Homemade A2 rear beam car dolly - suggestions needed!

[tberk at sbcglobal.net (T Berk)]

Mark wrote:

> Instead of making a rotiserrie as my next welding project, I'm going to
> make a car dolly instead - seeing as I'm picking up A1's at an alarming
> rate. :)
> 
> I borrowed (former?) list member Ben Beacock's homemade dolly last year
> to pick up the 80 S from Kervin.  He used an A2 rear beam.  From what I
> remember he cut it in the middle and widened it with a heavy piece of
> angle iron, and welded on "pads" for front wheels of the tow vehicle.
> 
> While it worked well, it was a bit unprofessional in construction and
> design.  Anyone have any ideas or advice on making a similar dolly?
> 
> I would like to do away with the (expensive) wheel restraint belt
> system, and maybe use dedicated front wheels that secure to the dolly.
> (ie: bolt the special wheels on the car to be towed, roll it up on the
> dolly, and secure it...  Any ideas?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Mark.


How about getting some stock VW steel rims, throw some cheap tires on 
them and bore two holes through the sides. Use the wheels to drive the 
car up on the dolly, and the holes to chain the car to the dolly.

OR

weld up some 'caps' to fit over VW wheels and after you drive the car up 
on the dolly you use chain on one side and long threaded bolt(s) on the 
other to tighten and secure.

OR

Use the belts the moving companies use. They don't have the 'two belts 
split to fit over the top of the tire' mod the 'real' belts have but you 
could afix a single strap per side over the control arms vs over the 
tires and still be secure. Same (nylon?) webbing, ends might need some 
changing as they slip into rectangular holes on the sides of a moving 
van, or just go with them, they work well.

OR

Afix some kind of 'slide into place' brackets that will take the place 
of the front (or rear) wheels of the 'to be towed' car, once the car is 
up on the dolly you swap a drive wheel for the bracket, it bolts to the 
hub in place of the original wheel and secures the car to the dolly.

OR... I could go on but I'll need to step to the chalkboard.


TBerk
Designing is a genetic legacy