Transporting a D series Citroen

C

Citquery

Active member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
415
Location
Adelaide
I recall threads posted on this subject over the years, but I'm obviously not putting the correct cues in the search function to find them.

Can anyone please point me to relevant threads - or succinctly describe the best way to transport a D (car in good running order): tie-down points, suspension setting, etc.

Thanks, in anticipation.

Chris
 
The most important thing is to hold them down by the wheels, not the body. That way the suspension can do what it likes and you are not going to damage anything. The professionals have strap anchors all along their trays and run a short strap up from the tray in front of a wheel, up and over the wheel, around the tyre tread, and down to a ratchet tensioner at the tray behind the wheel. They tie at least two wheels of each car. We amateurs don't have the luxury of such a fancy setup so we have to make do.

What I do is use a ratchet tie-down strap on each side, a proper truck one, 50 mm wide, 2 tonne capacity, 9 m long. They're only $20 or $30 each. I hook its anchor to the side of my car trailer, in line with the front of the front wheel, run the strap around the inside of the front wheel by slipping it over the wheel and laying it as low as I can around the inside of the wheel, sitting on top of the upper ball joint, then out behind the wheel and back to the side of the trailer. I run it around the side bracing of the trailer level with the back of the wheel, then up the side of the trailer to the rear wheel, where I run it around inside the rear wheel in the same way as the front wheel. Once I have taken the strap back to the side of the trailer level with the back of the rear wheel I run it across the trailer behind the rear wheels of the car so I have a straight run to the ratchet assembly hooked to the trailer side rail on the other side. Then I do the same with the other side of the car. You have to jiggle the straps a bit to tighten them, and you can't get the front really tight, but you don't need it that tight and the car isn't going to go anywhere.

Roger
 
Most important that the driver of the car be aware that there "may" be no brakes .. I note the statement above about working order... without a running engine. Be aware also of the possible loss of height .. I am thinking here of doors that become impossible to open or dragging on trailer framework. Assure correct height is achieved before removal to protect the underside .. exhaust etc from dragging.
 
If its in working order ....... You'll be wanting a permit and some petrol for it ....... and maybe a box of tools :)

if your using a car trailer, you can tie it front and back without those straps that go around the wheels. Tie it down by the rear arms to the back of the trailer. Pull it nice and tight with the winch. Then strap both front lower suspension arms down to the front of the trailer. Like you are trying to "stretch" the car with the straps. A packet of four cheap shitty ratchet straps would do a good job (one for each suspension arm).
 
I do something a bit similar to Shane or Roger, if I'm using a regular car trailer or truck flatbed.
On my car trailer (built specially for Dees) i have short chains attached each side behind the front axle position and inboard of the wheels.
I run the chain over the lower arm and down to an overcentre dog ahead of the axle. Secure the dog with wire.
Then I put a very light strap from the right rear tie down loop (rear corner of the boot well) to the left side of the trailer. And similar from the left loop to right side of trailer, applying gentle restraint 20% down 80% laterally.....gentle, it doesn't need much.
If your trailer doesn't have floor anchor options, I suggest you install some.
It's easy... drill a 12mm hole, install a12mm ring bolt with a very big washer under the deck... and a nyloc nut of course.
If you install a pair of front ones, to do as above they, are best connected to a trailer structural member as well.

After driving or dragging the car on, set it to low, if you have to climb out of a window, leave the window down a little to allow re- entry.
 
DoubleChevron said:
If its in working order ....... You'll be wanting a permit and some petrol for it ....... and maybe a box of tools :)

if your using a car trailer, you can tie it front and back without those straps that go around the wheels. Tie it down by the rear arms to the back of the trailer. Pull it nice and tight with the winch. Then strap both front lower suspension arms down to the front of the trailer. Like you are trying to "stretch" the car with the straps. A packet of four cheap shitty ratchet straps would do a good job (one for each suspension arm).
Click to expand...
Before stretching your car, look in the boot, Remove the anti roll bar cover, check the condition of the structure where the arms mount.
I've seen and even ridden in Dees that would grow 2" with Shane's method.
Or stand back 10 yards behind the car and look at the alignment of the rear wheels. If they aren't parallel, don't restrain the rear of the car by the arms, or pull it down on the stops.
I have carried Dees with front lower arm restraint only. And the rear never moved.
 
Buttercup said:
Before stretching your car, look in the boot, Remove the anti roll bar cover, check the condition of the structure where the arms mount.
I've seen and even ridden in Dees that would grow 2" with Shane's method.
Or stand back 10 yards behind the car and look at the alignment of the rear wheels. If they aren't parallel, don't restrain the rear of the car by the arms, or pull it down on the stops.
I have carried Dees with front lower arm restraint only. And the rear never moved.
Click to expand...

I've found they will frustrating move 1/2cm forward and back no matter how well you tie them down while moving through traffic. You can feel it from the drivers seat (the stretch in your tiedowns).

I like your idea of tieing the lower arms down though. I try to do as little towing as possible. Its generally on the spur of the moment as I have a car broken somewhere (eg: the ID19 breaking its crankshaft). Actually the biggest PITA is your towcar breaking down .... 'cos obviously its your towcar, so you have nothing that can tow it home!
 
You can buy those short straps to bridge the long straps and make things easier and safer.
I tow the DS23 from Brisbane to Sunshine coast this way with no problems even going up the hill to Maleny.
 

Attachments

  • 89808-fe3b82b9744f19f04510fb7effff607d.jpg
    89808-fe3b82b9744f19f04510fb7effff607d.jpg
    4.4 KB · Views: 119
Thank you, everyone, for your advice: securing via wheels/tyres (perhaps select wheel articulation bits) seems to be the consensus; securing via body very much a secondary consideration/back-up.

