Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 17:52:41 -0800 (PST) From: BMWuuc Monitor Subject: [uuc] Re: Trailering question From: Bill Ballon When trailering it is important to pay attention to details. First of all, make sure that tire pressures are correct on both the trailer and the prime mover. Low tire pressure can make the rig u*nstable. Secondly, tongue weight is critical. Either too much or too little tongue weight can make towing u*nstable, and overload the trailer hitch. A local SCCA racer tore the mounts right off of the frame of his late model Suburban a couple of years ago, and it was unpleasant. Weigh the load on the tongue with a proper scale. Experiment with the placement of the car to reach the correct weight, andthen mark the trailer floor so that you can load to the "sweet spot" every time. A couple of inches for or aft can make a significant difference on tongue weight. Third, pay attention to how you tie the car down. Contrary to what people will tell you, never tie the car down by attaching the tie downs to the frame and loading the suspension. Attach the tie downs to the suspension so that the car can ride on it's springs. Attaching the car in this fashion allows the center of gravity to become lower on the trailer, thus the trailer will handle better. Be sure that the car is in neutral so that the engine doesn't turn back and forth while the car moves. This causes excessive engine wear over time. Fourth, make sure that you have proper towing mirrors with an enclosed trailer. A weight distributing hitch and a sway control can only make trailering easier, adjusting the brake balance is critical, and make sure that your brake-away switch battery works 100%. Practice backing the rig in a parking lot until it becomes second-nature. Good luck At 01:44 PM 2/23/01 -0500, Rob Verenna wrote: > > > Does anyone have any trailering tips to share with a total newbie (to > trailering, > > that is)? > >Barb- > >I can't offer much advice, but I'd like to make the same request to the >group. I'll be towing an ITA car in a 20' enclosed trailer with an '85 >Suburban. I've towed twice previously, both times with an open UHaul >trailer - once with said Suburban and once with a little Jeep Cherokee >(I will *never* do that again!). > >So far the best advice I got was to find a large, empty lot the day I >pick it up and practice the low speed manuevers (like parking, esp. like >parking). > >- - rob Your BMW UUC Digest Monitors Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 12:56:48 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Turgeon Subject: [uuc] re: trailering question I am not quite sure how to interpret this: "Third, pay attention to how you tie the car down. Contrary to what people will tell you, never tie the car down by attaching the tie downs to the frame and loading the suspension. Attach the tie downs to the suspension so that the car can ride on it's springs. Attaching the car in this fashion allows the center of gravity to become lower on the trailer, thus the trailer will handle better." I my experience hauling drag cars around, you want to eliminate suspension movement. I that was the message above you can skip the rest. We found that slightly lifting the car, air bags or blocks, and then securing the car to the trailer works the best. If you do not do this your expensive suspension will wear out much quicker than expected. Why you ask? If the suspension is not isolated, then it is as if you are driving the car the same distance you are towing. It is important to recognize that a car in a trailer moves around quite a bit going down the highway. Even in a drag car we found the suspension to be much more consistent over time. If you do not believe me, tow your car for a couple hundred miles, get out and feel the shocks. Are they warmer than ambient? Guess why, they are damping out the oscillations of the car. These are just my experiences over that last twenty years. Godd luck, Mike BMW CCA #166866 95 M3 Avus Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 18:45:32 -0500 From: "Gary Derian" Subject: Re: [uuc] re: trailering question Letting your car bounce on the trailer will wear out the shocks much faster than driving it the same distance. When a car is on a suspended medium, like a trailer, it will bounce much more than driving on the pavement. This is due to the interaction between the trailer suspension and the car suspension, a dual-mass system. Road, springs, trailer, springs car. Gary Derian