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I picked up a nice utility type trailer to move the 7 around. My question is trailer balance. How do I decide were to position the 7 on the trailer. How much wait should I put on the tongue? I am guessing I can load the trailer, then use the jack to disconnect the Jeep. Then use a piece of wood (cut to jeep height) and a bathroom scale to work out the tongue weight. But how much weight should I put on the trailer hitch?

Thanks

Graham

Max rating (tongue weight) is usually stamped on the hitch.
I'd suggest 200 lbs or a bit less so you can walk it around on flat ground. Just don't go negative.....

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General rule of thumb is 10% of total weight (trailer & cargo) should be on the hitch. Like Jack said, NEVER go negative!

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

First thing you need to do is get a wheel for the jack bottom. Any trailer supply should have one. Makes it much, MUCH easier to move around the trailer empty or with the 7 loaded.

Roy

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Roy, a roller jack is on my shopping list.

Graham

Utility trailers use ~ 10% of the load on the tongue as recommendation. Some boat trailers recommend 5%. I'm not sure why the difference. I got close to 10% and called it a day. I also added a pair of wheel chocks screwed into the deck to keep it consistent from load to load.

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Chuck.

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Boat trailers typically have a much longer distance (proportionally) from the tongue to the axles.

John

Well it fits, I will put a couple of 2x4's down to get a forward stop when I load it up. I have new tries on order and I will get some fenders down the road. I need t get it up and running for a Dyno tune on Friday.

I am going to use 4 Eye Bolts on the frame rails and straps that loop over the tire to hold it down.

Graham

I think you need some diagonals on the side of the trailer. It looks like it has already started to pick up a sag. When I first looked at it I thought the deeper section tubes near the tongue ran back underneath the trailer.

That's a nice size trailer for your car.

Instead of eyebolts in the floor, I would tie the axles/lower control arms to the corners of the trailer. That will make it easier for your car to move up and down a bit and also easier for your tie downs to resist the forces of acceleration and braking.

On the front you can wrap around the outside end of the lower control arm and on the rear go for the outside ends of the axle ( or lower control arm if IRS ). It's a much stronger way to tie down and what you see holding big equipment on flat beds. I have many, many thousands of miles towing my formula ford that way.

You may need something to tie to on the lower corners of the trailer to keep the rope from riding up from the floor. Like a small bar welded to the vertical tube.

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First of all, I'd like to offer a 'second' to horizenjob's comment about the triangulation. A truss-like structure will add to the trailer bed's beam strength.

Second, I'd like to add my $.02 worth on the tie-downs. When I drove a "portable parking lot" for a living, we used a tie-down on each wheel that would allow the car's suspension to work. Tie-down straps each had 3 hooks, one on the strap end, one was free to slide along the strap, and the last was on the ratchet. The first 2 hooks were attached to the deck in line with the leading and trailing edge of the tire, and the remaining end of the strap was run through the ratchet and pulled towards the center of the car's wheelbase and the ratchet was attached to the deck. This worked very well for hundreds of Porsche's, Beemers, and Minis. All you'd need to add are some hook receivers on the trailer's deck.

I'll see if I can find some pics.

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

Can't find a decent pic that the forum will accept. Here's a link to a pretty good illustration. http://www.take3trailers.com/Soft-tie-System.html

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/