Best towing package for our 86
 

Just wanted to share some useful information for us track rats.
I used to tow my former WC race car everywhere for HPDE since it was not legal in the street. Once I got away from race cars, I still hauled the BRZ everywhere so I could carry fuel and tires. I sold my truck and 24" enclosed trailer last year thinking the BRZ is good to go everywhere.
It actually is but the dilemma I had is that I could either carry e85 or a set of slicks but not both really. You can only fit so much inside the car.
The funny thing is that both make my car almost equally faster but I still had to compromise for one of the two.
Long story short, the only solution for me was to haul my tires or fuel outside the car which means I need a small trailer I can tow with the car.
I did my research and figured the best towing combo you can ever buy. It is as follows:
1) Slambert Hitch. This is an excellent hitch for our cars because it is very strong, very easy to install and it does not add any weight to the car because you only install it to tow.
2) Curt 56212 trailer harness that includes T connectors with a 3-Wire system powered converter. This is a very clean harness install.
3) Leroy Engineering tire trailer. This is by far the best trailer in the market. It has 3 different base models but just pick your preference.
I have everything already but I am still waiting for the trailer. Once I get it all together I will add pictures to this thread.

The Leroy Engineering trailer is awesome, just soooo expensive compared to other options.

I picked up a custom trailer for a hell of a deal, otherwise would have gone with a Harbor Freight setup. But if you've got the coin to drop, go for it. I'd love to hear your impressions.

I went the harbor frieght route and beefed it up where I saw necessary. So far no complaints. It has about 34 driving hours under its belt with no issues whatsoever. The entire build was well under $1000 bucks. The Leroy setup is awesome but way out of what I budgeted for the trailer.

On the road
https://image.ibb.co/eeDtTa/21248400...78820243_o.jpg

Test fit
https://image.ibb.co/f7W2Mv/20170803_172944.jpg

Leroy keeps changing what they have listed... Doesn't seem quite baked yet as a business. The Shortshift looked perfect as a budget option, then disappeared. The Paddock is priced well to be competitive with a fully built HF setup IMO, especially considering the higher speed rated tires. I can't tell if you need to weld it yourself or not, though assuming not...

I don't have storage space for a trailer yet, but will also want to haul my kayaks and occasionally, lumber. It'll likely need to be custom. The Slambert hitch is awesome.

I have an entire blog post dedicated to my tire-trailer project, which includes the build process for a custom trailer built on a Harbor Fright chassis, and everything else you'd need.


This is a project I’ve been working on occasionally for the past few months, but I wanted to wait until it was complete to write up a formal blog post about it. My plan for autocross (and eventually track days and such) was always to have a dedicated set of tires for that purpose. What I also wanted was an easy way to transport them to and from these events, along with all of my other tools, without having to cram everything into the car. Yes, technically, all that stuff and more will fit into the the car, but it’s a real pain to have to load and unload everything every time. I wanted something that would allow me to literally “grab and go” and still allow me to keep the car clean, and empty for passengers or other cargo.

So that meant a trailer. And that meant a trailer hitch. On a BRZ. Meh.

There were two options I had when selecting a trailer hitch for the BRZ. The first was a “standard setup,” which involved bolting a big, heavy hitch to the chassis from underneath, and would result in a permanent installation that added weight and “ugliness,” in return for something that I was, realistically, only going to use every few weeks. The second option was a temporary hitch that installs into the rear tow points on the car, and can be easily installed and removed in basically 90 seconds. You can guess which solution I went with...

Thank you so much for sharing your setups. I had a Harbor Freight setup before but it kept having issues and I could really not trust it. I know I could beef it up and all that but I just choose a turn key high quality american product.
The Leroyengineering setup is great value for the money. It is a young company formed by engineers like me that are learning the business and the marketing of it.
They are indeed great fans of autocross and track time so their products are bullet proof. Some of the items I like are that the wiring is 100% not exposed, The tire ratchets are perfectly aligned creating zero motion and zero sway in the trailer, high speed tires and much higher quality bearings and tires that ride with confidence for those of us with the ability to speed up the pace a bit....

I appreciate you giving us an honest review of their trailers. They look awesome, and if I had the money, I would probably buy one... (actually, I'd like to build my own custom one to suit my specific needs one day, but I need the space and tools to do so, not to mention the knowledge of how to weld...)

Having said that, I think people are a bit too critical of Harbor Freight trailers, and a lot of the bad experiences people have had are most likely due to user error in assembly or use more than anything else. They are super cheap, but that doesn't mean they won't work perfectly fine as a tire trailer. A little common sense is needed when building it, such as using Loctite, or at least lock nuts/washers on all of the bolts during assembly, adding some protective sheathing to the wiring, and making sure everything is square before final tightening. It is also important to properly grease and pack the bearings, as they don't come with anywhere near the amount of grease you should have.

