To be honest, I just live with it. I haven't had any problems of snaking or instability with my 400kg trailer & 1045kg car. The total tow weight is probably 1520 kg inc fuel & odds & sods. I have no idea what nose weight I've got, but probably a bit low. I've towed upto 350 miles at speeds up to 95 mph (forgot I had the trailer on the back for a while !) and not a problem at all.

What t/day car do you have ?

 

I have an e36 coupe (mostly M3 spec) so it will be a few 100 kilos more than your race car. It's road legal at the moment so I drive it to the track - it even has a stereo. However, it is getting more and more track focussed as time goes by so trailing looks more appealing. The other advantage is that you are always going to get home!

Were you racing at Oulton when the Kuhmos were there recently? I was spectating and supporting the team that looks after my car - Butler Motorsport.

 

I missed Oulton but a friend used the car. In the Kumho he dumped the car in the gravel after hitting Brian Jordans (M6) oil - causing the red flag to come out.

 

Much to this disappointment of Mark in the Butler Motorsport car who was reeling in Martyn Bell at the time. Still it was a good race while it lasted. Maybe I could sell Brian Jordan my spare S38

Terry from Butlers is trying to persuade me to start racing but I think I may be missing a few key factors like time, cash, courage and speed in no particular order . I definitely wouldn't be able to do a championship but the idea of doing a few North West events a year does have an appeal.

 

You may be better starting in the Milltek - the grids are fuller, costs lower, and you can hire a car for a race or few if you want to test the water before the bigger bucks of the Kumho. I think a few Kumho guys wish they were in the Milltek !

 

Well the deed is done :-) I have put some money down on a used 535d M Sport Touring. The towing kit is still under negotiation but I am not in too much of a hurry as the e36 is unlikely to be out again this year. I had a thoroughly wet trackday at Anglesey. Set off in sunshine from Chester on my worn A048s only to get to Conway and not be able to see Anglesey - just a big dark cloud. "This is why I need a trailer" I thought .

Cornering grip was better than I expected but traction was difficult and braking was plain lethal. I think all my efforts to make sure my front brakes stay working at circuits like Oulton and Donington in the dry backfired on me. The less extreme setup on the back was working better and locking up the rears. This combined with defunct ABS meant I couldn't stay in a straight line under braking long enough to get the fronts remotely warm. As I reversed at high speed towards the tyre wall after discovering this issue for the first time, I thought "This is why I need a trailer" .

http://www.daverpics.co.uk/coppermine/disp...?album=36&pos=1

Kept it pointing in the right direction after that (well mostly) and it cleared up nicely late on and let me recover some pride. I wasn't the only one in trouble. There were so many red flags you would have thought the Chinese Premier was visiting.

Ironically, if I had already got my new rig, I would have probably been better to unhook the trailer and use the 535d instead. There was a chap with his X5 on track who was really flying . Is it embarrassing to be passed by a vehicle that still has the kiddy seat installed?...YES....Does an X5 look big in your mirror?....Hell YES. The little MX5s and Caterhams must have been worried about being injested into the engine! http://www.daverpics.co.uk/coppermine/disp...?album=32&pos=4

 

Any further towing tips guys?

I am using a 14' PRG trailer which is a tad short for my e36 but don't have the space or weight allowance for a 16'. A brief test has shown I start to get the beginnings of sway about 55mph as soon as the road starts to decend. The most I can move the car forward is about 6" with some mods to the chocks and I will have an extra 80kg in the tyre rack and toolbox in full trim. Is my real problem the self levelling though?

 

I am amazed why you might think self levelling is a problem for towing. In my view, absolutely the opposite, as it keeps the show level.

If you think you have a level issue when stationary consider adjusting the height of the tow-hitch relative to the trailer. (Can't simply lower the towball height with a drop plate like we could on the old twin bolt arrangements). Once right, the beauty is that the levelling will keep it so.