I wanna find out what people do in regards to tow/tie down hooks.

I know you put an eye bolt in the front tie rods (correct?), but what exactally do I go and buy?

Also, what do people do for the rear? Show me pix!!!

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Scott
The front one is not exactly correct - it goes into the holes where the front sub-frame bolt goes.

Best bet is to get a front sub-frame bolt and toddle off to an engineering fabrication workshop and they will make you up a set at the correct length and with the correct tensile strength. The sample bolt is for the correct thread size and type. Cost about $20-30 for a set.

Mini Spares (aka Mini clinic) in padstow have them and probably so does the mini king in Narellan now.

The rears - I would be interested in how others do their rears as well.

Scott - always use chains - the majority of tiedown straps that people actually buy are UV susceptible and also fray and snap under sudden loadings. Chains with d bolts and turn buckles don't

The better quality tie downs are good but you almost never see people using them.

For the rear, when subframe is in bare metal form weld a race spec tow hook to the flat part just under the cone area.

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Roundies Rule !!!

Poeee, i use a heafty chain & put it through the rear subframe in front of the cone, basically the chain sits tight against the cone.

One the front i use a 2 tonne ratchet strap, i hook it onto the castor arms, where they meet the front of the subframes, the loop the strap around my trailer & back to the other castor arm, ratchet up the strap & pull it on the rear chain tight as a drum.

Its the way i've done for 10 years, i've done 10's of thousands of kilometres towing & the mini never moves.

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

I use chains because I had them and the cheaper ratchet tie downs arn't up to scratch. Doogies 2 ton type are about the quality you need.

A few main issues here;
Firstly you almost never jerk a car off the back but you certainly dont want it walking into and over the back of the tow car. Nor do you want it falling off onto the the road.

So it must be secured so that it doesn't move around so that it frays and suddenly tensions the material you are using to tie it down.

The tie downs cannot come undone - tighten once - drive a kilometre and check again to see it it has become loose (for what ever reason)

Doogies method it good because it allows the car being towed to ride out the bumps and irregularties under its own suspension.

Tie hooks certainly hold a car securely (properly tied down) but they do pull down on the suspension of the towed car. Good thing / bad thing ? dunno ??

I use chains. d bolts and turnbuckles because i have never had a decent set of rachet tie down.

Gidday Scott...A picture shows all
Rear set-up for securing to trailer(the red eyelets)

The front on a roundie,but same set-up on the Clubbie.

Also when secured to the trailer,I 've always been advised to take the Mini out of gear and just pull the handbrake on....but this is on long tow trips

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These are best used as towing hooks...a straight pull out the front of the car...stressing them by using them to tie down to a trailer can mean fatigue and failure....

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"Show me the Mini!"

Years ago when I used to race and tow quite frequently, my friend and I who had similar cars welded two hooks onto each of the subframes front and back (similar idea to the red eyelets). I used chains and never had a problem, but my mate used four of those adjustable turnbuckles to tension it down (one in each corner). His car never moved on the trailer. He used an ocky strap between the two at each end to stop them undoing themselves.
KB

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I like the idea of tie down points, but i always sling the wheels, either with a rope, or with 2,500kg straps (i use these for work everyday) and only tie the mini by the wheels, that way the body can bounce all it wants on the trailer, without the whipping effect, or stretching snapping effect on the tiedowns. Some times... if u dont put the handbrake on, the rear wheels can slightly turn.... thats the only problem ive ever had, and Ive carried my fair share of cars.....

Cheers

-Cam

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IS NOW BACK ONLINE AFTER SOMETIME..... SORRY TO ALL, FOR NOT REPLYING TO PM'S!!

That also seems to be the way the car carriers work these days. If you ever look as they fly past on the hume or wherever - they always seem to have loops over the tyres these days.
KB

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I normally do similar , tie down to the wheels an let the suspension work . You can get really organised if you want like Zac did originally for the yellow convertible and have metal wheel cover things made to go over the wheels and bolt to the rear of the F100 (F100's gone now and haven't seen the current setup) . Works well if you're only ever towing the one vehicle , bit hard if you have a couple to tow . Regardless of how you tie/chain it down always use a backup , I loop the snatch-em strap from the ute and feed it through the trailers side bars and through and around the two tie bars . Tie it off loose so the mini can still move on it's suspension but if anything breaks the snatch-em will stop it before it gets off the trailer and kills someone else . Remember that you are responsible for anything coming off your trailer and a motorbike rider was seriously injured overnight from hitting a bonnet which fell off a trailer .
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 28,00.html

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