Steering vibration? Towing? Steering Box?

[Mr Mayor]

Hi gang.
I recently put a post up at my ATV website asking why I have this nasty vibration while towing my ATV's around.

Here's a copy, granted, ALOT of posts came in after, so some info could be missing, but here is at least the first post.

I've spent almost $300.00 bux on this thing since I got it chasing down a vibration (when full, 1 or 2 quads, same thing) that drives me nuts from 64mph all the way to 82mph (yes, 80 is unsafe, but I needed to know the limit). Imagine driving to Quadfest at 62 mph, I dare you.

To date I've tried:
Repositioning quad, and gear.
Balancing existing trailer tires and wheels. (against a few peoples reccomendations)
Inspected wheel bearings and torsion bar suspension components. (good)
Purchased new trailer rims and tires. (wasted money)
Rotating and balancing my trucks tires.
Opening tailgate window, testing, then closing window and then opening tailgate itself. (to eliminate possible buffering from truck to trailer. Nothing.
Empty I dont feel a vibration BUT it does bounce around a bit more than I'd like it to. I've had people driving around me on the highway inspecting my rims while in motion, and cannot "see" anything unusual.

So far not one bit of difference with all of the above. The vibration is in the truck itself and steering wheel.
My next test is to borrow a neighbors truck and drive it, see what it does. Then take his landscape trailer and put it on my truck and see how IT tows. I am 95% confident it's my trailer due to the trucks tires being rotated and balanced (this made no difference in the vibration itself, whether at speed or not, still felt through steering wheel and truck.)

I am at my wits end with this trailer. Somebody give me some suggestions on how to fix it please.

Ok.... so fast forward to today..Here is the latest response I got:

Read the off-road review of the 08 pathfinder at off road.com. They claim that the rack and pinon sterring vibrates right out of the box. The same thing happens with the new xterra. This vibration could get worst under load. (I found this true with my wrangler after lifting it and putting on larger tires, then when loaded it got even worst, beefed up the steering stabilzer and it helped, but never eliminated).

It may be inherient of the vehicle. Maybe a steering stabilizer (or better one if aready equipped) would reduce this issue.

Is this true???? That I am chasing a potential danger and it's inherent of my truck? Not the trailer? Any recalls? Bulletins? Unmentionables?

Please help.. My frustration level is through the roof and I hate to think it's my damned truck all this time.....

HELP!!

MGJ

[Gray]

Here's the link to the OffRoad.com PF review;

http://www.off-road.com/trucks4x4/artic ... ?id=493456

Thanks Joey, I hadn't seen that one.

I haven't felt any vibration in this PFs steering but generaly a steering wheel vibration is caused by the front tires. As measured from the ground to the bottom of the front wheel well how much does your PF front end lift up when the trailer is attached?

I'd try towing another trailer with similar tongue weight to see if you get the same front end vibration.

Most who tow trailers install air bags in the rear springs to eliminate rear body sag, to keep the PF level and to minimize weight transfer to the rear, and to minimize induced body roll while towing.

Best of luck finding the solution to the problem.

.

[08Datsun]

What does the vibration feel like? Is it like unbalanced tires, a grinding, scraping, or ? Could your tongue weight be so high that you are unloading the front tires?

I tow a 2,000lb. Starcraft with a 260lb. tongue weight without a weight distributing hitch but with the airbags in the springs. I have never felt any weird vibration in the steering.

I'd hitch up the neighbor's trailer and take it for a spin.

[Mr Mayor]

Yeah, we've pretty much covered all the different things so far.
Here's a few more answers to questions if it helps...
1- No, truck is smooth, only happens when towing.
2- No sway whatsoever- straight!
3- Trailer is level and trailer ball is perfect height. Set by NJ cert. trailer inspector friend.
4- 2 place Aluminum Worthington open trailer. Single axle.
Added now:
5- TRUCK tires in really good shape, some very light feathering took place (outer edges-front) , and are now on the back. I suspect this isnt helping... but within a few more miles, it'll fix itself mostly. The vibration did not increase or decrease, AND the MPH is identical.
NONE of this is felt when truck is not towing (empty), or even if trailer is attached but not loaded with bikes.

