I was considering a tow hook, although mine will be a street car so a tow hook hopefully will never be needed.... But in the off chance the SLC ever does need to be loaded onto a flatbed, how do current owners accomplish this? Remove front clip to find suitable tow location? Any other options to be able to load it easier?
Safely loading SLC onto flatbed or trailer?
- Thread starter InfiniteReality
- Start date
The GTM isn't probably going to be 100% the same, but to load a GTM on a trailer, we normally take the winch hook and hook it over the rear leg of the lower front control arm as close to the chassis as we can get it....then I stand on the cable in front of the car to keep the cable from pulling up against the nose of the car. They're light cars, so it doesn't take much downward pressure on the cable to keep it off the body.
I'd go with the tow hook myself because its location ought to have been designed to minimize/eliminate tow-line-to-body contact/damage, but, here's a suggestion for your 'do-this-anyway' file regardless of what loading attachment point you may settle upon OR what kind of tow vehicle you may get stuck with:
Tell the dispatcher to have the tow rig's driver take a 'goodly' number of three-or-four-foot-long 2x6 / 2x12 boards along with him (for obvious reasons). Any tow company that's worth its salt usually brings some fact slimily along automatically when headed out to load an exotic...but, one never knows.
"An ounce of prevention" and all that...
Tell the dispatcher to have the tow rig's driver take a 'goodly' number of three-or-four-foot-long 2x6 / 2x12 boards along with him (for obvious reasons). Any tow company that's worth its salt usually brings some fact slimily along automatically when headed out to load an exotic...but, one never knows.
"An ounce of prevention" and all that...
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Thanks for the suggestions. I actually was just on FB and noticed Ashley (Grigio Telesto and orange) posted a video of his SLC getting put on a flatbed (to get exhaust work done since not street legal yet) and they loaded the car from the rear. He has the race tail so may have a better access to an attachment point than I will with my street tail.
If I ever do get towed, I'll definitely have to remember to tell the tow company to bring some boards, exotics around here are slim to none so likely won't bring any.
If I ever do get towed, I'll definitely have to remember to tell the tow company to bring some boards, exotics around here are slim to none so likely won't bring any.
My car has been flat towed several times (is that a bad thing?? ) and here's what works best for me:
1. Use the lift kit to raise the nose up as far as possible.
2. From under the car, use a padded strap with d-rings on each end and loop it around a front control arm.
3. Run the flatbed's hook through the brake duct opening in the body and connect to the two d-rings.
4. Use padding to protect the paintwork in the brake duct from tow line abrasion.
5. Pull.
The kind of tow rings that work well on race SLCs (see Howards, or the original 01 car for example) won't work with the typical flatbed winch, which is at floor level. A race car is typically pulled out of a gravel trap or off track from a tow truck with a high-mount setup. So a tow ring mounted on the chassis under the windshield works great for a race car, but when pulling from low down, as a flatbed winch will be, will cause the wire to rub on the bodywork, especially as the car approaches the front of the truck.
The most important thing to remember is to never pull the car from anything attached to the front radiator aluminum box. It's not strong enough, and a couple of cars have had the entire front bodywork torn off that way. Only pull from the chassis itself, or something well attached to it, like a control arm.
Alternatively, a couple of SLCs have an owner-built steel tube front end structure to mount a swaybar, and to provide some additional radiator protection. If constructed properly, a low-mounted tow hook can be used that pokes through the radiator opening, since it is attached to the steel structure that is normally bolted to the chassis.
Most good flatbed operators have lots of boards or better still, Raceramps, which will help make the effective approach angle smaller. Make sure they use them.
1. Use the lift kit to raise the nose up as far as possible.
2. From under the car, use a padded strap with d-rings on each end and loop it around a front control arm.
3. Run the flatbed's hook through the brake duct opening in the body and connect to the two d-rings.
4. Use padding to protect the paintwork in the brake duct from tow line abrasion.
5. Pull.
The kind of tow rings that work well on race SLCs (see Howards, or the original 01 car for example) won't work with the typical flatbed winch, which is at floor level. A race car is typically pulled out of a gravel trap or off track from a tow truck with a high-mount setup. So a tow ring mounted on the chassis under the windshield works great for a race car, but when pulling from low down, as a flatbed winch will be, will cause the wire to rub on the bodywork, especially as the car approaches the front of the truck.
