JohnD60

I知 sure many of you have already solved this problem so I知 hoping you can provide suggestions. I transport my C5 on an open trailer to DE events. Worked great for the last year. Just lowered the car to achieve a more aggressive alignment and can no longer open the door when on the trailer.

A recent post showed trailer pictures with the left side fender removed. I assume this was done to address this very issue. Are there other options? I was thinking I could bolt/weld sections of an old ramp to the trailer bed in the tire locations to elevate the car but fear this may lead to issues with secure tie down.

I know all you enclosed trailer types are saying "what's the big deal" but opening the door is one of the few advantages of an open trailer!

Please share your experiences and/or ideas.

Thanks,

John

Gary2KC5

The solution is to add about 2' of 12x2 lumber for the tires on the left side. I did that on my open trailer and it works pretty well. When I got my enclosed trailer I ordered an escape door and I needed to put in 3 12"x2"x10' boards on top of each other to clear the wheel well.

I've done a lot of DE's that mix the event with club racers and find that it is quite common to see the lumber on the left side of the nicest trailers.

c4cruiser

A good welding shop or trailer shop should be able to remove the left fender and convert it to a removeable design. The fenders are usually light enough so they can be removed by one person. If you don't need a lot of clearance to get the door open, this may be the best way to go. No wood, no drilling extra holes or replacing the wood every few years.

Just out of curisoty (if you do go with wood), why put a wood block on just the left side? If you install a pair of 2x12's that are longer than the wheelbase of the car, it would still roll up on the trailer and would sit level. Depending on the height you need to have the door clear, you may only need that 1.5" of clearance with the fender removed.

You could get 2x12 lumber that is pressure treated so it would last if the traielr is kept outside, and add something like skateboard tape to provide a rough surface for traction.

Allthrottleandsomebottle

Post a pic John, how much interference 2 or 3"

ghoffman

I just cut the welds and welded on big door hinges. Just pull the pin in a couple of places and the fender comes off. I how have an enclosed trailer so I still have to climb out of the widow. You could also get a winch and never have to open or close the doors at all.

wtknght1

Part of your problem may just be that you lowered your car. There's plenty of other threads on this topic, but if you lowered it without the benefit of a pro shop doing it for you, then you've probably screwed up the handling of your car.

Cornerweighting...bottoming out shocks...sway bars binding up...proper rake...suspension geometry...and a host of other issues if not done properly!!

FasterIsBetter

The open trailer I bought this past spring, used, has a "home made" removable fender on the left side. It's easy to take off and put on, just a little messy because there is a pin underneath between the wheels that has to be removed. The problem is, with my Z06 the door doesn't clear the tires. I can position the car so that I can open the door between the wheels enough that I can get in and out. Not the most elegant solution, but it works without adding wood or weight to the trailer. Other cars I've towed clear the wheels no problem with the fender off.

JohnD60

Thank you for the fast replies!

My clearance issue is probably less than an inch. Next time I load the car I'll take a picture and post it. I think I may take the easy route initially and try the pressure treated 2x12.

FYI - The car was lowered by a professional alignment shop. Although I have to admit I like the look of lowered C5's, I did not lowering my since I wanted to avoid all the issue mentioned above (as well as the possibility of my oil pan meeting the curb during an off track excursion!). My alignment shop (run by one of our DE instructors/racer) indicated lowering the rear slightly would allow him to give me the correct camber. I'm looking forward to trying it out at next month's DE.

Thanks again,

John