Wandering Trailer?

S

Shermanater

Member
My trailer has started to wander on the highway and i'm not sure why? My tire pressures were down a bit so I put them back to 50psi each, and the problem is still there[}:)]. The tires are in excellent shape and the boat is sitting perfect on the trailer. Is there anything else that might cause this problem or should I put a bit more air into my tires?
 
Double check your axle has not moved on the leaf springs some times if you hit somthing hard on the one wheel it will slide the axle back on the leaf springs or if the leaf springs have shrunk due to rust it will loosen the u bolt. If sways side to side be sure trailer is level as possilble raise or lower the hitch.

hope this helps:)
 
really take a good look at your springs for brakes and cracks, i had to replace mine last summer , man what a difference. scotty
 
A quick way to check is to take 4 jack stands 2 on each side one up front say about 6 feet past the hitch and another 7 or 8 feet past the rear wheels,take and tie a string to the jack stand post front and rear,make sure its a thin string pull it TIGHT at center of hub level make sure it just touches the tire at the front and rear of the tire,drop a plumb bob down at the center of your trailer hitch make a mark ,drop the plumb bob down off of each string and make a mark on the ground ,these marks should be roughly parallel to your axle, measure and see if they are even,from the hitch center to the marks off the wheels, if they are not the wheels are out of line and the trailer will not track properly.I've done this to square up race cars and it works pretty well.You can also measure the distance at the front between the string and the rear of the string the tires should be SLIGHTLY toed in meaning the front measurement will be less than the rear measurement.DAN
 
Thanks for the excellent tip danthewire.
If this is the problem would it wander at all speeds or only at high speeds. I've noticed that it only starts to wander at 90-100km/hr. Other than that it seems to track just fine.
 
It is probably not your problem, but check the weight distribution of the trailer. If the weight is unbalanced to the rear, the trailer can begin to swing and could actually start to swing wildly and throw the towing vehicle around. That is a speed related event.

I have just about lost control of my vehicle once when I was towing a utility trailer with some boards hanging over the back.

You will see this on occasion when you are behind a trailer and it will be swinging from side to side. The people had probably put things into the trailer and had the rear loaded too heavily so the correct weight was not on the hitch.
 
Shermanter,I would check to make sure it is tracking properly first then I would look at your weight distribution next,[tongue weight] then I would investigate your springs, does it start to wander after a bump?if one spring is losing its spring rate or arch that spring may compress more on a bump and if that is the case the axle will start to steer,again comparing it to a race car we used to make the car rear steer coming off the corner by re arching the spring or using a softer spring rate.I also am assuming that the hitch and ball and other mechanical items are ok.DAN
 
Thanks again:). The ball and hitch are in good shape. I'm going to tinker with the trailer tomorrow and see if I can figure out what's wrong.
 
TONGUE WEIGHT!!! hugely important.. is the likely cause of it.. we had the exact same problem on our boat when we purchased it. We had almost zero tongue weight with a full load and a full tank of gas, almost cost us or LIVES!! huge accident.. doing about 80-90K down the Paybay Highway, boat uncontrollable going side to side, started with a small wable turned into a full swing!!! the boat actually passed us on our right hand side of my truck, causing us to do a full 180 degree spin on the pat bay high way!! there was an embankment on the side of the road that the trailer just missed going over! the trialer tires actually went up on the curb leveled a reflector post down as it was coming aroung, it pulled my truck around in a full 180 degree spin like it was nothing... my truck ended up hitting the center meridean HARD! totaled my truck! The boat and trailer finished its swing and stoped 2 feet. before smashing into the center merdidean barrier!!! The boat was saved by a miracle!! The trailer hitch and trailer arm was a mangled twisted mess! We could of easily been killed. Emergency crews showed up, and they could not believe it and asked us which way were traveling cuase the truck and boat was pointing the opposite direction on the Patbay! The rubber skid marks from the truck and trailer skidding side ways down the patpay was unbeliebale!! This was all cause from zero toung weight!! Take yoru truck and trailer and head to the truck weigh scale! Adjust your tongue weight A.S.A.P !!! move the boat forward on the trailer if you can to increase the tounge weight... 10-15% of the total weight. Our boat fully loaded was about 6,000 lbs. its a heavy boat.. we put about 600+ lbs. of toung weight.. huge difference!!
 
