So anyway tomorrow i ave anothe mud bog and when i made a quick parts runs for the tow rig today i ran into a bunch of the guys i run with at the events i go to and they were in the process of chianing their trucks (all fords too ) down to the trailer (this event is a 2.5 hours drive away) and the way they were doing it kinda scared me, butit was ok i guess. I usally use a chain on each corner crisscrossed to the other side and looped back (effectively doubling ithe chain holding the truck down), then a boomer to tighen er' all up then i looped the loose chain around the boomer and wire/zip tie it so it doesn't come off. Just hope everyon here does it along these lines as a single chain and boomer on the front anf back don't cut it (i've seen what happens with poorly chained vehicles to trailers and it ain't purty).

 

well I run a single chain on the front but it's 3/8ths hightensile chain (one of my left over chains from my flatbeding days) hooled to both sides of the trailer and wrapped around my front cross member, and over my tow hook and crossed with boomers on both sides for equal pull. on the back I run a 5/16th chain from each frame rail (using holes in the frame actually made for the purpose by ford) to the oppisite frame rail of the trailer with a ratchet binder on each one, but no I don't double the chain back on itself since each of my chains has a rating almost 4 times the weight of my truck suspended.

 

Id get the chain over the frame. Over the axle wont cut it, and isnt all that safe for other vehicles, or yours. I would use my front bumper, but that depends on what you have and how stout it is. Ill check you gallery and edit this later. Rear, just send it throug the gap in hte frame and bed and youre set. Just make it so that its pullin backwards and cant slide backwards. Same on front, just pulling forwards.

Also, its fairly important that you use the boomers on opposite sides. As in the front chain is boomed tight on the drivers side, the rear chain has the boomer on the passenger side.

Those two things hold our tractors on when we haul. Just did it today with my lil bro and a friend... pulled his 351W in town... thats another story and a tangent waiting to happen.

Edit:
I dont think that double booming is necessary, as long as the chain can slide to adapt and allow equal tension on both sides.
Your front bumper would work, as long as it is mounted to the frame well. The pics are too far away to tell. If its good, then just go under the Dvr's side and over the frame, across in front of the grille, and down over the frame again on the Psgr's side to your mounting point. That should allow the chain to move when you boom it, but hold it steady when the chain is tight.
Also, put it in park or leave it in gear (auto or manual?) with the P-brake on. You probably knew that. Oh well.

 

when i trailer something i use 2 chains, one for the front and one for the rear. i pull the truck on the trailer and chain the rear down and pull forward to tighten it up. i then take the front chain and get it as tight as i can by hand and then use a bucking dawg to cinch up the rest. i dont like using 4 different binders b/c thats 4 more problems that could arise. i have always done it this way and i will prolly continue to unless i just happen to find more chain and more binders. not to mention the chain i use is a logging chain 3/4" and under a continuous/non-shock load i know for a fact it will hold!

there really isn't a difference b/t chaining to the frame or to the axle AS LONG AS if it has a real soft suspension (like a rock crawler) then i either chain above the suspension or i chain the axles and then use a ratchet strap to load the suspension up to prevent less bounce.

-cutts-

 

If you have a lot of lift, which you dont, its a good Idea not to chain to the axles. That puts a lot more load on hte chains and on your suspension should you corner fast (which is to hard to do with a loaded 25ft gn anyways) or when you hit a large bump. I know its probably ok to go to the axles, but if you have the chain length, why no just go to the frame? Anyways... just do everything that everyone said above and youll be good.

Cutt's chain-down then drive forward technique is a very good idea. You then only have one boom to let loose. I think it would be best to use the boomer on the rear chain and do the back-up trick on the front...

 

i like chaining the axles (unless its a new vehicle) mainly b/c it is easier. the problem i have always had with running the chain through the frame is that i am scared something might happen where i hit a bad bump or something cause the suspension to unload and at that point the chains would loosen up which could potentially cause the binder to unlatch causing a disatorous situation.

i know there are better ways than mine and i sure dont claim mine to be the best but its how i was taught to strap things down (i was taught by a 20 year veteran of truck driving and hauling large loads of timber... he tends to know what he talking about).

-cutts-

 

I would never chain to the frame with out having the axles chained. If you were to hit a bad bump and the suspension on the chained rig compresses then rebounds this puts stress on the chains. over time this can lead to breakage.

Chains have alot of load capacity but have no give.

 

Yeah the reason why we don't chain to the frame is for that very reason, hit a bad bump the suspension will unload and load the chain (we have a couple nasty roads in the area) and the vehicle can actually shift on the trailer (espically is the trailer is wet). But my dad actually called the DOT about this as we do haul in a couple difference provinces and into the states and they said if you are using chain and its only rated for the load of the vehicle you have to use 4 (this is in alberta remember) chains, one on each corner. What i do when i load (assuming i can get the truck up on the trailer after a couple runs , that another story) is i that after i get the truck up into trailer i pul the back tires right up to the railroad tie's (i use ties so i can clear the fenders when i drive up on the trailer, they are anchoed down pretty good), then i put the truck in 4low and first gear, then chain the fropnt as tight as i can safey get it then i do the rear so everything stays tight and the truck stays up against the blocks.

As far as the suspension moving asn what not sometime we will take a big ratchet strap (the kind they use to hold hay bales to trucks) to the front and rear to llad the suspension tight, but i don't have to worry about that with my truck. But yeah if the truck is going to move on the trailer i've got bigger problems to worry about . I've got a few pictures from yesterday of the truck and it shows how i chain the truck up. I just wish some of the people i seen this weekend would learn how to chain the trucks up properly, some of them are just down right scary.

 

Get chains with T hooks put them in the slotted frame holes that were made for this purpose. Place vehicle as far forward as you can with out over loading the tougue. Hook front chains with no slack hook up rear chains and use binders to tighten to the back of trailer. On chain each corner two binders in the rear.
But the best way is to use two inch ratchet straps . This is the way I haul vehicles long distance on my flatbed wrecker. You can get these straps with hook clusters that will fit anything you'll encounter. You'll also want the ratchets that have a chain on one end, this will give you a lot more versatility than chains an binders.

Pat

 

Yeah we would use ratchet straps but we also haul a fair amount of farm related item with lots of sharp corner and we have actually wrecked a couple of straps from these sharp edges cutting the straps, and thus the reason we use chains, and we just don't see the need to buy a bunch of ratchets just for the truck when we already have the big heavy chain needed. But yeah you are right that the ratchet straps and the different ends and what not.

 

> i pull the truck on the trailer and chain the rear down and pull forward to tighten it up.

I never thought about doing it that way. I am going to try that next time.

 

The reason for chaining the front in place is so you can set your tongue weight where you want it.

Mustang70 you can get the hook clusters by them selves, you'd be surprised at the uses you will find for them. Also if you trailer doesn't already have them, about 6 sets of bunny ears 3 on each side are life savers. Just slip your chain in and slide a link into a slot and it's anchored. No more pulling the chain through the bump rail or over the tail board and rapping the slack around the binder.

Pat

 

actually the DOT require the binders/boomers to be wrapped to prevent them from unlatching, so i just use the chain slack, seems to work out pretty good, its better then a 500 dollar ticket.

 

that and its just plain smart!

i am going to start looking at those ratcheting binders. they can't come loose, you have to basically unscrew them to loosen the load. but the bucking dawgs i use are just so much easier.

(like this http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=family )

-cutts-

 

Hooker, you have any links for those items. I have been wanting to get some stuff like that for years.

Chris