Chris
 
Seeing as you are potentially handing the car over to an international shipping company, taping some starting / driving instructions onto the steering wheel is a good idea.

A lot of damage has been done to D series cars by shipping companies who have never seen one let alone driven one.
 
In 2005 I shipped Buttercup to Southampton, RoRo both ways. Because it's BVH, I had taped extensive instructions to the dash.
The trouble was that the drivers used to load/unload RoRo are often not very strong in English, and if you throw in some technical words they are lost very quickly. And they are pushed to be fast in everything they do.
If you have a few minutes sometime, I can tell an amusing story about that shipping.
The points relevant here are:
On the RoRo deck they strap down the body at 4 points. If they can't find a suitable attachment point, they'll use an unsuitable one. They would rather damage 1 car than have it come loose and damage several around it.
At the initial loading in Sydney I insisted on giving the driver a 10 min briefing including a test drive, and have him demonstrate exactly what he was going to do onboard, including to put the height lever fully down, and watch it fully settle before GENTLY applying the straps.
I had fitted a solenoid operated battery isolator, with the master switch on the dash..... with a big red tag on it, and instructions.

If you are shipping in a container you probably have more opportunity to supervise the loading.

I have heard some horror stories from both RoRo and containers, and on balance, I would choose RoRo again.
 
Thank you, faulksy and Bob. I have written some instructions and as it is proposed that the car be shipped in a container, I intend (if possible) to supervise its loading and securing in the container. I think the potential purchaser and I are equally nervous about this process.

Chris
 
I hope Forum members will bear with me for reactivating this thread and seeking further commentary on this subject now that I have a little more information.

It appears that the container to be used will be similar to that shown in the photo below which, for context, was taken from this source: https://www.autoshippers.co.uk/blog/citroen-ds21 .

1611566563554.png


I have no idea how they have secured the front of the car, but they have possibly attached tie-down straps to the lower front suspension arms. Dealing with the rear for a moment, I don't know why they haven't tethered each end of the strap to the same loop and run the fabric around the 'stub axle', as shown in the image below.

1611567688451.png


Having said that, I appreciate contributors' aversion to tethering the strap to the loops on the bottom edge of the boot - as in the autoshippers image above - given the potential to 'stretch' the car and test the integrity of the welding/boot floor. However, doesn't tethering to the wheel or some point close to it (e.g. my 'stub axle' example) also have the potential to 'stretch' the car, albeit through the intermediate linkages to the body?

There may be one positive benefit of tethering to the loops on the bottom edge of the boot; that being that the tension applied not only restrains forward-rearward movement, but also up and down movement of the body (on the passive suspension). I'm thinking of a container on a ship which is pitching in rough seas, applying upward and downward momentum to its load - and any unrestrained component.

The other thing we've been told is that wheel chocks are placed in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels, but we're yet to find out how they are restrained, given the slippery nature of the container floor.

We are contemplating reversing the car into the container and one further possibility is to restrain the front wheels - much as a couple of contributors have mentioned above - by tethering one end of the strap to the loop which you can see on the container floor about adjacent to the black D's rear wheel, wrap the strap around the front wheel as Roger mentioned and then tension it to the loop near the end of the container (as used for the rear of the black D). Once secure, the tethers would be attached at the rear, either around the 'stub axles', or to the loops on the bottom edge of the boot.

Finally, as this car is a Borg Warner automatic I am inclined to transport it in Neutral, NOT Park, as I imagine the slight backward and forward movement would exert undue strain on the parking dog.

I welcome further comments in light of this additional information about the container in which the car will be transported.

Chris
 
Last edited:
Again being no Citroen expert, but seeing as cars are designed to be on four wheels I would of thought it best to secure the car by its wheels using something similar to these:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2918209...MIuK_7iu627gIVSn8rCh0EFwODEAQYAiABEgLCP_D_BwE

I believe that the rear guards are removable so this will aid fitting the straps to the rear wheels, the rear guard can be stowed inside the car.

Tie down the car to the internal tie points inside the container, using this method you should not need wheel chocks.

I see this method has been mentioned a few times above, so I guess you have your answer.
 
I have recently been helping a friend with some mechanical improvement to his DS21IE. We decided to inspect and tidy the boot floor, which is surprisingly very good. However I noticed that there was a significant repair to the right rear boot corner and tie down loop.
As this owner has had the car from almost new, and knew nothing about it, i presume it was damaged in shipping to Aus, and repaired here before new sale.
These loops are for gentle restraint.

In a container, I would focus on restraint of the front lower arms in all directions, and then only restrain the rear from moving sideways, or up, with straps across the container, from the boot corner loops to floor lugs, and only moderately tightened.
The rear arms are very long and because of this leverage, strong restraint on them could cause distortion of their mounts.
If this is done well, chocks are no use.
Not a bad idea to take the rear wings off, and put them inside the car.
 
Thank you for your replies, guys. I think the combination of 4 of the straps you mention, Col, plus the 'not too tight' restraint on the boot floor loops would do the job nicely, given the tie-down loops evidently available within the container. I have pretty much a car full of stuff as it stands, but with a bit of judicious packing I think I can fit the rear 'guards inside the cabin as well! Apparently the transporter charges extra for additional goods stored in the container.

I'll see what the car's purchaser thinks about this, as there would be some delay whilst the Just Straps are purchased and sent to me. (I am not aware of a supplier in Adelaide.)

Chris
 
IIRC when these cars were delivered as new vehicles the rear wings were not attached, neither were the Pallas style hubcaps being supplied in large plastic bags. Back in the day it was not unusual to have cars damaged by wharfies who would walk all over them wearing steel cap boots.
 
Hopefully, fritzelhund, being able to supervise loading the car into the container (and unloading) will provide the car with a little more protection than practises employed in the '70s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top