Re: Trailer Towing Question - tires (or tyres)

Posted by Nolan on August 24, 2005 at 05:03:03 from (167.102.133.164):

In Reply to: Trailer Towing Question - tires (or tyres) posted by Rick Weaver on August 23, 2005 at 10:06:32:

I've done quite a bit of...questionable towing over the years. Home made hitches, home made trailers, etc. Some things I've observed about swaying and such:

Tongue weight is the most overblown claim out there. In playing with trailers that could have their loads easily moved around, I've found tongue weight all by itself has almost zero effect on trailer stability.

Hitch flex really makes for a wiggly trailer. Lots of hitches flex side to side quite a bit more than you expect. It doesn't take much. If you get it going in time with the trailer harmonics, you can get some really nice swaying going. It'll tend to be fast and rather violent.

Short trailers sway a whole lot more than long trailers. They start at a lower vehicle speed, and they sway more violently. The longer the trailer, the more stable it is.

Tail weight makes life interesting. This is weight out behind the axle of the trailer. Do your best to reduce it. It's a seperate issue from centering the weight around the axle btw. A long load well balanced around the axle will still sway and be exciting because of the pendulum effect of the weight that's extended behind the axle.

Tires make a huge difference, especially on the tow vehicle. Everyone pays attention to the trailer tires, but ignores the tow vehicles tires. Radials are very prone to side wiggle (just shove the side of your Jeep and observe). Higher air pressure helps, but stiffer sidewalls help a lot. Many tow vehicles have inadequate tires for the job.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Trailer Towing Question - tires (or tyres) Don Wadge 07:20:36 08/24/05 (0)

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