Hay Trailer - Weaves when towing.....

banjoman09 · Oct 25, 2018

Hello guys- been gone awhile- just busy; I bought this used hay trailer awhile back and when I pull it down the road my top speed is about 20 mph ; starts weaving...so ok its wore out...but what do I do to fix this thing? Thanks.

paul · Oct 25, 2018

Picture hasn?t shown up, but -

Everything on the front axle and hitch and steering.

A little toe in is good, but won?t make up for loose parts, and likely every pivot point has a 1/32 - 1/16 of slop, add up 6 different spots I?d guess, is Over a 1/4 inch of slop.......

Or worse.

Paul

jeffcat · Oct 25, 2018

If full of slop you are kinda out of luck. Try a little more toe in. Should be roughly 1/4 inch max front to rear. Nobody greases the darn things and they get pooped.

showcrop · Oct 25, 2018

Is it really a trailer or is it a wagon? big difference in how to fix it.

paul · Oct 25, 2018

That?s true, I?m thinking a hay rack wagon; an actual trailer would be entirely different!

Then if it is a wagon, I suppose we should make sure which type of steering it has, tie rods or the whole axle pivots......

I forget how many options there are!

Paul

fixerupper · Oct 25, 2018

If it's an old worn four wheel automotive steer wagon gear about all you can do is replace all the pins and rebuild or rebush all of the holes and realign it. Then it still might not trail straight. Sometimes the frame is tweaked to where it never will be right. Sometimes you get a running gear that just isn't designed to go fast no matter what you do. I have a lightweight Case running gear dad bought new in 1962 that trailed real nice under a 16' flat rack. A neighbor borrowed it and it came back with a bent tongue. I straightened the tongue but it never did trail straight after that no matter what i did to the alignment.

showcrop · Oct 25, 2018

I had a wagon once that was really loose in the front. A friend offered to fix it for me in his basement shop. I think that he bored the holes out and bushed them. It was really good after that and he didn't charge me much.

banjoman09 · Oct 25, 2018

Sounds great! Will he do mine? (LOL)

banjoman09 · Oct 25, 2018

OK..I guess if I post a pic it would be helpful; 16' flatbed for hay hauling; I call it a trailer but maybe a wagon...shoot who knows. I will check further. Thanks.

David G · Oct 25, 2018

If it has a movable tongue, then that is shot, if not the center of gravity is too far aft.

504 · Oct 25, 2018

Tighten the pivot pins,(tie rods) it will tow like a new one.

paul · Oct 25, 2018

Trailer has a ridged hitch, like a typical camper would be a trailer.

A wagon has steerable front axle and a rigid rear axle. Like a car with a hitch pole out front, the pole pivots to the side and makes the front hubs pivot with tie rods.

Paul

JL Ray · Oct 26, 2018

If it is indeed a trailer you might try raising or lowering your hitch height. Sometimes that helps.

banjoman09 · Oct 26, 2018

Ok and thanks!

Destroked 450 · Oct 27, 2018

Rented a new round bale hay wagon with tricycle front tires some years ago, wanted to see if I liked it before buying one.
Above 20 mph that thing would weave all over the road, had warning stickers saying not to exceed 20 mph, talked to some that had them and was told they all weaved like that.
Didn't buy one, got a deck over goose neck trailer instead.

Hay Trailer - Weaves when towing.....

banjoman09

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paul

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jeffcat

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showcrop

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paul

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fixerupper

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showcrop

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banjoman09

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banjoman09

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David G

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504

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paul

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JL Ray

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banjoman09

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Destroked 450

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