Trailer hopping when empty

Dirt Doctor · **Joined:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:39 pm **Posts:** 6

I have a 98 FW258 with a FW trailer. Recently, I had occasion to tow the trailer w/out the boat and the trailer hopped quite noticeably when I drove faster than 25 mph; I was not able to drive faster than about 30 mph because of the speed limit. The road was asphalt and in average condition - no marked potholes, etc. the wheels are not balanced. Is this hopping normal? Could the hopping be a result of the unbalanced tires? Should I even worry about it, since there is no apparent vibration when the boat is on the trailer.

Thanks for your advice.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:59 pm

boat trailers are supposed to have boats on them

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:24 pm

How long had the trailer been sitting before this tow? It could be imbalance, flat spots, or a combination of both.

Xavid · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:48 pm

It is a problem I know well. You have flipped shackles on you tandem trailer springs assembly. I'd bet my Bimini on it.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:04 pm

Xavid wrote:

...I'd bet my Bimini on it.

Factory or aftermarket?

Xavid · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:18 pm

Oh it's factory, and it is a pain in the a$$, and scratches everything in it's path when putting it up or down, but it's mine.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:06 pm

Yep... the Achilles heel of the 2005's... a cheap hand towel and a velcro strap for each side are your friends.

Borchik · **Posted:** Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:33 am

Its normal if the wheels are not balanced. i would have that done, it will help. usually bias ply tires are worse than radials also.

Xavid · **Posted:** Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:27 pm

If it is a flipped shackles problem, it ain't easy to correct, at least if the boat is on the trailer. Mine was corrected at the trailer shop with a 6 foot long pry bar, and every bit of strength from the technician, along with a frightening kerchunk. I think I peed my pants a little when I heard the thunk and saw the trailer and boat sway a bit. They charged me 10 bucks or so. Of course that was for both sides, as both had a flipped shackle. Money well spent.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:10 pm

I have a Loadrite trailer with bias tires that are not balanced. Three of them in the past 12 years. I don't drive over 55 with the trailer. Boat or no boat, I don't have any problems. No bounce or uneven tire wear. I just repack the bearings every other year and it seams like evey 3 yrs the calipers lock up & I have to replace them. I do boat in salt water which I think is way they lock up. Never owned a FW trailer, but could it be the way it is built??

Xavid · **Posted:** Sat Nov 05, 2011 9:44 am

This is what your shackles look like.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:20 pm

My trailer does not have that. Must be leaf spring suspension, yes??

St. Louis Dave · **Posted:** Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:11 pm

Xavid - Is that bad or is the one on the right need to be "tripped"

Xavid · **Posted:** Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:42 pm

St. Louis Dave wrote:

Xavid - Is that bad or is the one on the right need to be "tripped"

That picture was not my trailer but it looked like that, and the right side in the picture is the "flipped" shackle. I'm no expert at all, but it happenned to me, and it caused the problem of bouncing the empty trailer when going over 20 mph, and it also made the trailer with the boat on sway a bit on highway. I don't know how dangerous or deleterious it is if it isn't corrected, but it cant be good. To correct it, the mechanic at the trailer shop wedged his super duper pry bar in there somewhere and put a lot of weight onto it to flip it back into place. I'm sure others on this site have done this trick on their own rigs and could explain it properly. I think I flipped mine out of place when I attempted to back the empty trailer up on a slight uphill grade, with the wiring disconnected, and hence the brakes were engaging. I understand it usually occurs when people hop a curb or go thru a ditch.

Dirt Doctor · **Joined:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:39 pm **Posts:** 6

Thanks for your comments; here is where I am now. The tires are Goodyear radials from Wally World. The shackles are not flipped but the trailer had not been driven for about a month before the trip but it was driven about 50 miles with the boat on it on Saturday afternoon and then I drove it without the boat on Sunday morning. I may put the boat in the water this winter (under a cover) so I will have another opportunity to tow the trailer without the boat and I wil let you know what happens. I am considering having the wheeel balanced and see if that helps.

Will post a follow up note if I have the wheels balanced.

www.iFourWinns.com

Trailer hopping when empty

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