A GOOD WINCH FOR A LONG PULL
The new Superwinch S3500....
The new Superwinch S3500. Not wanting to have the Superwinch pilfered,a receiver hitch mounting kit was employed. A piece of 11/2-inch squaretubing welded to the trailer makes installation and removal aplug-in affair. The optional 30-foot lead on the controller switchallows solo loading.
Due to the money I saved on thetrailer, I could afford one item I couldn't live without: a winch. Yes,this is an extra, but too many times damage is done to either thetrailer or the car when a wrecker driver has to hurry to get the carloaded. Tiny clutches don't like trailer loading, either.
I selected aSuperwinch Model S3500. It is not the largest winch the company makes,but it isn't the smallest, either. If your winch is too small, it cangive you a false sense of security. It can load the car when all fourtires are round and black. When one wheel points somewhere other thanthe direction of travel, you need a real winch.
According to Scott Davisof Superwinch, each layer of cable on the winch spool decreases thepower by 10 percent. Use only as much cable as you need. Cut off andsave the rest to replace a worn and frayed cable later. A nice touch isthe 30-foot cable on the control switch. I can winch the car on andsteer it at the same time, all by myself.
My new trailer will have tospend many of its nights outside. Since the Superwinch could besurreptitiously removed in the dark, thought was given to protecting it.A tube matching that of a trailer hitch receiver mount was welded to thetrailer, and a Superwinch receiver mount kit was employed. The winchbolts to a plate attached to a tube. This, in turn, slides into areceiver-type trailer hitch. This type of mount will fit receiver hitchmountings on many vehicles. Removing a pin allows easy detachment of theSuperwinch, so it can be stored inside and even used elsewhere.
LIGHTS AND WIRING
As stated in Part 1, I prefer high, forward-mountedlights. They are mounted near the top of the tire rack. A simple lightkit from the local auto supply store does the job. But there is morewiring to be done. The electric brakes need a wire, as does the winch.
To operate the electric trailer brakes, it is necessary to buy acontroller. The hand-operated style will be cheaper. One that hooks intothe tow vehicle's hydraulic brakes is automatic and convenient, but moreexpensive. The choice of how much to spend is up to you.
I welded in abattery box at the front of the trailer. Since a wire must be run forthe brakes, you might as well run two. One of these will attach to thepositive battery post of the tow vehicle. It will then attach to thepositive post of the trailer battery. This way the trailer battery willalways be charged.
The winch, of course, runs off the trailer batteryeven if the trailer is not attached to a vehicle. This battery can runthe winch or be a spare for the race car. The battery box was fabricatedfrom a 10-inch piece of purling and some 11/2-inch angle. It was weldedtoward the front and low enough to not stick up above the trailerrunners.
WRAPPING UP
Tongue weight is important...
Tongue weight is important for the enjoy- ment of pulling atrailer. This type of trailer needs a minimum of 400 pounds at thetongue. More is better. Use all you can stand without overloading therear of the tow vehicle. Bathroom scales work for this. Use two of themwith a 2x4 across. This will give you 600 pounds of scale capacity. Besure to level the trailer, and then move the car until the correctweight is reached. It is a good idea to weld in an angle-iron stop sothe car is always in the same place.
Having finished every part of this project with theMillermatic 185, I am impressed. In view of the price of this unit beingonly slightly more than my old 110-volt unit, and given the aggravationsof a small welder, the 185 should be part of every racer's garage.
TheMillermatic cable with the welding gun is long enough to reach to theother side of the trailer while building it, which means no more movingthe welder from side to side when working on a bulky project.Millermatic recently replaced the 185 with the Millermatic 210, a200-amp model. The price is about the same, but the performance is evenbetter.
Virgil Brown's sage advice to tie the car down at all fourcorners was great. I have used M&R Products belts and nets in our racecars for years and have been very pleased with the service. TheSuperwinch is just that. Its portability makes it useable in many waysand places. It is a first-class piece. When loading your trailer, makesure the car is placed so the tongue weight is at least 400 or morepounds. More is better if it doesn't make your headlights aim foroncoming eyeballs.
Two bathroom scales can be used for weighing thetongue. Lay a 2x4 board across them to spread the load, and then add thetwo together.
Our wonderful trailer--which...
Our wonderful trailer--which cost $306 for steel and employs freemobile-home axles--is ready to see the racetrack. The money saved onaxles paid for the Superwinch I always wanted.
It is never a bad idea to weld an identification numbersomewhere out of sight on a trailer. This practice has aided in thereturn of a "borrowed" trailer. Good luck with your project. I hope thishelps save a few dollars that you can spend on your race car. Keep aneye out for updated information as well as plans for the trailer in Part3 of this series. Contact Sleepy at sleepy.gomez @primedia.com
For Parts 1 & 3 of "Building A Race Car Trailer" click links below:
Building A Race Car Trailer Part 1
Building A Race Car Trailer Part 3