Diagnosing Trailer Vibration From 65-75mph.

Question

Question:

I have a 16foot enclosed trailer tandem 3500# axle, that I went through with a fine tooth comb in preparation for a long trip. This included purchasing new tires with a heavier load range than necessary, new wheels, new brakes, repacking all the bearings, etc. First pull I noticed a little vibration. I took the trailer to the tire shop where I purchased the tires and had them balanced. Leaving the shop seemed that my vibration was gone. About an hour into our 1500 mile journey, the vibration returned intermittently, as if you occasionally hit the rumble strips on the shoulder of the highway. They started getting closer together. I checked all the tires. None of them were any warmer than the others, no slipped belts, no sidewall bulges. I next started playing with speed. Slower than 65 it seemed to get better and faster than 75 seemed better. Well we chose the later due to the distance. By the destination, it seemed to be getting worse regardless of speed. Still nothing noticeable upon tire inspections. All suspension hardware is intact and in good shape. Truck does not have any vibration without this trailer and or hooked to another trailer. Im at a loss. If we make the 1500 miles back home, Im thinking about just selling the trailer. Help, Andy

asked by: Andy E

0

Expert Reply:

Given the fact that you've found that the suspension is in good repair with nothing bent or broken, the holes in the shackle straps not ovalled out, no knots or bulges in the tires and the tires are balanced there's not much remaining that would cause what's occurring.

Let's start with the easiest first. How do you have the trailer loaded? I'd make sure that the weight in the trailer is distributed side to side as evenly as possible.

Are you using galvanized rims? It's difficult to get an even coating on galvanized rims, which could cause problems with vibration.

Next, are your trailer axles bent? The wear pattern on your previous tires will be your best clue on how the suspension and axles were preforming. Is the wear consistent across the tread? You can measure the center to center axle spacing on both sides as well as the clearance between the top of the tire and the inside of the fender on both sides. If those measurements aren't equal from side to side, it could indicate a bent axle.

Finally. how exactly did the tire shop balance the wheels/tires? Did they use what's called a pin-plate adapter which holds the wheel to the balancer using the lug holes as opposed to the cone adapter which holds the wheel using the pilot hole.

expert reply by: Mike L

0

Answer 1

Let me begin by saying that trailer tires have a speed rating that can be as low as 65 mph. Check the sidewalls of your tires for the speed rating. Consistently exceeding the speed rating of the tire can shorten its life expectancy. Having tires that…

view full answer...

Answer 2

Trailer tires typically do not get balanced because manufacturers tend to match the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel. It takes a special rig to balance trailer tires, equipment that not many tire shops have anymore. The other…

view full answer...

Answer 3

The gooseneck rail adapters are not known to cause this problem so I would not anticipate that being the problem. I would assume it's something to do with the trailer's suspension or an axle alignment problem. I would first check the tires to…

view full answer...

Answer 4

Hello Gregory. Uneven tire wear is often a sign of a bent axle or spindle. If you want to check this by yourself the best way is to first make sure the trailer is on perfectly level ground. You will then take a measurement from the ground to the end…

view full answer...

Answer 5

That is definitely odd, but I would lean towards a hub/bearing issue. I didn't see you mention this step, but when installing the new hubs/bearings did you tighten the castle nut nice and tight to seat the bearings fully, and then loosen it up to…

view full answer...

Answer 6

It sure will! A 225/75-15 tire will fit on a wheel that's 5, 6, 6-1/2, or 7 inches wide. I've linked to the 225/75-15 load range C, D and E tires we offer.

view full answer...

Answer 7

If you still have the trailer manual, I would recommend checking that to see what the manufacturer of your trailer has set as the recommended torque specs for your hubs; a majority of the time, these issues are rooted in over/under tightening of the…

view full answer...

Answer 8

The rattle or play you experienced is very common and the solution isn't to replace the ball mount with a tighter fitting one as that's not really possible but is to use an anti-rattle device like the part #63232. This installs in the shank…

view full answer...

Answer 9

Thanks for the information and picture James! Your Curt 5,100 lbs capacity axle uses item #25580 inner bearings and item #LM67048 outer bearings. So you would need the Bearing Kit item #BK3-300, which includes both bearings, along with both races, a…

view full answer...

Answer 10

Correct, there will need to be a small amount of wiggle room or play between the trailer coupler and hitch ball which is to allow the trailer to track and turn smoothly. If the connection point between the trailer coupler and hitch ball was too tight…

view full answer...

Answer 11

If you are getting constant vibration when towing your gooseneck trailer then it is likely that one or more components of the suspension is in need of replacement and/or your axles are out of alignment. Start off by checking your suspension…

view full answer...

Answer 12

Trailer alignment starts at the trailer frame hangers and then inspecting or replacing parts. We used to have an alignment kit but the manufacturer decided not to continue it. Check the shackle strap holes first and then the hangers for elongated…

view full answer...

Diagnosing Trailer Vibration From 65-75mph.

Product Page this Question was Asked From

Featured Help Information

Miscellaneous Media

Continue Researching