The most important thing to remember is to never pull the car from anything attached to the front radiator aluminum box. It's not strong enough, and a couple of cars have had the entire front bodywork torn off that way. Only pull from the chassis itself, or something well attached to it, like a control arm.
Alternatively, a couple of SLCs have an owner-built steel tube front end structure to mount a swaybar, and to provide some additional radiator protection. If constructed properly, a low-mounted tow hook can be used that pokes through the radiator opening, since it is attached to the steel structure that is normally bolted to the chassis.
Most good flatbed operators have lots of boards or better still, Raceramps, which will help make the effective approach angle smaller. Make sure they use them.
Howard Jones
Supporter
Tell the tow company you have a Lambo that is very low, MUST send flat bed or no deal, and send the guy who knows how to do it. Have them bring lots of 2X6s at least 3 or 4 feet long. I had to send away a tow company once when I had a flat tire on my GT40 because they sent a tire dolly type of thing.
And YES you must have a tow point that will not cause a interference with the bodywork. Nothing forward of the main chassis structure (footbox) will do. I have a big ass tow hook on the front of the chassis. On a street car this could be made removeable with a removeable cover. I use my tow point to wench the car in and out of my trailer all the time so I think it does work on a flat surface type deal. I do use a 6 foot long tow strap of my own and I use the loop at the end to attach the hook from the wench to. I would bring that with me if it was a streetcar.
And YES you must have a tow point that will not cause a interference with the bodywork. Nothing forward of the main chassis structure (footbox) will do. I have a big ass tow hook on the front of the chassis. On a street car this could be made removeable with a removeable cover. I use my tow point to wench the car in and out of my trailer all the time so I think it does work on a flat surface type deal. I do use a 6 foot long tow strap of my own and I use the loop at the end to attach the hook from the wench to. I would bring that with me if it was a streetcar.
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A caution there as well:
Loading the car 'rear first' means the OVERHANG (chin spoiler) protruding ahead of the front wheels/tires will then be at the BACK of the vehicle...which will likely cause the 'chin spoiler' to be dragged on the ground in the 'loading' process! IOW, when loading the car BACKWARDS onto a trailer/flatbed, the chin spoiler that's NORMALLY at the front of the car will now be sticking out behind the car instead...which will make the car about 2 feet(?) LONGER at the rear...and all that length will now be overhang that is NOT THERE when the car is loaded nose 1st.
So, as the rear of the car is pulled onto the trailer/flatbed, it will tilt 'upward'...which will simultaneously cause the chin spoiler that's hanging waaaay out there on the other end of the car to tilt downward into the dirt/pavement!
Sorry if all that is clear as mud. Just picture loading the car BACKWARDS in your head for a few seconds and I'm sure you'll 'see' what I mean.
(I ain't too ar-tickle-ate...)
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Also always take before picture just in case. I had towing companies on 2 occasions crack a front bumper on my cars. And I made sure I asked all the questions and asked to send a guy with proper equipment. Both times drivers denied they did the damage and claimed it was there before they touched the car. So frustrating.
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A caution there as well:
Loading the car 'rear first' means the OVERHANG (chin spoiler) protruding ahead of the front wheels/tires will then be at the BACK of the vehicle...which will likely cause the 'chin spoiler' to be dragged on the ground in the 'loading' process! IOW, when loading the car BACKWARDS onto a trailer/flatbed, the chin spoiler that's NORMALLY at the front of the car will now be sticking out behind the car instead...which will make the car about 2 feet(?) LONGER at the rear...and all that length will now be overhang that is NOT THERE when the car is loaded nose 1st.
So, as the rear of the car is pulled onto the trailer/flatbed, it will tilt 'upward'...which will simultaneously cause the chin spoiler that's hanging waaaay out there on the other end of the car to tilt downward into the dirt/pavement!
Sorry if all that is clear as mud. Just picture loading the car BACKWARDS in your head for a few seconds and I'm sure you'll 'see' what I mean.
(I ain't too ar-tickle-ate...)
Makes perfect sense, thanks!
