Securing a 430 in a trailer

Does the trailer have e track to receive straps front and rear? If it does just strap down each tire using a strap like this http://www.trailer-parts-forless.com/mr_tiedowns/auto_tie_down_main.htm. Or better yet fly there and drive it home!

 

The good thing is it is a spider, so drop the top and you can climb in and out easy. Strapping it in is going to be a little tougher. E-track is the best way along with the seperate wheel wrap/straps for each wheel/tire. If you do not have e-track, you can install a few extra d-rings and use multiple straps. The car WILL shift if you do not use the wheel wraps and e-track. If you look at how the delivery trailers are set-up you will note that they have built in ramps on the trailers that go over/equal with the tops of the inner wheel wells on the inside of the trailer. The purpose is to make it easier to get under the car and strap it down. Get a friend that knows what they are doing to guide you in, strap it down good, and check it at every pit stop. I take my cars in an enclosed trailer down to florida evey year and have never had a problem, Scott

 

It's not a lot of work and it's very secure if you know what you are doing. If you can't bring along a friend who has lots of trailering experience, I'd let the pros handle it. The car is just too expensive to make a mistake, and no matter how much advice you get, you could still make a mistake.

Also, if you're used to only transporting snowmobiles, I'm going to assume the 430 will weigh considerably more, which means the the whole rig will probably drive differently than you are used to, the brake bias may need to be set differently etc.. IOW, do you really want to experiment with car trailering with a 430 Spider?

 

Drive it! You know you want to... It is yours, and you should enjoy it!

Either way, congrats on the new car and enjoy it in good health!

 

Hey:

Just a personal question...is your first name Jerome?? PM me if it is.

RSS

 

+1 Not sure why you would want to trailer it, especially considering it is more than likely safer to drive and will definitely be more fun. Are you buying the car to keep in the garage? As everyone knows, these cars aren't investments. Take the drive and get to know your beautiful new toy intimately.

 

WHAT???? With all due respect why did you buy it if you don't want to put miles on it? ENJOY IT!!!!

 

I used to love in that area. Drive that thing back home, nice drive.

 

Wow, I totally understand. Especially those first few miles you get to enjoy your new toy, they have to be special. Seems like a good price to transport. I was under the impression you were going to do it yourself and "experiment" which to me would be a waste because of safety concerns, but if your hiring a professional then that makes plenty of sense. Enjoy your new F car!

 

In positioning the car in the trailer, you will want to be sure to put it forward enough to give yourself a good tongue weight. If you set it too far back, the trailer will be tail happy. The 430 has a slight rear weight bias (57%). If your trailer is pretty long, you can just drive forward to achieve this. However, if the trailer length doesn't allow this, or if you just want to have the car further back to allow for more storage room in front of it, you will need to back the 430 onto the trailer. This can be a real PITA without a winch if your car is an F1.

Put the car in N so that your gears aren't taking any strain from the trip. Since you aren't coming from a track event with hot brakes you can set the parking brake, but the parking brake doesn't really offer much protection.

As for strapping the car, I like to get some angular hold as well as the obvious longitudinal hold. This protects against side-to-side shifting in case the trailer is tossed rather abruptly (thankfully very rare, but when it happens you will be happy to have the extra protection). So, for the rear of the car I strap over the underbody wing allowing a slight angle to where my D-rings were located. For the front, i strap through the wheels.

If you are buying new straps, get the ones with the safety clip on the hook. I once had a strap come loose just enough for the cheap hooks to unhook and the car rolled in the trailer. Luckily my track tires were on the floor about a foot away, so the car didn't roll enough to gain any real momentum and there was almost no damage. I spent the extra money for better straps after that. Also make sure the straps are cinched down tight. Bring some chunks of thick foam along so that if the strap is forced to run near some bodywork that you are nervous about, you can shove the foam between the strap and the body, particularly the front valence, to protect your paint. Some people also chock the wheels within the trailer but most people don't seem to do this.

Does your trailer have its own brakes? I recommend you get them if not already there and make sure they work with your tow vehicle. You didn't mention if it is a tag trailer, and I recommend sway control and balance bars if that is the case.

Make sure your axles and tires are rated for the load you plan to carry plus the weight of the empty trailer. My old beavertail used to destroy tires regularly, so I switched to tires with an E load rating (best as I recall) and carried 2 spares. I can be hard to find new spare trailer tires on the road.

Drive slowly, even though you have past experience you are now pulling much more weight than before.


Lou

 

Let your dealer take care of this job!

Congrats on the new toy! & Enjoy every miles!!