The L-track is super easy to use. You simply slide the L-Track latching assembly into the track, and it secures itself. To release, you pull a small tab and slide the assembly back out. The strap goes over the tire, and there are three rubber blocks that the strap passes through. The rubber blocks get pushed into the tire when you tighten the strap, and this secures the whole wheel.
Up next, the real moment of truth: would the splitter clear after all this work?
Would you look at that? That is some successful strapping right there. The strap comes down off the tire almost perfectly vertically and then goes through the idler, under the splitter, and towards the front of the car.
Remember, when using ratchet straps, you need at least a full single wrap of the strap around the mechanism before you start tightening. A few wraps are better. If you don’t have several wraps around the mechanism, you run the risk of the strap loosening in transit. Don’t over-wrap, though, as you can start to dig into the strap with the release mechanism, which will eventually destroy the strap.
Overall this new combination of Anvil Off-Road winch, XS Power battery, Mac’s Custom Tie-Downs, and Race Ramps will allow Project SC300 to get quickly on and off the trailer with no fuss. More importantly, Project SC300 can be loaded without having to remove the splitter! Who wants to lay on hot asphalt at the end of a miserably hot weekend and try to take little tiny 10mm bolts off the inside of a bumper next to a tire that’s still hot? I’ve done it. And I don’t want to do it.
Thankfully, I don’t ever have to do it again.
4 comments
I certainly understand your choice in winches, but just for those with more budget in mind I’ve been pleased with the meager 2500 lb winch I have on my open deck trailer. While I am equipped to run a snatch block if needed, so far I’ve been able to pull a GMC Envoy (~5000 lbs) up a set of 7′ ramps on a trailer without drop axles.
That said, I wouldn’t expect that winch to be able to pull a vehicle with something like a locked up wheel onto the trailer.
With an open-deck trailer and a not-too-crazy angle on the approach, a 2500lb rated winch can haul a 3000lb car. The key word is can. A little overhead won’t hurt. You’re absolutely right on the snatch blocks, and we made that comment in the Winch2Go article that’s linked in the intro paragraph.
With only one wheel dragging, a 17,000lb rated winch should probably be able to get the car on. It likely won’t be fun. It’d probably be easier to try to get a jack under that corner and do some fishy stuff. But, either way, you’re far more likely to get a broken car onto a trailer with a 17,000lb rated winch than with a 2500lb rated winch with only a snatch block. And, hey, you can still use a snatch block with that 17,000lb rated winch to get even more ugly pulling power!
To be clear, I haven’t used the snatch block yet.
Next you gotta get a monster slide in truck camper for the F-250, hitch and extension from Torklift to go with that schwanky new to you enclosed trailer. Then when it’s pouring buckets outside, the car is dry inside and you’re pounding beers inside the camper. Everybody wins. It also keeps the morning dew off the car.