I am indeed swapping trailers with a buddy soon as a final test.

My front end doesnt budge, but I'll measure it to see. My trailer is all of 550 lbs unloaded, and add my 700lb Quad, or my 700lber plus my cousins 550lber, it doesnt make a difference, so long as the trailer has weight on it, it vibrates through the steering wheel pretty steady.

Airbags.. My trailer and truck are very well matched right now, even with 2 bikes the truck doesnt even sag an inch (again, visually speaking, havent measured, but will soon.


There. Ignore Xterra pic is old truck/trailer.
The trailer looks a little high, but its more the angle of the trailer, it's actually quite level.
I wonder if my seven yer old in the middle is the cause of all this?

MGJ

[Gray]

Sounds like the problem is the Worthington trailer, have you contacted them about it;

http://www.worthingtontrailers.com/trai ... 21#WATV-EL

Have you checked things like trailer hub temperatures after using it for awhile, or measured the trailer axle alignment. Any chance of trying a new Worthington trailer of the same model and seeing what happens with that. If the trailer is still on warranty I'd see about making it their problem or think about trading that one back for a dual axle trailer which is safer for towing anyway.

.

[Captain]

Well your saying that your getting this vibrations at 65+. Look at your speed rating on the trailer tires. If I think im right the trailer tires are rated at 45 or 55 only, the tires are becoming out of round at higher speeds.

[Mr Mayor]

CC - I alaready swapped tires and rims. Speed rating is unknown, but I suspect ST ..therefore 65mph. There is no way the tire would do that at 64... even 84.... heat is one thing, warpage to the point of vibration? ohman.

Might be swapping trucks with neighbor tonite (happens to be an 07 Pathy) then we'll jump to his F150, then finally the other neighbors TBSS (drooling)..

God I hope its the trailer.

M

[Captain]

I have friends with trailers like the one shown. There tires are rated for only 55 tops. This is why they sold the trailer and got a flat bed with 15" rims. like the one on the Xteera pic.

The thing is the tires heat up going down the highway and expand but when they heat up they get soft and start to ob-long and shake

I did lots of research on trailer tire speed rating and this is all I can find
that is use full
http://www.4x4review.com/feature/trailering.asp

[Mr Mayor]

Better late than never...

UPDATE!!

It's the trailer!

The "nicknames" are from my ATV forum..... sorry for no correction... (like you'd care if I did.. heh)

I swapped trailers with Vinnyballz on Saturday and the vibration moved from my truck to his. In other words. vibration followed the trailer. I've already sunk a few hundred into my unit via wheels and tires so now to dive deeper is really gonna piss me off even more.

Story: Saturday Vinnyballz drove up in his truck to Zigmeisters and we got to chatting, so he started driving around my trailer looking at gates, wheels, alignment etc.. he mentions a possible vibration on the right side of trailer (as viewed from rear, think passenger side)... so we decide to swap trailers at the next stop. I grabbed Mudsmynames Polaris/trailer and it towed absolutely 100% perfectly.... And Vinnyballz confirmed the vibration moved to his truck (though not as pronounced per him and Kev.) So, being the nice guy he was, he let me tow Kevins the rest of the way, (plus Kevin had a hard-on for all his trailer LEDs, and he could finally watch them uninterrupted ). By the way, I stayed until Sunday, then I eleminated the drop down sides from the equation by ratcheting them to the bike, nice n quiet, but vibration continued...

So, here we go.... now I need to drag this :censored: trailer to yet another place and see if its bearings, or hubs, or lord knows what else? Mo money mo money mo money.

So for my birthday, I want this, and I wont take "NO" for an answer....
and it's ONLY $2.5 Million!

MGJ

[Captain]

Any update??

[Mr Mayor]

Whoops, yeh, update. Brought it to Worthington and since I wasnt the original owner they would only look at it for $90 bucks....

I sold the trailer to a friend (who was fully aware of it) and he states he hasnt felt it ever using his Tahoe and his wife's Hummer2.... so, he's happy, I'm happy, and I went and bought a nice V-Nose enclosed unit:
only a tad smaller.. Tow's great, the extra weight hurts mileage some, but the VNose helps (in my mind)

Sorry for the late reply...

MM