Uncomfortable tow

[Speedy]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

I get the same exact jerk stuff whether I'm using no WD or WD cranked to the max. I've towed it with the WD bars unhooked for short distances and I get the same jerky bump as when I have 800-1000-1200-1400lb bars. I even bought a used Hensley for 950.00. (sold it for 900.00) With a Hensley you can set the WD bars in infinte increments from 0-1400lbs. Never made any difference whether I had the full 1400 or 0. I know somethings not right since other people have either less of an issue or no issue. The only common denomenator is the coupler. Might be a few weeks to get it out again but I'm going to try and add some kinda spacer on the ball to take up some of the play in the coupler. If that doesn't work, then it's trade in time. 2 yrs of riding a bucking bronco is enough. I've towed enough stuff over the years to know that this ain't right.

Having a neighbor show me how the Hensley hitch works I'm wondering if your theory of extra play between the ball and coupler would be the problem. Looking at the Hensley hitch, doesn't it fully capture the ball and coupler then use a drawbar for hitching? Was there be any play in the Hensley setup when you tied it?

What about taking the trailer to a trailer aligement shop and have them raise the trailer off the suspension and check for something loose. I'm grabbing at straws now because you can't isolate the problem or even narrow it down.

 

[goducks11]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Speedy, I bought the Hensley to use with my F150, thinking that I could get exc sway controll as well as infinate WD adjustments. I ended up selling it since it was too hard to hitch up with my 2500 Ram since I moved my TT parking area the connection point for the TT and the TV are like a 'V'. The Hensely is tough enough when straight and level. Also while using my current TV the Rams exhaust brake I got the imfamous Hensley 'bump' all the time. Plus I needed to get a straight stinger and thats another 200.00. The 2" drop worked great for the F150, but the Rams reciever is a lot higher.

Your right about the Hensely mounting theory. Now that I think about it the Hensely stays fixed on the coupler with two controll arms that are tightenend up to keep it solid. So maybe my theory about the coupler play is out the window, I'm still going to try shimming the top of the WD ball to make it tighter. It's a free shot in the dark. I'm currently using an Anderesen WD setup. The ball rotates along with the TT's tongue so theres no wear on either one.

 

[goducks11]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

I think I would give it one more try with both the truck harness unplugged and the trailer battery disconnected to see what happens. If you still have the problem, you could at least eliminate anything electrical. ???

Agree, it' free and will eliminate one more theory.

 

[JanAndBill]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Couple more thoughts and then I'm pretty much out of ideas. I've read about some bucking/surging issues towing a heavy load with both Fords and Dodge. Problem can occcur with light throttle or in a coast and can be set off by rough road. From what I understand it can be pretty severe. If the driver doesn't hold a steady foot on the accelerator it can also continue or get worse. The chance of you having two trucks doing the same thing seems slim, however in eliminating your options, you might have a friend with a truck who could tow your trailer to see if he encounters the same issue. The other thing I remembered from my days towing a TT was that if you loaded to much weight in the rear, it would cause the vehicle to porpoise.

 

[goducks11]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Couple more thoughts and then I'm pretty much out of ideas. I've read about some bucking/surging issues towing a heavy load with both Fords and Dodge. Problem can occcur with light throttle or in a coast and can be set off by rough road. From what I understand it can be pretty severe. If the driver doesn't hold a steady foot on the accelerator it can also continue or get worse. The chance of you having two trucks doing the same thing seems slim, however in eliminating your options, you might have a friend with a truck who could tow your trailer to see if he encounters the same issue. The other thing I remembered from my days towing a TT was that if you loaded to much weight in the rear, it would cause the vehicle to porpoise.

Thanks JanAndBill, figures I own both. Haha. I'm out of ideas also. We do try and keep the TW close to 11-13% depending on what we tow.

 

[traveler44]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

There was a guy at a rv park over in Baton Rouge a few weeks ago who was having so much trouble with his towing set up that he had some guys come out and help him get it set up right. I don't know where they came from though, company that made the hitch or the one that made the trailer I think. For one thing they set the ball up to the proper heigth for a level tow. I am not sure what all they had to do to get it to tow properly but they were doing it pretty quickly and efficiently. I got pretty good instructions with the Pullrite hitch I had when towing a pull trailer so I didn't have much trouble with mine but I did find that to get enough tension on the weight equalizing bars I had to over jack front of the trailer up and then lower it again after I hooked up the bars. On the Pullrite the weight distribution bars worked as sway bars too. A very good system.

 

[TeJay]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

This is just information that was a problem with my 2010 F-150. It's kind of a strange situation that I have never encountered with any vehicle. Last year I was experiencing a clunking noise and motion both accelerating and stopping. I had no trailer hooked up but it would happen with or without the weight because I did experience the clunking and weird shifting when we towed last fall. Went to the dealer and the problem was addressed with a TSB. The drive shaft is connected to the output shaft of the transmission using a spline shaft. The spline is there to allow the drive line to adjust for differential movement during stopping and starting. It seems that the lube they used dried out and that was causing a binding of the spline and a clunking noise as extra pressure was needed to overcome the extra friction which in turn caused the clunking noise. I know you're TV is a Dodge but I just thought those here using Fords might be having this same problem. I also contacted my Nephew who now is the engineer in charge at the plant where the Ford 6 speed is made and he was aware of the TSB. It first came to their attention because dealers were thinking it was a shifting problem. He assured me that it was a drive line problem and not in the tranny. Just thought this information might help others towing with a Ford.
TeJay

 

[Bob&Patty]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Tejay, its not just Ford. GM trucks do the same thing when the slip yoke gets dry. When mine are in need of lubing....you will feel it when starting and stopping...trailer or no trailer. You wont feel when you stop, only when you take your foot off the brake pedal. Then its "THUMP" and a jerk feeling. Sometimes its SO BAD, it feels like you were just hit from behind. This has caused ALOT of time spent in the diagnosing of a transmission "thump when starting from a stop. I suppose that you could get the same feeling while towing if the slip yoke was dry enough. I dont know what Dodge or Ford uses for a grease on slip yokes....but GM has a special grease for theirs. A 2 piece drive shaft is even worse, cause the center support spline can get dry also.

 

[TeJay]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Bob,
Very interesting information. In all my years of working on and teaching automotive I never encountered this issue. It never came up in discussions when I attended training classes or during transmission rebuilding classes. It was just never discussed. Yes Ford has a very $$$$$ grease that they use. I think the service guy said it was about $80 for a small tub of the grease. I would think any good synthetic grease would work but I could be wrong. Thanks for the reply.
TeJay

 

[jnbhobe]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

I've seen this problems with Ford drive shafts since the 70's, we used to just turn the shaft then they started to index them so we started using the grease. And it is expensive.

 

[JanAndBill]

Re: Uncomfotable tow

Not saying it doesn't happen, because you learn something new every day, but over the years I've owned a lot of Ford, Dodge and GM trucks and never had this issue. Good info to know. One thing that I have noticed with the Ford electronic locking rear end, is that a lot times when you make a sharp right turn at slow speeds it will make a "clunk" noise.