If you do that, you will have something that might not be as elegant as the Leroy Engineering trailers, but will still pull tire trailer duty just fine. I tow my trailer to all of my events at around 80 MPH, and I've never had any issues. Everything bolts down securely with ZERO motion (I always grab the tires and give them a shake, and they always feel as though they are structurally integrated with the trailer), and the trailer doesn't sway or move around at all. My only complaint with it, is that it can be a bit bouncy at lower speeds due to the leaf spring suspension having been designed for a maximum payload of over 1,000 lb, whereas I've got it loaded with less than half that much. I already run the tires at 30 PSI, instead of 60, but I still might take out the center leaf next year to see if that helps calm it down.

Leroy Engineering likes to make a huge deal about how they autocross tested their trailer, taking it through a course, but I've watched the video (below) and I could do the exact same thing with my trailer, which is taller, and fits a lot more stuff.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F59L9J37PTE"]Leroy Engineering Grid 275 Handling Test - YouTube[/ame]


Point being, I don't want people to think that they need to spend the money on a Leroy Engineering trailer to have a safe, reliable trailer. I'd still buy one if I could justify the cost, but the HF is a good, cheap alternative if you're on a budget :)

I find a lot of value in good products. If you want a good watch, you can buy a Timex and it will give you the same time than a Rolex. Would they last the same? Would they be as cool after X amount of years? For sure not.
If you were doing the One Lap of America, what tire trailer would you use?
I think we all get the picture of value versus cost and for sure not everyone can or wants to afford a Leroyengineering product.
Having said that, if some of you turn any HF trailer into something customized with high quality, I'd say kudos to you and great accomplishment but before you really compare one of these to a Leroyengineering trailer, please keep in mind the following parameters so your trailer really brings something to the comparison.
I will break it down in parts of the trailer:
-Frame
-Frames are fully hand welded, 2IN tubing frames. Designed to be lightweight, ridged, and designed specifically to carry tires and equipment
-The design of the frame allows the entire load to be low. This aids in the handling, but also doesn’t block the view out the back, such that the ride is not compromised in any way
-The wiring is run inside the tubing, so no wires can get snagged, ripped, or corroded .
-Every metal piece of these trailers is powder coated to prevent rust, wear, and keep it looks slick and sharp for years.
-Frames are available in virtually any color.
-Even in Kit form, all frames are shipped fully welded, and powder coated. Only assembly needed is bolting the pieces together.
-Suspension
-The independent suspension allows the load to be mounted down low.
-Shocks are adjustable for both firmness and dampening to match the need of the load.
-The adjustable dampening means the trailer stays planted and smooth- even on extremely rough road
-Suspension is fully adjustable for toe and camber- just like a car. This may not be necessary but it is super cool.

-E-track straps
-The E-track straps used means the tires can be loaded and unloaded in seconds. It’s fast, simple, and secure
-Lights
-All trailers come standard with LED tail lights and side markers
-Wheels
-All trailers are equipped with Timken Bearings, and Kenda tires, rated at 81 mph.
-All trailers, in Kit form or fully assembled, come with pre-assembled hubs which have been packed with Lucas®high temp bearing grease
-Security
-The box is lockable, and attached to the frame with weld nuts, to prevent theft
-There is an optional lockable cable that runs through the wheels, locking them to the frame.

-Accessories and Customization:

-There will be a lot of accessories for the trailers coming out soon as I found out through the phone when I placed my order. Including:
-Bike rack
-Fuel can mount
-Folding tent mount
-Spare trailer tire mounts


After all the issues I had with my former HF special, I actually gave it away to a friend of mine that needed a small trailer for his farm. At least I used it for a good deed.

Happy trails track rats.

I finished putting together the package. Instructions and parts quality are exceptional. This trailer is very well worth the investment.
I did not take very many pictures but these two will give you a good idea.
I will take more once I hit the track on 10/9


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4506/...2023912b_m.jpg


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4507/...b7bda098_m.jpg

I use the Slambert Performance trailer-hitch with an 8" drop tongue. The trailer is a Red Barn Trailers frame (the ones Harbor Freight ripped off), with the axle flipped to the top of the leaf springs, and a custom box on top. The bottom of the trailer is all Corroplast, so it's completely flat. Fully loaded at about 800lbs, I averaged 27 MPG driving from LA to DC, and that was before I added the nose cone. With that addition, drag has been substantially reduced.