Ty for the pics. Sorry about the flame accusation just the way I read it I guess. All I have is my two chains atm and felt if I tightened it down to much it would pinch the brake lines. I was told straps will stretch when wet....another reason I asked the question. I will get a pic of how I have it loaded so you guys can point and laugh lol.

 

Straps stretch no matter what - just faster when wet - this is why it's essential to tighten the **** out of them.

 

The chains will crush them that is why you use car "Axle Straps" made just for that job the same for the car tie downs. In fact you can buy sets of 2 or 4 ratchet straps that are meant to be used for car tie downs from Jegs for sure, Summit most likely also.


Then just have tie down points (of proper size and thickness) welded to your trailer at 4 points.


The only thing I still use a chain and boomers for is when hauling my farm tractors and equipment on a 32' gooseneck dovetail trailer I have with huge D-Rings on the I-Beams on the sides of it.

 

In my experience, chains are only used as a safety measure. Use straps first. Use chains second. That way if a strap lets go, you have a chain to save your bacon. That said, When towing your rig, check your straps EVERY time you stop.

 

That's why I just use chains and binders on everything and want to see some extra "Squat" in those tires after it's latched down. Had far too many straps "Let go" over the years. Just have to take care in how you route the chains is all.

 

The only time Ive seen chains used for tie downs on cars is when they barge them up to Alaska from the lower 48.. They dont use straps because they stretch and they dont have time to crawl all over the barge checking them when out on the water.. When both my Jeeps came up by barge they had chains on the axles and and few hooked to the Uniframe holes. They pulled the chains so tight the tires looked kinda flat..

Here is a pic of a barge that comes to Juneau once a week... see the cars up top.



Use straps,,you are not barging the Jeep around.. Just make sure to strap the axle tight and check them often..

 

Now I wonder why they did that? So it won't MOVE and fall off maybe? With our wonderful roads now days a car trailer probably gets hammered just as bad or worse than a Barge does.


On very long trips I even air down my tires a ways, chain it up and then air the tires back up. It is always just as tight when I get there as it was before I started. I have never needed to adjust.


I don't like having that question in the back of my mind about whether it "might be" getting loose or not. I always know for sure it is NOT.


I have pulled far too many cars and boats out of ditches because they fell off a trailer and caused an accident due to not being secured well enough with straps or because the straps GOT OLD AND BROKE.


Never going to happen on my watch...lol

 

Now that Im a little more awake..lol.. What I was trying to say is using chains seem a little over kill to me unless your are on top of a tractor trailer being barged to AK .. I feel good old straps around the axle are good enough for hauling the Jeep to places.. Most of the time its user error that cause the probs..By user error I mean didnt use correct strap for the load(to small) or used f'ed up ones, didn't check the load and so on..

But I do have a friend that uses only chains because he says he has seen to many ordeals using weather beaten/ tore up straps..Again that falls into user error.. For me Ill stick to good straps around the axles and check them often..

 

Well we used chains,when strapping down loads on the 18 wheeler hence why i have chains on the jeep. I don't prefer straps because they stretch, rip, break, and so on. I will probally use a combination, axle straps to protect brake lines and then chains and ratchet binders from there. I just question lateral movement in an evasive manuver. If I swerve what would keep the axle strap from sliding and allowing the jeep to move? Also with the artec truss on tge front axles won't it cut into my axle strap or am I just over thinking this whole thing?

 

 

I have trailered my race cars many thousands of miles over the last 30+ yrs. and over that time all I have ever used is straps. Straps that were designed to be used for car tie downs and axle straps this was on my enclosed as well as open trailers. Not a single time did I ever have one of them come loose, break or stretch so much that the car ever moved an inch. As with any tool or equipment you keep you straps clean and inspected for wear or damage.


Only problem I ever had was a piece of 1/2" flat bar with a hole drilled in it welded to the frame on a 64 Chevy Nova, weld broke loose. But other side held the car on fine only noticed it when we stopped for fuel.


To each their own but for a car this what I have found works best for me.

 

maybe on a car, most of our jeep bumpers are basically part of the frame. and stronger then it! nothing wrong with strapping to it.

 

It's not about the strength of the bumper. It's the cycling of the suspension. Any chain or strap that was simply point-to-point will shake loose with every bump... The way he ran the chain up front is basically the only way to even remotely pull that off: Looping it through and fastening it back to itself.

 

I didn't mean to come off as rude guys but highway safety is something I tend to be passionate about. I have, like a few others here, spent far to many hours walking along side the freeway helping locate body parts in the rocks so that the coroner can collect as much of a person he can into a bag and so that I can get started with recovering the vehicles out of the ditch and head back to the yard for the next one.


These experiences have taught me better than to assume that the majority of the general public out there has enough common sense to properly inspect or use equipment with responsibility. The reality is opposite, maybe 1 in a 100 or more have enough responsibility to keep things tight and safe like they should. Every professional who has been in the towing and recovery business should know this. A recovery driver will see more human carnage in his career caused by irresponsibility than most soldiers on the front lines will ever see. Innocent kids always hurt the most.


If the majority of the public actually had common sense responsible habits and practices with maintenance and equipment there would be very little need for tow trucks at all. So overkill or not, I always lean towards suggestions for "non-professionals" that leave less room for error and neglect because I know it's going to happen. It might just save a life or two here and there. There are links to photo galleries of this reality out there if you search for them but I won't post them here.


This is the reality of it, so I will keep preaching on safer less foolproof practices like chains and practice what I preach.

 

never had a problem hauling any of my junk to the bumper. you need to tighten the thing down... use good heavy duty straps, or chains and binders. suck the suspension down as tight as possible.

i understand the reasoning i do.. but in response to ODgreen's post it just doesnt make sense. the frame and bumper are basically the same part..