www.iFourWinns.com

Has anyone ever noticed the sound of the axles "bending" when reversing into tight areas? I was backing our H220 into our storage garage last night and noticed the forward and aft wheels were significantly experiencing positive and negative tire camber which probably caused the axles to bend and make erie noises. Is this normal? Are the axles and tire spindles designed to handle this wheel camber, within reason? I'm afraid an axle will eventually break after a few more reverse situations. Please advise!!!

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2008 H220 Frenzy - 5.7L VP SX Drive
2013 Tahoe LTZ Tow Vehicle (admiral's ride)
2011 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost Tow Vehicle

By bad camber - do you mean leaning in at the top? Wow, never noticed that but I have heard the trailer creaking when moving it around. I have never noticed anything like the axels or spindles flexing to the point of noticing the camber being off. I have to assume that the grade is level from left to right & front to back - true? I have seen vehicle wheels look pretty wierd because of the ground being uneven (and barely noticable) and the vehicle just finding its comfort balance spot for lack of a better description.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

Yes, the tire could be leaning at the top or leaning out. The ground is completely level. I have to crank the boat (and truck) quite severely to get it into the garage because I don't have much room to back it in straight. I looked in the rear view (on the driver's side) and noticed one tire was toed-in and one was toed-out to the point it was very obvious something was not right. The noise was horrible too!!!

Maybe I could pour a large bucket of water on the ground to reduce the friction???

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2008 H220 Frenzy - 5.7L VP SX Drive
2013 Tahoe LTZ Tow Vehicle (admiral's ride)
2011 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost Tow Vehicle

Yeah that might be a help - worth a try at least. Maybe even an ice cream bucket of sand . .
If you're cutting it that hard maybe tires are flexing and giving the illusion of the wheels out of camber? You are probably hearing the springs (and links) flexing against the force of the tires basically being forced sideways.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

This is normal. When a trailer is forced to turn, by definition only the wheels on one axle can be on the turning radius - so the wheels on the other axle(s) are moving at some angle to that radius. The sharper the turn, the greater the angle. The end result is that the tires on the non-radius axle are literally dragged sideways in a hideous display that can only make you glad you don't have three axles.

These kinds of stresses are one of the reasons why ST tires are always recommended for trailers. Anyway, what you're seeing is normal.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Hello!
I think I have the same problem when I backed up on an uneven plain. The rocker arms that hold the springs in the middle are not in the same positon. If you look at the parts pictures for the trailer, they show, I guess you would call the clip that is connected to the rocker arm and the spring are in the same position. Mine are opposite. Can you take a picture and post to show how yours are. I have asked the Four Winns folks on their internet site this question. No response.
Francless

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CAPTAIN ZERO

I suppose if each axle had a differential, it would be OK. I have a hard time believing this is completely normal, unless FW's designed some "play" within the wheel spindle. On a hot day, the tires basically stick to the payment so the problem only seems to get worse. Thankfully, I discarded the original Carlisle tires a couple weeks ago and replaced them with Towmaster's. I like the ice cream bucket of sand idea though... I may have to try that!!!

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2008 H220 Frenzy - 5.7L VP SX Drive
2013 Tahoe LTZ Tow Vehicle (admiral's ride)
2011 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost Tow Vehicle

that answer is exactly correct.

once i have backed into place, i go forward and back a few times just to unload the bearings as well as the wheels and suspension. I cant imagine its all that good to leave it parked under such torsional loading.
just ignore the noises, or get a loose gravel drive way

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Hello!
On my dual axle Four WInns 1998 trailer the front wheels are slightly off the ground when I took the boat off. Is this ok?
Addition to my questions on the 15th.
francless

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CAPTAIN ZERO

I'd like to personally thank "Blessed" for his advice in regards to throwing an ice cream bucket of sand on the ground. I didn't have an ice cream bucket sitting around but I did have a fertilizer spreader so I filled it up with some left-over sand from my son's sandbox (OK, I stole it without him knowing) and sprinkled it across the pavement and that's all it took! The tires kinda slide across the sand, as opposed to, gripping the pavement and bending the axles. What an incredibly cheap and effective solution!!! iFourWinns ROCKS!!!

Thanks again!!!

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2008 H220 Frenzy - 5.7L VP SX Drive
2013 Tahoe LTZ Tow Vehicle (admiral's ride)
2011 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost Tow Vehicle

Hmmph. Yea - its not very often but every now and again something useful crosses my mind. You just got lucky with a light bulb and not a sarcastic poke

P.S. That Frenzy is a thing of beauty & iFourWinns DOES ROCK!

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

I'd buy you a beer if you lived closer Blessed!!! Thanks again!!!

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2008 H220 Frenzy - 5.7L VP SX Drive
2013 Tahoe LTZ Tow Vehicle (admiral's ride)
2011 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost Tow Vehicle

I'd better chip in for that beer too. With my driveway setup I always have to crank the wheel hard to the side to get it to line up. The wheels always look uncomfortably strained.

In addition this would be a great job for my son when we get home. "Go grab a bucket of sand bud and bring it up to the front yard"

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2005 Horizon 210, 5.7L Volvo

That's a good solution to a common problem...kind of reminds me of what you have to do if you get your 4x4 stuck in 4-high from driving on pavement...need a little slip to allow the stresses to dissipate...
This is one reason why I like a single axle trailer...yes they are not nearly as stable for high speed towing but I have a very narrow street...narrow driveway...and only do very short trip towing a few times a year..the single I can actually move by myself when the boat is off it....I am having a deck built so the guys had to put the materials in the driveway...I could literally pull it out of the driveway and turn it into the street with no problem....I think trailer companies should make a heavy duty single with a 5000 lb axle...springs...225/75-15 D rated tires and 12" disc brakes....and the next time I upgrade this trailer...that's what it will have...in fact Four Winns does make a single with 6 lug axles that can be used for boats up to the size of the 200 Horizon...

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

see new post.....