Joel K
Supporter
This is a good thread on trailers...
https://www.gt40s.com/threads/trailer-need-recommendations-advice.52463/
Randy had this advice which I think is pretty good for raising up the front end..Not sure how much taller above a fully extended ramlift you could go but maybe this would help.
Big-Foot said:
...put a jack under the chassis to unload the springs, then spin the adjusting rings tight against the springs. Your GT40 will now be sitting a good 3” taller and will more easily load on/off a trailer...
https://www.gt40s.com/threads/trailer-need-recommendations-advice.52463/
Randy had this advice which I think is pretty good for raising up the front end..Not sure how much taller above a fully extended ramlift you could go but maybe this would help.
Big-Foot said:
...put a jack under the chassis to unload the springs, then spin the adjusting rings tight against the springs. Your GT40 will now be sitting a good 3” taller and will more easily load on/off a trailer...
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
Sounds easy?
If you have a puncture / flat / blowout can you fit that jack under your chassis?
Really is a problem getting a jack that will go that low
Ian
...that one can take along anyway. ;-)
Howard Jones
Supporter
You will need AAA sooner or later. They have air on their lift beds and can temporarily blow up a flat to get it on the truck. Get the policy that will cover the area you intend to drive. You don't want to be too far away from home and out of coverage area.
By the way here is the lowest jack I have ever found. It is heavy and isn't suitable for use on the road BUT it will go under the SLC in your garage with out any pre lifting with wood. Not very expensive and is a good home garage jack.
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...vy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-64264.html
By the way here is the lowest jack I have ever found. It is heavy and isn't suitable for use on the road BUT it will go under the SLC in your garage with out any pre lifting with wood. Not very expensive and is a good home garage jack.
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...vy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-64264.html
That's actually my most used jack in my shop. I have their "low profile" aluminum jack, but I find the steel one lower and easier to use around the shop. I originally got it so I could support the weight of my Ford Raptor, but find I use it on all my cars.
My jack is about 10-years-old, so its cosmetics don't exactly mirror today's model, but, here's the present version of the 'jack I used to get under/lift my Ford GT:
http://www.shinnfuamerica.com/ProductDetails/OmegaLiftEquipment/2TonLowProfileServiceJack/29023B/763
It will get under A-N-Y street legal car...as well as darned near any race-track-only car I can think of right now...and will go far enough under the car to reach ANY normal jacking point.
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Howard Jones
Supporter
This might be the new model. It has the same clearance as the one I posted above but has longer reach. Both would be great garage jacks.
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...vy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-64241.html
Here's a link to buy a Jack like Larry's.
https://www.tooldiscounter.com/Item...RyZzQz2IZodq6TXOuBZdl_JweEFs6MqcaAjbXEALw_wcB
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...vy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-64241.html
Here's a link to buy a Jack like Larry's.
https://www.tooldiscounter.com/Item...RyZzQz2IZodq6TXOuBZdl_JweEFs6MqcaAjbXEALw_wcB
Floor jacks and jack stands for the SLC make me nervous. I've got the HF jack also and tried lifting a corner of my car so I could stick a jack stand underneath. By the time I got the car high enough to get the jack stand underneath I was teetering on one wheel and the angle between the car's bottom plate and the jack stand made me nervous it would kick out once I unloaded the car.
QuickJack for me. I get all 4 corners into the air at the same time. If for whatever reason I need to pull the QuickJack I'll throw jack stands under the car, then lower using the QuickJack so all 4 points settle at the same time. I suppose if you jacked the car from a center point at the front you could get both fronts in the air at the same time then do something similar in the rear (without jacking on the center rear brace of course).
My current storage solution for the QuickJack is just to leave it centered on the floor of my garage. I just drive my daily right over both ramps (the pump is on a shelf off to the side).
QuickJack for me. I get all 4 corners into the air at the same time. If for whatever reason I need to pull the QuickJack I'll throw jack stands under the car, then lower using the QuickJack so all 4 points settle at the same time. I suppose if you jacked the car from a center point at the front you could get both fronts in the air at the same time then do something similar in the rear (without jacking on the center rear brace of course).
My current storage solution for the QuickJack is just to leave it centered on the floor of my garage. I just drive my daily right over both ramps (the pump is on a shelf off to the side).
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