Tire Tail on FD. Safe?
 

Is it safe to install a hitch with a tire tail on an FD? Will it fit with a standard hitch? Anyone ever use this?

http://www.egansworld.com/oldsite/tail3.jpg

I think the tongue weight on FD hitches is 250 pounds, so it would be pushing it.

I do it with my U-haul hitch on my FD. I reiforced the welds and added a piece of steel to it after I had a crack in one of the U-haul hitch's welds. I hardly know it is back there when driving. I also got a curved piece of exhaust pipe, I put in the exhaust tip, to divert the exhaust from melting the tires.

Smart man. How many tires did you melt before putting the tip on. Hahaha.

None from the exhaust.
I did destroy a brand new A3S04 Hoosier and damaged another when the hitch welds gave out. I was going to go after U-haul for damages but when I weighed the setup I had it was just over the rating. I just sucked it up and had an A3S05 in with the set. When I looked at the welds they were terrible(only about half way through). I would advise anyone using a hitch, they did not weld themselves, to inspect and reinforce for safety.

Sweet, can you use it to do wheelies?

Not only will it be heavy, it'll put a fairly significant torque on the hitch from supporting the load way out there with no other support (ie trailer wheels). If you're going to do it, be very sure that the hitch is strong enough.

You're much better off with a harbor freight trailer. I used to use a Tire Tail on my Subaru, but it had a ton of storage space in comparison to the RX7. It will be a bit more expensive, but well worth it.

Finky, can you please post some pictures of your tire tail rig, reinforcements, etc. I am going to try and set this up too. I can't use a wheels trailer. I drive on too many parkways and they dont allow trailers in the Holland Tunnel.

I just came across your request for a pic. I don't think I have any on the computer but I will look to see what I have.

It pretty much came straight out from the hitch (parallel to the road) and I welded a T with V supports to the end of the T tips. It had two pipes perpendicular to the T and the road. I put two tires on each side flat on their sides. I built it this way so I could haul more than just tires. The true tire tails are just pipes up in the air to hang the tires on. If I built it again I would weld the setup with a piece moving it further from the road. Mine did drag slightly entering steep driveways.

It was not hard to pull it out of my barn a snap some pics of it

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x436/jfinky/1.jpg

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x436/jfinky/3.jpg

This is where the U-SUCK... I mean U-HAUL hitch broke. There is room on the FD to weld a triangular piece on the hitch for more strength.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x436/jfinky/4.jpg

150 lb. rating. I forgot the total when I weighed the setup but it was like 165 lbs. It was too much to go back on U-HAUL.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x436/jfinky/5.jpg

If your car is lowered at all you will have to bend or weld pieces to bring the whole setup away from the road. My setup was used with stock suspension.

Thanks. This is great and some good suggestions on how to improve. Uhaul is taking their sweet time sending me the hitch assembly. I'm very nervous how much it's going to weight. I spent a lot of time shaving pounds off the car.

Bathroom scale says mine is 19.2 lbs (no bolts). I took mine off at Nationals. It is only on with 2 bolts and 2 U bolts.

There is always this route. Take a look at the aluminum trailer hitch I made. Maybe you could have a fab shop local to you make one similar.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...uminum+trailer

Personally I'd never use one of those hitches where the tires hang off the back. That Uhaul hitch broke note because the metal is shitty, its because its being used in a way never intended. Those class 2 hitches have a tongue weight rating of like 200 lbs or less. Hanging ~200 lbs of tires off of it, over a foot extended is overloading that thing bigtime, as can be seen by the failure.