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Post by Scottish Cartie Association on Nov 12, 2011 10:46:54 GMT
This is how I mounted the tow point on our sidehack (inspired by Soapybox). Dead simple and works really well at taking out tow rope snatch.
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Post by leew on Nov 12, 2011 13:47:47 GMT
I did a simular thing, except I used a rubber block insted of a spring, also works well at preventing the nasty jolt I would otherwise get when the rope goes tight.
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Post by brillo451 on Nov 15, 2011 0:33:12 GMT
The nasty jolts are only caused by nasty drivers (The ones that don't have a clue how to tow)
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Post by kingkay on Nov 17, 2011 23:13:17 GMT
Speaking as a nasty driver I’ll happily admit I don’t have a clue, but me and the other idiots who volunteer are the only drivers there are. I’m not sure many of them would claim to be good at towing but they’re the best your going to get. Some of the teams are racing down the hill and then driving the recovery vehicle back up. I’m sure anyone who could do it better would be more than welcome to take over.
Next time I’ve given up my free time, driven over a hundred miles, spent all day standing in a car park linking up soapboxes, tried to lift up a 150 kilo cart to attach a rope to a tow eye which is a loop of seat belt smack in the middle under the floor 1 inch from the tarmac and the driver doesn’t get out to make it lighter, I’ll be thinking how perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if the driver had read the rules a bit harder, would it hurt if the scrutineering was a bit harsher, but mainly that there’s some ungrateful gimp moaning about my clutch control.
Besides, I don’t think you can moan at the recovery drivers, they have a much better record of getting up the hill than the muppets do at racing down it. ;D
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Post by peasnbarley on Nov 18, 2011 10:44:55 GMT
Well there 'a smacky fingers and a black nail' for those who piss off our cartie heroes ;D There have been odd times when I felt the tow up was more risky than the drive down but that was when I first started cartie racing and to be honest the standard of towing has improved greatly. The point is that tow drivers, observers, Marshals, track officials and all others who volunteer to do anything to make racing possible are wonderful and the salt of the Earth. ;D
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Post by andy on Nov 18, 2011 12:55:01 GMT
Having been at both ends of the tow..I know exactly where König Kay is coming from !
The recovery is potentially as dangerous as the run back down.
I`ve had carts come off the rope both in front and behind me. I`ve even been run over by another cart as the tow train started.
I`ve had to man handle carts in search of that elusive towing eye.
Getting all aspects of the tow right is vital to a safe event.
Its good this topic is being discussed.
As we all become more experienced in the procedure, we will make it easier and safer.
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Post by leew on Nov 19, 2011 9:34:32 GMT
I must admit that when I first started soapboxing, I was more nervous about the tow than the run down. On the run down you are in complete control, going up you are not. At my first ever event, on the last tow, the rope went slack at one point and I kept moving foward, I ran over the tow rope (I could not see this from the drivers seat), when the tow started moving again the rope got tangled around the wheel and eventually bent and broke the towing eye off. For this event I had mounted the towing eye to the wishbone, BAD IDEA! After that I moved the towing eye to the centre and also added the rubber block as a shock absorber and had no more problems.
All the rule sets I know of say the tow hook has to be metal, so how did a bit of seatbelt pass scrutineering?
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Post by peasnbarley on Nov 19, 2011 10:38:56 GMT
Personally I would like to see all tow points central on the carts as the towed carts follow each more easily. A cart with the tow point on one side means the rope is pulled at an angle unless the driver runs nearer to the crown of the road or the verge than all the other carts. The back rope guide will at least help prevent tyre rub.
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Post by neils on Nov 19, 2011 17:45:19 GMT
Could also be that if tow point is too high cart may "grip roll" when being dragged around a tight corner as opposed to sliding
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Post by kingkay on Nov 19, 2011 19:13:08 GMT
Best tow ever - Nick 'The Mortician' Morton back up Cairngorm 2010. In the dark towed on a dog lead behind Roll Over Roys van. He said it was far more scary than the race down!!
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Post by brillo451 on Nov 22, 2011 2:57:53 GMT
When I posted The nasty jolts are only caused by nasty drivers (The ones that don't have a clue how to tow) I was not getting at any one, The tow drivers have only ever been praised for their efforts(in my presence anyway) The worst tow I have personally had was from a so called professional from the AA...
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Post by kingkay on Nov 22, 2011 9:44:34 GMT
Apology accepted Captain Needa
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