Drag Racing Discussions > Tow Vehicles

Towing in the pits

<< < (3/4) > >>

wideopen231:
I am looking for away to tow to line,leave tow vehicle)probably 4 wheeler) and retrieve after run since I am gearing towards one man crew,figuring the case most of the time. Looking at using pull bar with a quick pin to front spindles so car turns when I turn. Anyone have any such thing PM please.

JrFuel Hayden:
We have had a couple of issues in the 15 years we have been racing JF with tow straps, but only two, and that was the dragster driver was not paying attention.  It helps when we have crew members on the tailgate of the tow truck to watch the strap.
Back in 1969 I used a tow bar that attacked to the front axle , lifting up the front end and a trailer hitch coupler on the other end and just towed it back, even at the US Nationals when we won the event. We also just had 1 or 2 crew. Wide-open you might want to build such a tow bar, you don't even need a driver in the race car with the tow bar. Just have to design the bar to work around a nose piece. You could tow to the staging lanes, take the bar off , leave it on the tow truck, race and come back to pick it up, alto if you have just one crew guy, he can drive to pick you up at the turn off.
Here is a photo of the dolly we use now for  just moving the race car around in the pits and by lifting the front end up we can load the car into the trailer and then lower the car down onto the chasis support in the trailer.

Cheers, Jon

noslin:

--- Quote from: JrFuel Hayden on November 14, 2018, 02:08:59 PM ---
 we can load the car into the trailer and then lower the car down onto the chasis support in the trailer.

Cheers, Jon

--- End quote ---

Jon,
for chassis support, do you use a bladder or something else?

ty
dean

JrFuel Hayden:
Just wood located on the rear motor plate, and double tie-downs on the slicks, since 1997. No chassis damage.
Another JrFueler had his bladder blow out and it broke his lower frame rails, towing home.

Tance:
I had the same problem as Frenchtown Flyer (tow vehicle driver with no experience) so I rigged a push bar for my alcohol altered.  Got a 6 foot pipe from plumbing supply, two "top link" ends from Tractor Supply and welded them into the pipe.  On the front of my 4-wheeler I have a standard receiver so I used a 2" trailer hitch and welded a pin on it (Tractor Supply), the push bar drops down over that pin.  On the altered I have a plate on my wheelie bar with a hole in it, the other end of the push bar pins through that.  The top link ends have moving knuckles that flex/rotate in all directions so I can literally push the altered up into my trailer without binding.  It eliminates the bad tow vehicle driver, all they have to do is drive the 4-wheeler and watch in front of them.  Works great.  Just make it beefy because of all the weight and angles.  I think Summit sells push bar kits but they're more expensive, I built mine for about $50.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page