Modify Chassis for trailering

[EricB]

Hi: Thought that while restoration is just beginning on my '66 S3SE, and the body is a long way from going on the chassis, was wondering if anybody has welded on attachment tabs so that the trailer belts could be clipped onto those tabs when the car is on a trailer.

For our Elise, with its open style alloy wheels, it is easy to to put belt straps through a wheel opening and attach the belts to them. However if using the OEM steel knock-offs on the Elan, can't do that. Either add attachment tabs or hooks or use those wheel belt wrap arrangements over each tire.

Comments?

[rgh0]

I have just used straps around the the front and rear suspension arms at their outer ends

cheers
Rohan

[Bud English]

+1 on using the straps on un-sprung parts of the car like wheels or outer suspension members. Anywhere else and the movement of the car alternately tightens and loosens the tie down straps, possibly causeing them to wear at the attach points and break. Of course that's all theory and couldn't have happened to me when moving the car from California to Nevada years ago. I couldn't have been that dense, could I?

[gherlt]

If your trailer has holes for hooks along the floor, then you could use the wide straps with the 3 hooks and fix the 4 wheels over the tyres, looks as a greek omega ...

edit:
Just like this:
https://www.amazon.de/Profi-Zurrgurt-f% ... B0051PKN06

And another that looks good:
https://www.amazon.de/Spanngurt-Verzurr ... B00T9VDLXO

[Elan45]

I have E trak on the floor of my trailer and I run straps over the top of the wheels. At first I used silver duct tape "racers tape" to hold the strap in place, then I bought these rubber blocks that the belts thread through. The are smooth on one side to interface w/ slicks and have a raised V rib on the opposite side to interface w/ treaded tires. I bought 8 of these blocks so I could put 2 on each wheel. They work great. I hate having to tie a car down any other way.

I bought these from what I think was called Racer Parts Wholesale in Indianapolis. I'm not sure if they are still in business or if they still have the blocks.

Roger

[vstibbard]

To tow my 26R and others classics, I only fit straps over the tyres and back onto the trailer deck to tighten.

Never had the car move, and always tight at end of trips for Sydney to Brisbane etc.

Never onto the chassis or over the suspension arms as the suspension moves which eventually loosens the tie downs, or worse sharp edges starts to cut through the straps.

V

[EricB]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Looks like the best is to secure the tires and stay away from any straps around what you are confirming is a pretty delicate suspension.

On our Lotus Cortina or Toyota MR2SC, they are robust enough that we hold down them from their bodies but as mentioned on the Elise, we use special padded straps through the wheels which are then attached to the securing belts. If I do get alloy wheels for the Elan such as the Panasport "Minilite" copies, then we could use that same method.

In all cases, we have the gear shift in neutral so any subtle for and aft movement is not transmitted to the transmission. Handbrake is off.