Trailer Loading: Forwards or Backwards, Ground Clearance

[nick997]

Canvassing opinions here based on real life experience over theory please: which way do you load the car onto the trailer, forwards or backwards? I acknowledge that backwards is the technically correct approach so that the mid mounted engine is towards the front of the trailer but looking at my car loaded forwards on the trailer puts the engine over the trailer rear axle line so not too far back and will help with a couple of other points.

Loading backwards puts the car weight a long way towards the front and means I will have to reverse the tyre rack to clear the rear wing which in turn will put even more weight forwards. Add in a couple of jerry cans full of fuel and there's a lot of weight towards the front. Possibly more nose weight than is ideal - not measured yet though.

I'm also having a few problems with ground clearance, basically the car is so low that loading forwards means the front splitter hits the trailer ramps before the wheels start to run up the ramps. Loading backwards means the splitter hits the ground as the rear wheels run up the ramps. Trailer is already jacked up on the jockey wheel as far as it will go. I can get round it (bodge it!) with a elaborate series of blocks of wood to lift the car but all a big PIA. A bit of basic geometry suggests that I need ramps 4m long to reduce the loading angle to get over the problem, mine are an already generous 2.4m but the trailer bed height is perhaps a little higher than most - it has inverted U sections to maximise the bed width. Anybody else have this problem or does everyone resort to using starter ramps?

Thanks

Nick

[SportsLibre]

I load my car forward, the tyre rack at the front compensates for the rear engine, the important thing is the nose weight.

To get it on I take the front off and place it on top of the pegs untill it is clear then replace it and winch it on fully.

[BertBert]

frontwards. I wang the front of the trialer up as high as poss on the jockey wheel and the front splitter scrapes a little, but no harm is done.
Bert

[NASA racer]

I load mine front-first and put the nose on after I've got it on the trailer and before I take it off:

[stiglet]

I have a BJ Clubman with long ramps.I load mine backwards, having first taken the front bodywork off (even then I have to put a couple of blocks of wood under the ramps as the bottom of the side pods can catch on the front edge of the trailer when loading). Seems to tow fine though

Cheers

JP

[nick997]

Thanks - my car is a SR4 where taking the front body off won't help with ground clearance as the body work and aero parts are separate. Does the clubsport bodywork work differently?

Nick

[cdwatson]

I load my car forward, working on the theory that the tyre rack with 8 wheels at the front will compensates for the rear engine. I’ve never measured the nose weight but it tows fine.

With the front of the trialer up as high as poss on the jockey wheel, using the long BJ ramps the front splitter scrapes a little, but no harm is done.

Colin.

[khm]

got a tilt bed trailer which i have covered, car goes in backwards with ramp extensions to get ground clearence. used to use an ivor williams ( what we had at the time LOL) used to wind the jockey wheel up as high as it would go then we needed about 15' of ramps, then it still used to ground - looked like right muppets

[rbolesworth]

I have a brian james a series with normal ramps and i always load back first and I always remove the front bodywork (SR3) before loading.

[SportsLibre]

nick997 said:

Thanks - my car is a SR4 where taking the front body off won't help with ground clearance as the body work and aero parts are separate. Does the clubsport bodywork work differently?

Nick

The front splitter is attached to the bodywork, removing it reduces the overhang dramatically

[chrissimp]

Backwards (SR3 and A-Max 220), and the bolt heads under the front splitter do touch the ground as it goes up the ramps, but only briefly. The front splitter is an SR8 one and not part of the bodywork. I understand that the c of g of the trailer should be slightly forward of the wheels for maximum stability and that the converse is true if the c of g is aft of the wheels to the point where the trailer will try to snake under certain conditions.

[nick997]

SportsLibre said:

nick997 said:

Thanks - my car is a SR4 where taking the front body off won't help with ground clearance as the body work and aero parts are separate. Does the clubsport bodywork work differently?

Nick

The front splitter is attached to the bodywork, removing it reduces the overhang dramatically

Hmmm, should of bought that Clubsport then... My car must have the longest period from purchase to track of any car ever. Once I've got the trailer sorted I now notice I have a bit of an oil leak to sort out.

Thanks for the feedback from everyone, hope to see some of you at a track sometime soon - BertBert, how's the rebuild going?

Nick

[bazzerv8]

hi chaps last one

it is important that the weight bearing down on the jockey wheel dosent exceed 100kgs

so you need to get a set of bathroom scales put it under the jockey wheel make sure you are on a flat surface put the car on the trailer either backwards or forwards move it around until you get the weight right mark the trailer to get the car in the same place every time. Once you have set it up right you wont belive the difference chalk and cheese.

i have an sr3 i load nose first i use the starter ramps and some wedges of wood i have had specially made (20 quid). My ride height is 50mm

cheers

[nick997]

Bazza - picked up a hitch weight measurer off ebay for £4 so ok to measure when I have the car next up on the trailer. Sorting out a better way of getting up the ramps is my bigger problem now, any chance you can post a couple of pictures of the starter ramps and blocks you have, sounds just like what I need - email me if easier.

Thanks

Nick

[rad1cal]

Hi Bazzerv8, you said the weight on the front hitch shouldn't exceed 100kg -is that also the IDEAL weight to aim at? cheers Geoff

[BertBert]

Nick, I am a whisker away! It's all back together. Just need to bleed the brakes and the clutch, get it off the chassis stands and get the geo set up. Oh dear, that'll take another three months!

Bert

[nick997]

BertBert said:

Nick, I am a whisker away! It's all back together. Just need to bleed the brakes and the clutch, get it off the chassis stands and get the geo set up. Oh dear, that'll take another three months!

Bert

Well done. I now have a trailer that can get in and out the garage ok, just need to make the loading easier as per this post and see where my slight oil leak is coming too and I'm there. Sounds like 3 months for me too and then I'll see you at a track somewhere!

Nick

[RobC]

Slight oil leak, all the best engines leak

[nick997]

RobC said:

Slight oil leak, all the best engines leak

Can I take it that you wouldn't be too worried about a slight leak then? I was tempted to leave it but not tempted to pay for a rebuild if it's more of a problem than it appears. I can't see an obvious place for the leak, think it's probably some of the pipe connections under the engine.

Nick

[RobC]

Just double check the connections and casing bolts then get and use it. Small leaks are part of the course but so long as you're not loosing litres its not to much to worry about imho