Best locations for tie-downs, xk120

This past weekend I had the opportunity to trailer my xk120 on a short trip.
I struggled a bit to find a decent place for the rear tie-downs. Up front, I did a traditional criss-cross with the tie-down looped around the lower control arm tension bar (the one that runs diagonally rearward from just under the frame to the outer bottom of the control arms.

In the rear, I really didn’t find a good place to loop a tie-down strap. I ended up using just a single tie-down looped around the rear end of the leaf spring. I used an old leather glove as a cushion to ensure the tie-down strap wouldn’t get damaged by a sharp edge. THe problem with this location is that you can’t criss-cross the straps (to prevent L/R movement of the car). The boot floor is in the way.

any suggestions for how to secure the rear of the car in a trailer? How about using the rear bumper irons??

The rear spring shackles are strong enough for high speed cornering on the race track, so they are strong enough for trailering, if you don’t bother about criss-crossing. How fast to you pull a trailer, or do you live on a really bumpy road? If you really insist on criss-crossing, hook onto the chassis at the front spring eye points or the jacking point tubes welded to the chassis, or loop nylon straps around the chassis at that spot.

Rob
Thanks for the suggestion. I like it because the spring shackles are easily accessible. I only feel the need to cross cross at the front but my habit is to do so at both ends when possible. I was also thinking of looping a strap around the rear wheel spinners, which would alllow me to cross the tie downs. I wonder how much force is the tie downs apply? Can’t be more than normal cornerling loads, no?

TB suggested the webbing things that fit over the tires, which let the body ‘float’ on its suspension. I like that idea best but it would require the install of 4 more D-rings. A good winter project as that would also entail welding in aluminum channel to reinforce the floors at those new locations.

Yes, the web tie-downs are fine, and with the shock absorbers the car will float around a bit, unlike hard tie-downs where the body will feel every jolt that the trailer feels. Flat bed tow truck drivers sometimes hook down on the rear axle, but this can cause damage to the brake lines. But if you had a barn find with no shocks it would be dangerous not to hard tie-down.

One of my projects at Fermilab was to design a trailer to carry very delicate 4-ton cryogenic magnets that could not be jolted or jerked. I found a farm trailer and built a cradle frame on it, suspended on Goodyear air springs. At 15mph the magnets bounced and floated around 4" up and down, so much that the scientists thought they were going to be destroyed, so I challenged one of them to climb aboard and ride the magnet. He did, and though he felt seasick, he had to admit he didn’t feel any jolts, jerks or bumps in the road.

Rob, you had a cool job. How about designing a trailer for our XK120’s? I mean that an xk120 can tow, not for towing the xk120.
John Feng
508-789-8195