Trailer or FEL?

Gary_in_Indiana · Jul 12, 2004

"the tire tie downs" 

Ahhhh! Now I know what you mean. I've never heard them called that. Have you ever heard them called "wheel baskets" or "basket straps" at all? It might be a regional thing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

DiskDoctr · Jul 13, 2004

RobertN,

Great idea on the tractor key. I always leave it in, but haven't hauled it any great distance yet. Makes good sense, especially with the "wind sail" attached to it, er.. I mean "key FOB"

Thanks for the input and clearing up my terminology on the car binder. I just made up the "tire tie down" as a descriptive term due to brownout of the brain cells /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You're right, I should get a spare tire mount. Maybe find something off the back of an old Jeep or something and a wrench.

-JC

KiotiJohn · Jul 13, 2004

( I put it on the tire and pulled the straps around to better show it instead of just a clump of straps and trying to explain it, but apparently you all don't appreciate all the trouble I went through to make things easy )
I'm sorry if you felt I didn't appreciate your efforts! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
You had called these "over the wheel tie downs" and when I saw the picture, I imagined you must have "meant" that you throw it over the wheel and tie something down, but I guess over the wheel is a theoretical concept, and you were just using the wheel to demonstrate how the strap would be place over a load, and the ends would attach somewhere on the sides? Is this right? I'm not being flip. I actually did NOT get it based on your posts. Thanks for your consideration in explaining. John

RobertN · Jul 13, 2004

That's a lot like the tiedown used on the car dolly's. Probably exactly like the tiedown on a car dolly /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

KiotiJohn · Jul 13, 2004

( Probably exactly like the tiedown on a car dolly )
I've never had occasion to use a car dolly, so it's all GREEK to me! LOL John

DiskDoctr · Jul 13, 2004

John,

My apologies for not being very clear. I thought you were joking because I displayed it on the trailer wheel instead of a loaded tractor. Obviously this wouldn't secure your load well and make driving quite difficult /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The way the strap is on the tire of the trailer is basically the way it is used. It's one strap, made of several pieces.

To use it, put your tractor on the trailer, then put one of these over each of the front wheels. The straps you see on the left and right of the trailer wheel and laying on the ground are ratcheted and used to tie directly to the bed of the trailer, tying the wheels/tires down.

The horizontal strap tightens around the tire to hold it secure and adjust for different size tires.

This strap holds the vehicle down against the trailer and prevents it from moving forward/backward or left/right. And since it attaches to the wheel and the vehicle is made to be stable about and controlled by the wheels (main point of support), the entire vehicle is well supported and tolerates the trip very well.

Think of it like this. If you could put each of your front wheels in a 12" deep recessed hole that was exactly the width of your tires and strapped them into the hole, think how well would it hold your tractor on the trailer. Essentially, that's what these straps do, except instead of a hole under the tire, it wraps around the top, allowing significant tie down pressure to be applied.

These purpose made straps are considered about the best way to secure a vehicle. Combine them with regular binders or straps over the rear axles, and your tractor is very well secured.

-JC

Henro · Jul 13, 2004

Thanks again to everyone for their advice!

Just re read the thread again fron top to bottom to try to get everything to sink in.

Diskdoctr, I thought KiotiJohn was joking too... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I did visit one trailer manufacturer not too far from my place...and think I need to at least consider a tilt bed and price them too before I do anything... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif...which I did not think to even ask about when I was there... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Gary_in_Indiana · Jul 14, 2004

"I need to at least consider a tilt bed and price them too before I do anything... " 

And then you need to get one before you get something else you won't like anywhere near as well. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

KiotiJohn · Jul 14, 2004

( My apologies for not being very clear. )
Thanks JC. No apology is necessary, it's just that sometimes I just can't be abstract enough to get it. A lot of times I'm reading this stuff after I'm already really tired, and I just can't see through the words. Gets worse every year!
I think I would like using this type of strap. Seems a lot better than the way I've been doing it. I have been binding chains that are attached to backhoe brackets, attached to the loader frame. There aren't a lot of great places to tie down without the chain scratching everything so these straps would be a lot better.
Thanks for your patience in explaining it and sorry to be so dense. John

tracdoc · Jul 14, 2004

Ahhhh! is right. New names to me for the tie downs. We use 'em all the time for race cars on open car haulers. In race car jargon, they are called "wheel bonnet tie downs." Go figure...