New equipment trailer doesn’t track straight

[MG84]

I have a new 22.5k gvw equipment trailer that I purchased in May of this year and I’ve noticed that it crab walks to the passenger side by about 4-6” at the rear. It is a pintle, tandem dual trailer with Dexter axles, electric brakes and is made by a reputable company (this is our 4th trailer from them.) The brakes are not dragging, it seems something is out of alignment. Tried it behind two different medium duty trucks and my pickup and it still tracks off to one side.

I will be calling the company to talk to them about it but I want to get a grasp on the situation first. Some questions:

-How much ‘out of line’ is considered acceptable for a trailer?
-What is a likely cause and fix for this? Spring hangers welded out of position? Hitch/tongue related? Axle related?
-What will happen if I just keep running it as is? Increased tire wear? Harder pulling?

Thanks in advance.

 

[DMiller]

Take it back to seller, have them align axles, will be a tire and bushing eater if do not.

 

[heymccall]

On my Hutchens, the radius rod is used to adjust alignment.


The very least that you, the consumer, can do is measure per drawing 2.

 

[MG84]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately it is not a Hutchens type suspension, it is just your standard slipper spring/ equalizer tandem suspension. There is no adjustment in the suspension from what I can tell.

I will take those measurements as per the last diagram when I get a chance. The dealer/manufacturer is a 5-6hr round trip but I’ll make it if I need to.

 

[Shimmy1]

I've been told numerous times by guys that buy a lot of new trailers that the manufacturers deliberately align trailers to track towards the ditch because if they come unhooked they would roll towards that side. Just what I've heard.

 

[DMiller]

Slightly noticeable MAYBE, not wide swing.

 

[1693TA]

Trailers are usually built with the "close enough" mentality applied. I've air arced, or zip wheel cut several spring hanger welds out to reposition correctly. Look at your axle spring seats too. Seen those welded unlevel from side to side on Dexter axles. Not bashing, just what I've seen myself. Had a rather high end horse trailer come in once wearing a single rear tire repeatedly, turned out to be the axle stub was welded into the tube canted to the rear, or off center. Dexter again. I cut the axle tube off and after sleeving, welded a new axle end to the tube. Problem solved.

Never see these problems on Rockwell.

 

[gwhammy]

Pull some squares on the bottom of the frame and see if the hangers are straight or like the diagram above find center on the hitch and pull to each hanger or same point on both sides. I've also pulled string lines down the sides of the tires to the front, not super accurate but will tell you if they are different distances from the frame.

 

[DMiller]

Local trailer maker went OOB as were not squaring the frames, would dog track and would not stand behind, but hey could push three frames a day out of a four man shop!!! Used a faulty jig they would not correct for speed.

 

[MG84]

This evening I did some measuring as per the diagram above. The spring hangers and equalizer pivot brackets all are within 1/16” or less of being square and true so I don’t think the problem is with the frame itself. The axles, however, are definitely out of kilter. The passenger side is back about 1/4” to 3/8” on both axles vs the other side, which would make sense since it is steering the trailer to that side. So it seems the problem is in the axles or springs. How much play is there in the fitment between the spring centering pin and the spring perch hole on the axle I wonder? Is it as simple as loosening the U-bolts and nudging the axles forward a bit on that side?

 

[92U 3406]

Brackets are square to the frame or square to the axles?

 

[Armenio juan jr]

I have a new 22.5k gvw equipment trailer that I purchased in May of this year and I’ve noticed that it crab walks to the passenger side by about 4-6” at the rear. It is a pintle, tandem dual trailer with Dexter axles, electric brakes and is made by a reputable company (this is our 4th trailer from them.) The brakes are not dragging, it seems something is out of alignment. Tried it behind two different medium duty trucks and my pickup and it still tracks off to one side.

I will be calling the company to talk to them about it but I want to get a grasp on the situation first. Some questions:

-How much ‘out of line’ is considered acceptable for a trailer?
-What is a likely cause and fix for this? Spring hangers welded out of position? Hitch/tongue related? Axle related?
-What will happen if I just keep running it as is? Increased tire wear? Harder pulling?

Thanks in advance

I have a new 22.5k gvw equipment trailer that I purchased in May of this year and I’ve noticed that it crab walks to the passenger side by about 4-6” at the rear. It is a pintle, tandem dual trailer with Dexter axles, electric brakes and is made by a reputable company (this is our 4th trailer from them.) The brakes are not dragging, it seems something is out of alignment. Tried it behind two different medium duty trucks and my pickup and it still tracks off to one side.

I will be calling the company to talk to them about it but I want to get a grasp on the situation first. Some questions:

-How much ‘out of line’ is considered acceptable for a trailer?
-What is a likely cause and fix for this? Spring hangers welded out of position? Hitch/tongue related? Axle related?
-What will happen if I just keep running it as is? Increased tire wear? Harder pulling?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, mate or everyone her on the group, I need some help I just bought a used komatsu WB97S-2 and after a month's the gearbox drive controller part number CA149270 was not working now, and I've been looking for this parts for a months now can you help me where I can buy it?
.

Brackets are square to the frame or square to the axles?

 

[1693TA]

This evening I did some measuring as per the diagram above. The spring hangers and equalizer pivot brackets all are within 1/16” or less of being square and true so I don’t think the problem is with the frame itself. The axles, however, are definitely out of kilter. The passenger side is back about 1/4” to 3/8” on both axles vs the other side, which would make sense since it is steering the trailer to that side. So it seems the problem is in the axles or springs. How much play is there in the fitment between the spring centering pin and the spring perch hole on the axle I wonder? Is it as simple as loosening the U-bolts and nudging the axles forward a bit on that side?

Have seen that also. Ensure by measuring the spring center pin to spring eyes distance on the front spring on each side. These distances need to match side to side. This could put the axles back in placement to where they should be. I assume you have double eye front springs, equalizer in the center, and a spring eye and slipper rear spring on the rear axle. If that front axle spring pin measurement is back on the rt. front axle, the rt. rr. axle will also be mislocated when compared to the left axles.

 

[MG84]

Brackets are square to the frame or square to the axles?

Same distance to the front center point, measurements A and B from the diagram. Here’s my method of measuring:

Found and marked center of pintle plate using the pintle mounting holes as a reference. Used c-clamp to attach 100’ steel tape to center of pintle plate. Measured to bolt centers of spring hangers and equalizer brackets (all measurements were basically the same left vs right.) Measured to a specific mark on the sidewall of the tires, passenger side tires were further back than driver side tires when referenced to the center of pintle plate.

Have seen that also. Ensure by measuring the spring center pin to spring eyes distance on the front spring on each side. These distances need to match side to side. This could put the axles back in placement to where they should be. I assume you have double eye front springs, equalizer in the center, and a spring eye and slipper rear spring on the rear axle. If that front axle spring pin measurement is back on the rt. front axle, the rt. rr. axle will also be mislocated when compared to the left axles.

Both front and rear axles have springs with eyes at the front and slippers at the rear, so one shouldn’t necessarily affect the other. For what ever reason both axles seem to have a problem on the passenger side. I’ll take some measurements of the springs themselves when I get a chance.