Tips on winching a Z up a trailer...

[cadillac531]

Anyone have any tips on this?

I was going to go to the track this morning. I had the trailer all ready to go and have a 12,000 lb winch on the front of the trailer. I was going to meet the local club at the track, but was ultimately loading and unloading alone. I've loaded this car on trailers before, but had spotters and drove it up backwards.

This time I needed to be able to load it myself using the winch, which meant it has to go forward on the trailer. No go. I had the trailer tongue jacked up to lower the back end of the trailer and had 2x6 wood extensions to get the nose of the car up. The winch cable, though, was still pushing up on the chin spoiler and had I kept pulling, it would have broken.

Does anyone routinely load their car onto a trailer with a winch? Any tips here? Would a tow strap up front help me? If so, how and where would it hook to?

Thanks in advance.

Signed,
Moderately irritated for wasting 2 hours of time this morning.

[cadillac531]

OK, I think I figured it out. Just went back outside and looked underneath. There are two seams on either side of the radiator beneath the urethane bumper and above the spoiler. I can feed a tow strap through there and hook to the cradle. If I do this on both sides, it will give me a triangular strap that can be hooked to the winch.

I'll get another strap next time I'm out and try this. I think it'll work.

Thanks.

Signed,
A little less irritated, since I think I figured it out.

[aafc]

I load my Z onto a trailer by myself, by placing a 4x4 under the trailer jack
while the trailer is hooked to the car. It also helps when you have access to
a set of race ramps and drive the car on.The first time i did it by myself without help i would move up about 3 feet and check my clearance and then move up again. I only did it a few times as i had to sell the trailer(no space) and just drove to the track.
John
1990 white / black # 2546
one of a few auto EQ 4l8OE ZR-1'S

[cbaclawski]

Someone more knowledgeable than me will probably have 10 reasons why NOT to do this, but:

I drilled about a 1" hole in the center of the black plastic lower air dam, and pulled both ends of a nylon strap through the hole from the back around the frame brace that is behind there. I attach my tow hook to both ends of the loop (strap has loops on both ends) and pull it right up.


I have a zip tie loosely through the loops and around the air dam so it can't pull back through the hole when not being pulled, and doesn't put any pressure on the air dam.


Take it for what it's worth...

[Vettemann98]

I use a low profile V strap with 6ft legs and cluster hooks on end. I drive up ramps maybe halfway. Attach j hooks to tow points on ether side right behind wheels. The winch wire attaches to V strap and winch up ZR-1. No issues does not rub and stress free. There are 4 attachment points on C4- behind front wheels and just in front of rear wheels. PS I’m actually selling my V strap on EBay as I no longer have my ZR-1.


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[Vettemann98]

9868


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[RichS]

I used to be able to drive up our open trailer but put 2x12's under the ramps and made sure the tongue was up. Now with the enclosed trailer I have to winch it up. I have the winch mounted in the floor so the cable stays low to the floor. I wrap a long axle strap around the front lower control arm then hook the cable hook to that. I leave it hooked up and then strap the car down with the points behind the front tire, and criss-cross over the rear batwing.

[cadillac531]

9868


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Good info. How much for your strap?

Thanks.

[cadillac531]

I used to be able to drive up our open trailer but put 2x12's under the ramps and made sure the tongue was up. Now with the enclosed trailer I have to winch it up. I have the winch mounted in the floor so the cable stays low to the floor. I wrap a long axle strap around the front lower control arm then hook the cable hook to that. I leave it hooked up and then strap the car down with the points behind the front tire, and criss-cross over the rear batwing.

Thanks for the reply. I really didn't want to pull from the control arms and was wanting to get it from the cradle.

I can pass a tow strap through the openings in the front on either side of the radiator support and can grab the cradle. It'll be above the chin spoiler so it shouldn't give me further problems in winching the car up.

As for tying it down, I was going to pass the straps through the wheels using the protective sleeves in front and rear.

[cadillac531]

I load my Z onto a trailer by myself, by placing a 4x4 under the trailer jack
while the trailer is hooked to the car. It also helps when you have access to
a set of race ramps and drive the car on.The first time i did it by myself without help i would move up about 3 feet and check my clearance and then move up again. I only did it a few times as i had to sell the trailer(no space) and just drove to the track.
John
1990 white / black # 2546
one of a few auto EQ 4l8OE ZR-1'S

Thanks for the reply.

[Vettemann98]

Good info. How much for your strap?



Thanks.



$75 shipped


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