and to the car, criss crossing. You can look at a variety of options that way. K rails are cheap and give you all kinds of flexibility.

924RACR

Good reminder that I need to un-*** myself and get some of these for my (big) racecar. My trailer's set up pretty well for my small car (the prototype), but the arrangement for the 924 leaves something to be desired - particularly the front tie downs, similarly quite short so the bodywork is interfering with the ratchets...

linzman

Had the same problem when I put a splitter on my car. All of a sudden, the ratchet was under the splitter and there wasn't enough room to ratchet it down. I found those hooks on FleaBay. You simply replace the short 10" strap and hook with the hook and spacers for about $12. It's just a matter of undoing one bolt and switching the pieces. Here's a sample pic.

Sent from my iPhone using IB AutoGroup

MikeJim

I just undid the rear bolt on the ratchet, removed the strap, and reattached the ratchet directly to the trailer tiedown D-ring. I leave the ratchet attached to the trailer.

Matt Romanowski

If you are only using a short rachet in the front, consider just using a chain on the front and pulling the car back and tight with a rachet in the rear.

007DT

Thanks for posting!

Just ordered a couple.

ir_fuel

The ratchets that came with my open trailer already are like this.

mrbill_fl

I went the other way, chains in the rear, short ratchets on the font.

I figure in a accident the forces going forward are much larger.

for a longer tows, I run a single chain on the fronts as a backup to the short straps. I *think* I got my hook from jegs or summit.


<-- old trailer, current one a is featherlight.

Martin S.

.....pay back for all the Rennlist help I have received, + all the stuff I've bough and sold off Rennlist.

I must paraphrase Chris Walrods's quote. "Is this a great place or what?"

Bill Verburg

Those are called direct hook ratchets


another attractive option for some is a lashing winch, which functions similarly to a ratchet but instead is operated by a 1/2" ratchet wrench