TOWING THE ATOM- how wide to install E-Track

[I want an atom]

I am ordering a trailer to get to and from far away tracks so that I don't arrive already spent. I have never towed a trailer before, so I am learning everything I can in preparation for this joyous day. If anyone is curious, I am ordering a trailer from "Serpent Express". It is basically an open trailer with a soft top over it. Very very light, and even lighter in aluminum form.

So I understand that you don't just park the car on the trailer and go on your way- you secure the car to the trailer using straps. There was an option that I chose called E-track, which from what I understand gives you a whole line of possible tie-down points.

So the question is how wide to install the e-tracks. I told them that the front track on my atom is about 63". They are going with that unless I want to make it at an angle going wider towards the back. Does anyone here with experience have any suggestions? Should I be concerned about the possibility of using wider tires/wheels in the future? Is it that sensitive? Where do I actually strap around the car to secure it?

Also, where should I get a towing hook from that I can screw into the car?

[cvjoint]

I bought my trailer in the widest possible format, which I think is limited by road rules to 101.5". I didn't want to be limited in what wheel/tires I run and it fit 355 section rears just fine and the front 245s squeezed between the wheel arches. I also bought it two feet longer to fit a front wing.

As far as tie downs it's quite easy. I just bought ones that had good reviews on Amazon. The car is exposed steel tube frame so you'll have loads of points you can strap on to. You don't need tow hooks.

If you want tow hooks the front tow kit is $550 from TMI. You'll have to remove the nose cone and radiator to install it. The rear is probably a much easier job but don't know the details.

[I want an atom]

Its not really the width of the trailer I am contemplating- its the width of the E-Track tie down rails. The trailer itself has 78 inches of true interior width, which is plenty for the atom.

And $550 for a toe hook?! And I have to remove the radiator?! Ugh. I just wanted to be able to hook the trailer winch to the tow hook and draw the car into the trailer easy peazy.

I already installed a factory trailer hitch and wiring to my wife's car which gives a 5000 lb tow rating. The trailer, atom and some tools should still be sub-3000 lbs so I think I'm safe in that regard.

[cvjoint]

Well, before I had the front tow hook I just had the tow trucks attach the straps on the front a-arms. I suppose you can tow it like that but be careful not to rip out the front nose cone. The trouble with removing the radiator is refilling the water. I tried all the tricks in the manual to get rid of air bubbles and it never works well. When the shop does it they use a tool under vacuum that does the trick.

$550 plus shipping. It seems we pay 50% to 100% more for Atom parts and Atom cars than those outside the US.

[I want an atom]

These seem like a pretty safe way to tie down the car- 4 of these would safely do the the trick, no?
https://www.etrailer.com/Tie-Down-St...son/77314.html

I'll look at the car later tonight when I get home to contemplate the tow hook. Its just hard to imagine it being so involved- on other cars I had just needed a cheap metal loop threaded and just screwing into an existing hole.

[jordanhiggins2002]

you can get tie down anywhere (home depot, lowes, amazon, harbor freight). just make sure they have a rating on them. I would get 4 tie downs and it will be just fine. you have plenty of places to hook the strap around you do not need a tow hook. I would use a towel where the strap goes over the frame as it will slowly (very slowly) wear out the paint on the frame.

[I want an atom]

you can get tie down anywhere (home depot, lowes, amazon, harbor freight). just make sure they have a rating on them. I would get 4 tie downs and it will be just fine. you have plenty of places to hook the strap around you do not need a tow hook. I would use a towel where the strap goes over the frame as it will slowly (very slowly) wear out the paint on the frame.

So in other words, I can use the winch to draw the car into the trailer by running the winch cable to a strap that I put around the frame while protecting the frame with a towel or something? That could work.

[cvjoint]

I'm not familiar with e-track. My trailer had aluminum loops welded in at the corners. I bought a standard set of Vulcan ratcheting straps. I wrap the strap around the frame somewhere, through the eyelet, and ratchet it down. Worked for 2 years now. I just had to grease the ratchets after 1.5 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-Silver...gateway&sr=8-9

[I want an atom]

I'm not familiar with e-track. My trailer had aluminum loops welded in at the corners. I bought a standard set of Vulcan ratcheting straps. I wrap the strap around the frame somewhere, through the eyelet, and ratchet it down. Worked for 2 years now. I just had to grease the ratchets after 1.5 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-Silver...gateway&sr=8-9

E-Track is just like infinite tie-down points that you just click into. I figured this way I can use the trailer for all kinds of things. You know, justifying the expense by pretending I will do productive things with it

I have a bunch of heavy-duty husky brand ratchet straps that I bought for use in hurricane Irma already. There is a trick where you strap palm trees together and they sway less. My old house had trees that were going to bash against my roof so I prepared them by strapping them to things away from the house. Worked pretty well, although we got only a kiss from the storm after all the drama leading up to it. I think they are 5000lb rated for the big ones.

[Phoenix Atom]

This thread is a bit old but I want to add my 2-cents about tow hooks front and rear even if the thread mostly doesn't deal with tow hooks. Bottom line: I think it is wise to fit the front tow hook structure and a rear tow strap.

If it hasn't happened to you yet, I want an atom, you'll find yourself sooner or later needing to be towed in after a mechanical failure, running out fuel or crashing. When that happens, you really don't want the safety crew grabbing onto one of your suspension arms to tow you in. I'd be concerned about whatever the tow crew hooks to being damaged in the process. Remember, if you're dead on track (and not on fire) pretty much all organizations require to to stay strapped in the car, with helmet on. Which means that you're not going to be directing the recovery crew where to hook up.

And how about this: they may need to tow you a very long way, perhaps along access roads with fairly tight turns. That is significant because what happens when the tow vehicle is hooked to, say, the left side suspension, and then must make a fairly sharp right turn? The tow rope (and in some cases a tow chain) will cross over the nose piece, almost assuredly resulting in cosmetic damage. Or worse, under the nose piece because it could catch on the corners of the nose which hang down below the nostrils. Snappo! Time to order up a new nose. Any of that could happen even if the tow occurred entirely on the track.

And let's not even think about your Atom being stuffed into a barrier and the recovery crew needing to drag it out then drag it onto a recovery trailer to get it off the track. Your car was already damaged in the incident, you don't want more stuff bent. Control arms are around $500/each (don't ask how I know) so it would really suck if you had to replace one even though it wasn't damaged in the incident.

Plus, safety crews really, really appreciate having readily accessible tow hooks front and rear. Sure, the front tow hook structure at $600 seems like an outrage. But $600 in the scheme of tracking your Atom is peanuts and less expensive than if the car is damaged because it was towed without one.

Another plus is that if you have cooling problems, the tow hook assembly gives you someplace on which to affix ducting to the radiator so all the air rushing in is force through the radiator and does not escape around, under and over it.

As for the rear, I use a tow strap that quite conveniently mounts to an unused bracket low at the left rear. Cheap and easy.