Trailering your mini
Turbo Mini Forums

I know there's a few people on here who often transport their mini by trailer to trackdays etc.
So the question is how many straps etc do you hold it on with and which type are best?
I'm thinking of the type with the wheel strap, but four? or just two? one at each corner?? etc
Any lessons learnt would be gratefully received
Need to finish our trailer this next week, welding on tying down points next.

Rich

Here for the craic..

Supercharged Arden powered

Rich,

Whatever you choose - here is another tip:
Fit a single (or even better - TWO) straps from the rear of the trailer forwards to the bottom arms at the front of the mini. Have these 'tight' but not super-tight. Basically, if you have to stop suddenly, or even worse have a front-end impact, that mini will want to continue forwards... Having something to arrest it's movement is a huge benefit. Blocks in front of the front wheels are similarly ideal.

Here are some pics of such an unfortunate event...

Edited by turbodave16v on 7th Jul, 2005.

i use 4 one on each corner it dont take much longer to fit 2 more straps. i use 2 fronts around bottom arms to front of trailer and 2 rears thro rear subby to rear of trailer.

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

I use 2 straps. big thick ones.

one at the front and one at the back. they are fitted so that they are streching the car when tightened.

I was going to try and explain how I attach it in detail, but it got too wordy and made no sense.

Wil

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

I have two straps also, one going around both front tie bars, and one around the rear subframe, but those pics remind me of marks bad luck, I think I'll add another to the rear.

Team Racing

2 as I only have two...

through the rear wheels and back to the rear of the trailer...

at the front... I use the tie bar mount points on the subby forward to the front of the trailer.

I plan to upgrade to proper wheel straps and have one for each wheel.

Alex

AlexF

Thanks for the replies, so most of you fasten to the car, be it subframe or wherever rather than use wheel straps.
Is that because wheel straps may pull the geometry out (a rumour i heard somewhere), or just that 'normal' straps is all you have?
I was thinking that straps on each rear wheel, the winch strap at the front plus one more at the front, fastened to the subframe would do the job? I will also have some fabricated wheel chocks as the mini doesn't sit right at the trailer front cos of too much noseweight.

Here for the craic..

Supercharged Arden powered

I did have some nice wheel straps, but some pikey fu**er nicked them!

Team Racing

wasn`t me , but arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh , i remember those pics

Everyone knows that instructions only have to be read if the thing doesn't work....

wheel straps are better...

Your trying to achieve a state where the load is free to move on its own suspension.

Imagin if you strap down a car by the body work (say strapping down through the doors) this is fine when the load is still but on a bumpy road the suspension and tyres will compress... whilst compressed the straps will go slack and do nothing to retain the load on the trailer.

Straps are rated to a certain strength (2 tons say)... but this is a static loading... not a shock loading...

Wheels straps are better but cost more. As for pulling your geometry out... well if your suspension is put out by a little load form straps on the trailer.... whats a quick blast up the road going to do!!!


Alex

AlexF