Race Car Tow Dolly

[Dynoroom]

I've seen lots of different towing apparatus on the salt over the years. I'm tired of pushing the race car around so I want to see what some of you have built to move your cars. I built a tow bar but my turning radius is so large that I keep bending the tow bar, so I want to see tow dollies. I don't want to use the trailer as that is not practical for us.
The requirement is... I DO NOT want someone to be in the car to steer or brake. It needs to be totally independent with no one required to be in the car.

Post Pictures of what you have done! 

[SPDRACR]

Mike, I would not do a dolly, I would try a singe arm tow bar that you could attach to the front frame underneath the front
nose piece. Than put a trailer jack on it and lift the complete front of the roadster off the ground .You could use like a 2" reciever
hitch welded into the frame work and maybe a little door/panel on the nose ?
Just a thought.
Eric

[jdincau]

Mike,
     We built a tow dolly for the modified. It is unsatisfactory. The geometry is like pulling a wagon with no pivot for the front axle. It puts a lot of stress on the front axle of the race car and the front tires constantly try to slip out of the tie down straps. You need to have a pivot or the wheels on the dolly need to steer. I like the removable nose and lifting the front onto a trailer hitch idea. Lots of modifieds and lakesters do it that way.
Jim

[John Burk]

Sorry no photos .
 
I use 2 of these
 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSO08nQ2GgzAKZ68efNyjjiegpbYsD-dEYj5d6YCj7QEhYOXEXe_4U_yhmliCwHCRbNadgPDg&usqp=CAc

Lots of cranking and friction so I replaced the worm gears with ebay ball screws . Way better . A 4' x 2" x 4' tube attaches to the top of the streamliner frame just ahead of the CG and the jacks pin to the ends . Small trailer wheels slip in the bottom of the jacks . Raise a little for salt towing . A hitch pins to the push bar (tow backwards) . Raise a foot for servicing . For trailer loading  the tail gate (level with the trailer) rests on a plywood box and the car rolls straight on . No winching or clearance issues .

Ball screws unwind under load so anti-unwind latch required .

[Milwaukee Midget]

I also did the tow-bar approach, but also found the turning radius of the Midget - whish has been choked off considerably, wound up giving me some issues with the front end.

In 2013, we used a tow strap, but found we were wiping salt off of the front of the car every time we came from a run, whereas the tow bar DID keep the salt from kicking up onto the front of the car.

While I tow with an open trailer, I still find the lowness of the car requires me to raise the tongue in order to clear the exhaust onto the bed where it breaks over the ramps.

I'm thinking of devising some sort of a pivoting dolly that can be tucked under the car for transport - probably with 8" or 10" light-duty tires.  The car only ways ~ 1600 lbs, so I can cheap out on that aspect a bit.

[SPARKY]

surplus u hall 

[wheelrdealer]

Here is the way we did our tow bar. We notched the bumpers and used 1/2" quick pins. Towed it all over the salt with no issues.

BR

[Eddieschopshop]

What you didn't like my lunar lander?   I had a settup for my roadster that worked good.  A simple two tire dolly that the rear of the car rolled up on and a hitch I built that had a jck built into it.  Stuck a receiver in the front of the race car,   jacked it up and towed it like a trailer.  Then towed dolly when no car on it.  Worked pretty good overall 

[Stan Back]

Speaking of towing – at Bonneville we install some cut-down motor home "whiskers" at the back of the tow truck to keep the salt from kicking up.  We still get some from the open front tires of our Street Roadster when turning.  After 15 years and probably 100s of miles, we sure like using a tow bar.  We can go 55 MPH with no sweat (note:  This certainly doesn't apply to the off-road course going to the 3 & 4).