Trailer Vibration?

[LakeTahoe]

Okay, not sure what forum to post this in, but I'll start here.

I hooked my snowmobile trailer up for the first time after pulling it out of storage and when pulling it down the road I get get this weird vibration once I hit 35-50 MPH (like a pulsing vibration)... I thought it might be my truck at first, so I unhooked it and drove around, and the truck is perfect (Chev. Tahoe)... so i hook the trailer back up and it does the vibration thing again. I drove 90 miles, but if I go over like 65MPH it doesn't really do it (it's really subtle). The wheel bearings weren't hot either.

About the trailer: it's a triton aluminum tilt bed... when I look in the side mirrors of the truck and look at the trailer I see NO vibration while driving, but still feel it.

Any one experience this before or have any ideas? I just lubed up the wheel bearings, but haven't try it since doing that yet.

[SrBrits]

yes i have,

most likely the tires or rims, out of balance, check for dirt or grease on the rims, if the rims are clean then most likely the tires are out of balance,look for cupping on the tire or noticeable wear, if you can't get some one to balance the tires, try to break the beads and rotate the tires some and see if it helps, otherwise new tire.

[Macgyver55]

Every trailer I've ever had has done this for the first few miles used if I don't use it often enough. The tires get flat spots from sitting in the same place for a long while. I just put a pair of new ones on this summer and these do it too. Its most noticeable in the colder months though.

If it still doing it all the time, as SRbrits said, check the back side of the rims for grease build up from bearings. If you have Buddy bearings they will drip grease out the back and collect on the rim and gather dirt causing the out of balance feel.

[Surface Tension]

I'd also check out what the earlier replies suggested.

Next thing that comes to mind is you could be dogging the engine if your in overdrive. Take it out of OD and see if thats the problem.

[DEADhead]

my guess is the flat spot.

[hanson]

my guess is the flat spot.

I agree as well.

Any trailer that I've let sit for awhile does this. I usually notice it the first mile or so pulling the trailer, mainly at slower speeds. You were probably a bit low on air pressure as well which caused the tires to get a little bigger flat spot.

Not much to be concerned about unless the vibration persists.

[LakeTahoe]

Thanks for all the thoughts/ideas... If it stays that way after a couple of trips, I probably get it looked at.

Thanks

[tashit]

I initially thought it was a flat spot, but he said he drove for 90 miles. When I've experienced flat spots they usually go away after only a few miles...

[Scott Stein]

[[PoorWordUsage]]I initially thought it was a flat spot, but he said he drove for 90 miles. When I've experienced flat spots they usually go away after only a few miles...

[MIDNIGHT777]

I had the exact same problem. My magical speed was 50 mph where it would vibrate and once over 65 mph I would have almost no vibration. Before it got deathly cold I pulled off each tire and on the inside of the rim there was quite a bit of grease and dirt. I rotated the tires (dont know if this helped) after removing all the dirt and a lot of grease. The grease seemed concentrated to a perticular side of the rim, which is probably why it vibrated. Now no vibration.

Matt

[birdswacker]

Could be a u-joint going bad on your truck?

[Northlander]

Not if he says it runs ok without the trailer hooked up.

Im guessing the above issues as well. mine will do it for about the 1st 10 miles then settle down when cold.

[Surface Tension]

U-joint on the truck is a possibility in a round about way. The extra load on the engine plus the extra weight on the rear of the vehicle can sag enough that the driveshaft is no longer in an optimal position.

Add driving in OD and it will exacerbate the vibration.

[Scott Stein]

U-joint on the truck is a possibility in a round about way. The extra load on the engine plus the extra weight on the rear of the vehicle can sag enough that the driveshaft is no longer in an optimal position.

Add driving in OD and it will exacerbate the vibration.

the weight of just a aluminum sled trailer pry isnt enough to put a load on the the engine...and sag the rear of a vehicle...most likely flat spots or unbalanced wheels

[Mainehazmt]

sounds like trailer wheel bearing!

[leech~~]

LakeT, I have the samething happening, even my wife asked what was wrong with trailer!!. It is tire balance. Try jacking up one side of your trailer and slowy rotate the tire and then let it go, mine would spin to one side everytime. Mark it with a marker to check that out. You can bring it to a tire center and they can balance them, or find what's call "tape weights" and put one on the other side and see if you can try and get some balance that way. Trailer tires are not made with the greatest quality so are not to balanced.