TONGUE WEIGHT!!! hugely important.. is the likely cause of it.. we had the exact same problem on our boat when we purchased it. We had almost zero tongue weight with a full load and a full tank of gas, almost cost us or LIVES!! huge accident.. doing about 80-90K down the Paybay Highway, boat uncontrollable going side to side, started with a small wable turned into a full swing!!! the boat actually passed us on our right hand side of my truck, causing us to do a full 180 degree spin on the pat bay high way!! there was an embankment on the side of the road that the trailer just missed going over! the trialer tires actually went up on the curb leveled a reflector post down as it was coming aroung, it pulled my truck around in a full 180 degree spin like it was nothing... my truck ended up hitting the center meridean HARD! totaled my truck! The boat and trailer finished its swing and stoped 2 feet. before smashing into the center merdidean barrier!!! The boat was saved by a miracle!! The trailer hitch and trailer arm was a mangled twisted mess! We could of easily been killed. Emergency crews showed up, and they could not believe it and asked us which way were traveling cuase the truck and boat was pointing the opposite direction on the Patbay! The rubber skid marks from the truck and trailer skidding side ways down the patpay was unbeliebale!! This was all cause from zero toung weight!! Take yoru truck and trailer and head to the truck weigh scale! Adjust your tongue weight A.S.A.P !!! move the boat forward on the trailer if you can to increase the tounge weight... 10-15% of the total weight. Our boat fully loaded was about 6,000 lbs. its a heavy boat.. we put about 600+ lbs. of toung weight.. huge difference!!
 
I think the problem might be the hitch. I guess this warm dry weather dried up the rust in the hitch and now theres side to side play in it. I had a closer look at the springs and their rusty but not as bad as I thought. Going to try towing it with another truck (that has a good hitch)and see how it tracks.

Thats exactly what I don't want to happen. Lucky no one was hurt.I'll check the tongue weight also because I think that may be on the light side as well. I think that should solve my problem. Thank's for all the help:).
 
I think the problem might be the hitch. I guess this warm dry weather dried up the rust in the hitch and now theres side to side play in it. I had a closer look at the springs and their rusty but not as bad as I thought. Going to try towing it with another truck (that has a good hitch)and see how it tracks.

Thats exactly what I don't want to happen. Lucky no one was hurt.I'll check the tongue weight also because I think that may be on the light side as well. I think that should solve my problem. Thank's for all the help:).
 
quote:Originally posted by Shermanater

I think the problem might be the hitch. I guess this warm dry weather dried up the rust in the hitch and now theres side to side play in it. I had a closer look at the springs and their rusty but not as bad as I thought. Going to try towing it with another truck (that has a good hitch)and see how it tracks.
Click to expand...

DUDE!! before you get in a serious accident like we did and almost getting our selves killed! Do your self a favour and the first thing you do is take your truck and trailer to the weigh scale!! with the boat and trailer off the scale and put the trailer hitch wheel only on the weigh scale to measure your tongue weight.. this meens taking jacking it up off the hitch, bring some blocks for the trailer tires just in case. Then hitch it back up and weigh your total trailer and boat on the scale. And calculate your % of total weight to your tongue weight!!
 
quote:Originally posted by Shermanater

I think the problem might be the hitch. I guess this warm dry weather dried up the rust in the hitch and now theres side to side play in it. I had a closer look at the springs and their rusty but not as bad as I thought. Going to try towing it with another truck (that has a good hitch)and see how it tracks.
Click to expand...

DUDE!! before you get in a serious accident like we did and almost getting our selves killed! Do your self a favour and the first thing you do is take your truck and trailer to the weigh scale!! with the boat and trailer off the scale and put the trailer hitch wheel only on the weigh scale to measure your tongue weight.. this meens taking jacking it up off the hitch, bring some blocks for the trailer tires just in case. Then hitch it back up and weigh your total trailer and boat on the scale. And calculate your % of total weight to your tongue weight!!
 
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