Securing the Jeep on the deck.

[oletimer]

It seems like every time I try to simplify, I end up doing just the opposite. I have been reconfiguring the truck boxes, and the new 5th to redistribute the weight for a better ride on the 5th, and to add some weight to the front axel of the Volvo, plus reducing my 6K pin weight. The third axel of the trailer needs a little more weight, so I removed my homemade dorm/toolboxs so I could drive the Jeep closer to the cab. Loaded some of the heavy "stuff" to the rear basement of the RV, thinking that would, reduce pin weight, add weight to rear trailer axel while adding some weight to the front truck axel. The new 5th does not have a spare tire, or carrier, so I made a mount on the front of the bed to carry the spare upright, plus 2/30# propane tanks. WHEW, long story!! Now the chain hold downs for the front of the Jeep won't work like I want, because we also carry a motorcycle that is in the way. I have always toyed with the idea of mounting a winch under the bed, with the cable passing through the floor to the front of the Jeep for the front tie downs. I would want a winch with a ratchet stop, so if the clutch didn't hold. I think I might put too much pressure on my boomers, because, last year, I added some "D" rings to the rear bumper on the Jeep for an easier hook up, and within 2,000 miles, I destroyed the bumper brackets. I guess I'm just use to booming down tractors, forklifts, and skid loaders. I guess I could leave the motorcycle in Kansas, and use the nylon tire hold downs on the front tires, but I've never been too crazy about them, and if I do that, I might end up in divorce court, and after almost 54 years, I have forgot how to take care of myself. How about the wench, has anyone done that?? As always, Thanks for any comments.

 

Dick T

[Darryl&Rita]

Don't chain to the bumpers, use the axle tubes. Same applies to a winch tie-down. Suspension rebound is hard on solid tie-downs.

[Ronbo]

I use nylon straps from the frame to d-rings on the deck. One on each corner.

[lappir]

I use straps over three of the tires of my car. (1999 Isuzu Vehicross)The 4th wheel rests against a wheel chock. Most of the time I have no issues with straps getting loose unless the roads are really bad then I have had one get loose but never all three. One time I did a strap across the frame, ruined the strap on the 2000 mile trip. Didn't break it but another 400 miles it might have.

 

Rod

[Randyretired]

Welded up some brackets that bolt to the frame to add connection points as needed. We use 2 straps at each corner because the car rides high and at an angle.

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

I agree with Darryl. If you chain the axles your Jeep suspension will do what it is supposed to do. If you chain the frame or bumpers then every time you hit a bump the chain will become loose for a second and then it will be slammed tight when the suspension rebounds. That is a good way to cause yourself some headaches.........

[rickeieio]

Dick,

 

Tractors, forklifts, and skid steers have no suspension, other than the air in the tires. Chaining your Jeep by the bumpers adds a lot of strain. Darryl is correct, chain to the axles or the wheels, and let the suspension do it's job.

 

And 54 years? Holy Cow. It's been 42 for us and I thought that was forever. She must be a keeper.

[oletimer]

I would like to convince you folks how smart I am, but it would only take a few seconds for you to know otherwise, so I'll not even try! BUT, for 6 years I have hauled a Jeep, and knowing the law states that we need a 4 point position for hold downs, I made a pass through clevis for my receiver hitch on the rear, and ran a chain from one side to the other, so I would only need one boomer. One the front, I kinda' did the same thing looping a chain mounted to the bed frame over the tow hooks mounted on the top of the bumper(frame), again using only one boomer. It has worked great, I guess because the Jeep could "shift" from side to side without to much rebound. Then, because all this wisdom I have, I decided to attach the D-rings to the bumper itself, and use two boomers for the rear. Wisdom? NOT! It's a good thing the Lord looks after me. I do use Bobcat ramps loading/unloading the Jeep, and ratchet strap them in front/behind the rear tires as wheel chocks. I think I also compounded the problem by using a cheater bar on my boomers compressing the springs/shocks, so that really put a lot of strain on the bumper. Now that I know what NOT to do, I think I will purchase some nylon wheel tie downs, but that will be difficult for the right front tire, because our dirt bike is mounted that side of the bed. I guess we carry too many toys.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will sure use most of them, and feel/be more safe. Dick T

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Find some axle straps. Nylon 18-24" long. Easy to loop around the axles or if your rims are a spoke style you can loop thru the rim itself.

Hauled many a race car that way on crappy 2 axles trailers bouncing all over the place.

[rickeieio]

In theory, securing a vehicle from the chassis will work, if you compress the suspension at least as much as it will compress when you hit a bump. A big bump puts "slack' in your tie down device. A chain is very unforgiving when the slack comes tight.

 

It's easy to tie down a motorcycle with the suspension compressed as required, but something like a Jeep is much tougher.

 

In my limited experience, the closer you have your tie downs to horizontal, the better. But that might require a very large bed on the truck. Crossing the straps under the vehicle helps a lot.

[somewhereinusa]

I used to haul vehicles on a flatbed for a living, I can say with out a doubt that the best way to tie down is either tie the wheels down or tie the suspension down as close to the wheels as you can. 99% of the time I used chains and binders. Basket straps are ok, but I could pull in load 3 vehicles and be gone while others were untangling their straps.

 

I used to haul some VERY expensive government vehicles, in fact I hauled the very first load for the Army. They had some really nice forged tie down rings bolted to the frame. I asked if it was OK to use them and was told "Yes, we strapped them into airplanes to test them" I hadn't gone 100 miles before I had 3 of 12 chains laying on the deck.

 

Using one chain across front and one across back is also looking for disaster if something gives you are no longer tied down at all. I did it that way for a while until I had a tie down ring on a trailer break. Using four separate chains and binders I was able to haul vehicles with only 1 inch clearance between bumpers. If space wasn't an issue I could chain one end and pull them tight with binders at the other end.

 

If I were setting up to haul just one car and it was always the same car I would use something like this, on all four wheels.

 

 

It ties the wheel down and allows the suspension to do it's job. Might get a small amount of forward/aft movement, but that wouldn't make much difference unless you are really close on front or rear bumper.

[peety3]

It seems like every time I try to simplify, I end up doing just the opposite. I have been reconfiguring the truck boxes, and the new 5th to redistribute the weight for a better ride on the 5th, and to add some weight to the front axel of the Volvo, plus reducing my 6K pin weight. The third axel of the trailer needs a little more weight

Are your trailer axles connected with equalizing bars between the axles? If so, axle weight imbalance is probably more due to issues with the trailer not being level, throwing off the geometry of the equalizing bars. Moving weight around would therefore change the weights on all three axles proportionately, and wouldn't transfer weight to a particular axle

[RickW]

I use nylon straps from the frame to d-rings on the deck. One on each corner.

 

Been doing the same since we purchased the truck 6 years ago. Never been an issue.

[Darryl&Rita]

We use a similar set-up to the one "somewhere" posted, with the exception of the d-rings. I hate things on the deck, as it creates a tripping hazard when not in use. We used keyholes, instead.

 

Edit to add: Ignore the extra length on the straps, they've since been cut to a more appropriate length.