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Tie Down of an antique horseless carriage - advice requested


Guest djmcnab

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Guest djmcnab

What is the best way to tie down a horsless carriage with a light frame and leaf spring suspension. (1900-1910 era)

The previous owner of my first decade horeless carriage informed me that he had once snapped the axle when he'd tied down the vehicle by the axle. He also informed that he'd once tossed the trailer severely when debris fell off a semi trailer while towing with the vehicle secured by the wheels and that there was no apparent damage. So I'm planning to to secure the vehicle by the wheels in some manner.

My enclosed trailer has runs of airline track in the floor & I'm thinking I'll use wheel nets of some sort, but obviously most are made for modern (wide) wheels. The wheels on my car are 26" metal spoke with pneumatic tire (think Mountain Bike wheel).

I've looked on horse carriage & tack websites thinking they must have something for carriages, but to no avail. Thus far the closest thing I can find that might be a good fit is wheel nets for dragster front wheels: Dragster Packages - Front Net Drag Pack

Looking for a cheaper/better option. Any ideas out there?

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The best tie down is on the wheel. I have E track mounted in the floor of the trailer through steel cross members. I purchased my tie downs from U S Cargo control. Ratchet Straps, Tie Down Straps, E Track Tie Downs, Cargo Straps - U.S. Cargo Control They are fully adjustable and I use these on my 1909, my 1916- 34x4 and my 1970- Dodge Challenger. They cost me $200 for a set of four, probably higher today. They take a little longer to install but the car doesn't move or walk sideways and no damage to the springs or undercarriage. RHL

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  • 4 weeks later...

Look up macscustomtiedowns.com. They make tie-downs that go over the tires. They work like bra cups; they go over the soft round parts and keep them from bouncing around. I bought them custom made for 30 inch tires (Model T and one-lung Cadillac) and 33 inch tires (1912 Buick). My trailer has airline tracks in the floor, 56 inches apart. I am careful to center the car left-to-right in the trailer so I can tie the wheels straight down with no side pull. My Buick is a southern wide-track with 60 inch tread, but if I center the car across the airline track, the slight inward pull seems to have no adverse effect.

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

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  • 2 months later...

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