Sway and jerking issues

I am making a big 2900 mile move across the country here soon. I decided instead of paying another company to just move my stuff that I would buy a trailer and pull it with my 2012 Ram 1500 4x4 Crew cab. This truck allows me to have up to 8500 lbs for towing. I bought me an 8.5x20 enclosed trailer that has a foot taller height than normal (for sxs when I buy another). I towed it home on a regular ball hitch as it was unloaded and it towed fine even without brake controller. It weighs 3,000 lb empty and I am only allowed to load 4k in it since its just a 7k trailer. I installed brake controller and got a use weight distribution setup. I loaded the trailer and first trip to scales showed about 1800lbs tongue weight and 6600lbs on the axles. I noticed some pushing back and forth on this small trip to scales from the trailer. I since then have redistributed my weight towards the back. Yesterday I went to the scales and had 7100 on the back axles and 700lbs of tongue weight (granted this is with weight distribution hooked up so I am guess probably 1000lbs of actual tongue weight). The back and front axles of truck were under the 3900 lb limit and I know the axles on the trailer are 100 over but I feel with a new trailer doing just this one trip and greasing the hubs daily on the trip should be all right. I went for a little trip down the interstate just keeping it at 60-65 mph. I got a bad swaying motion the one time and it was pretty scary. The things I think that are causing the issue with the swaying is the hitch for the WD I bought used is base of ball about 24 inches high and trailer is only 19 inches at the bottom of the coupler. I measured trailer with it hooked up and the front is 2 inches taller than the back. Being this trailer also is very tall and pretty square at the front I would imagine the wind is pushing the top of this rig and reducing my tongue weight along with the hitch having it nose up 2 inches. Instantly when I got home I ordered a new WD setup with adjustable hitch to be able to lower the trailer and get it level or even maybe an inch lower in the front and it came with just one friction sway linkage and 1200 lb bars. Do you think the 2 inches, no sway prevention, and having a tall front squared trailer could be removing a lot of my tongue weight and causing this sway? I know when I actually leave I will probably add about 200 lbs of residual stuff in the furnished place we staying to the front to add a little more tongue weight not to mention sons bikes and stuff in the back of the truck.

21 Replies

thskilla0069
Explorer
Sep 03, 2016
Thanks for the wishes. Today I setup new wd. Trailer is sitting level in front and back. Another trip to scales shows I have 1000 of the 8000 total weight of trailer I'm tongue weight. I'll add at least 100-200 more the day before we leave. The front doesnt sag a single bit and I lost 3/4 of inch in the back but that is fine. My weights are way less than axle max and I have All of the 3100 lbs in front axle still there with wd. In my numbers the back axle got 800 of the 1000 tw and the trailer got the other 200 and the front didn't change. I even did weight of next link less and it only took 100lbs off the front. The test run seemed great as long as I run it at 60-65. I got to remind myself 70-80 is not safe at 14,000 lbs lol
Bob_Olallawa
Explorer
Sep 02, 2016
Best of luck to you on your trip. I do hope you listen to these posters and not end up pilled up in a ditch somewhere.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Sep 02, 2016
thskilla0069 wrote:
yeah I mean I won't going to fully grease it each time we stop. I have pushed out all the crappy grease they put in from factory and put good grease in them. I just plan to check each day if they need a pump or two. I will just make sure they don't get hot and run low. I thought from semi research into the e-z lube that they didn't have a back seal to deal with like the older style hubs. I could be wrong.

The spindles with a grease fitting are exactly like the ones without. It is just a hole drilled in the spindle with a fitting on the end.

The very best way to use that grease fitting is to beat it with a hammer till it is flat, then hand pack the bearings at your annual brake inspection.
thskilla0069
Explorer
Sep 01, 2016
yeah I mean I won't going to fully grease it each time we stop. I have pushed out all the crappy grease they put in from factory and put good grease in them. I just plan to check each day if they need a pump or two. I will just make sure they don't get hot and run low. I thought from semi research into the e-z lube that they didn't have a back seal to deal with like the older style hubs. I could be wrong. I will make sure that I just check them periodically through the trip.

My new WD hitch came in today.. single day delivery when it was supposed to be 2 day. I will get the anti sway bar mounted and go by the recommendations to get it all setup and right and maybe even go do a check at the scales and another test ride again to see how it does after I got it all setup properly.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Sep 01, 2016
There has to be a seal on the inside of the hub. That's how they keep the brake dust out of the bearings.

That issue with "E-Z lube" axles only happens sometimes, but when it does, it's a mess. Regardless, greasing as much as you propose is going to be overkill, expensive, and very messy. It takes 1/2 to a full tube of grease per wheel to push the old grease out. Just lube them up at the beginning of the trip and check each one periodically to ensure it's not loosening up.
thskilla0069
Explorer
Aug 31, 2016
This trailer has the sealed system where there is not a seal at the back so I don't have to worry about the grease getting on the brakes.

Yeah I think the tire rating for the trailer is like 7280 so yeah I will be right at that. They are all brand new and this is the only trip I plan to have it overloaded like this at all so I would hope they can get 2900 miles maxed out. I got one spare.

I know how to get out of a sway but I am just trying to do my best to get it fully setup the best it can be to avoid having to worry about getting out of one.
Bob_Olallawa
Explorer
Aug 31, 2016
I would not grease the trailer bearings with the zerk fittings on the end of the axles. You will loose your brakes, the grease will push past the grease seal and be all over the brake shoes and drums. Get the trailer hitch set up and load the trailer properly. If you go over the axle weight rating you more than likely will be over the tire rating also.
coolmom42
Explorer II
Aug 31, 2016
If you do get in a sway situation, the first thing to do is SLOW DOWN. Take your foot off the gas, and carefully apply some TRAILER brake with your controller. Then carefully and gently brake the truck if necessary.

You can drive as slow as you need to. That's what the right lane is for!
thskilla0069
Explorer
Aug 31, 2016
The wind here in Nevada is crazy. Just hoping the days I am leaving that it is very mild.. If I run into another 50 mph head wind like I did when I towed it back then I will just pull over and wait it out. It didn't sway that time because it was unloaded and pretty head on but it was working the truck pushing through that amount of air. I don't like to be over 3500 rpm for anything. I am use to my truck at low rpms. on flat ground I was doing 60-65 at about 2200 rpm last night and that's fine. It was just the one time I got into a bad sway that was sketchy. I am hoping this system dialed in will take that away since trailer will be level and truck will be.
thskilla0069
Explorer
Aug 31, 2016
The truck has a 8500lb tow capacity with 1600lb payload. Each axle is capable of 3900lbs.

as of last reading with the old WD hooked up
front axle = 2840
rear axles = 3680
trail axles = 7140
Combined 13,660

both axles are less than the 3900 lbs. I do see I need this new WD to add more weight to the front cause manufacturing says base weight for front is 3,092 and 2,350 for the rear. My last time weighing I believe I weighed in at 5820 lbs with me (300lbs) in it. This tells me that with WD hooked up my last reading at 6,520 (2840+3680) is carrying a distributed weight of the tongue of 1000lbs (6520-5500) which could be a little more that was distributed to the TT axles.

There will be no added cargo or people in the truck for the this haul. It'll be me and the family following in the car.

The truck is going to be really close to its 14k gcwr. I am trying to keep everything within its limits.. axles under 3900 each. I hoping this newer WD is going to let me push more of that distributed weight to the front axle. It won't lifting but a half an inch now but I want to get it back up to normal weight on the front and make sure the back and front are level on the truck and on the trailer. I know its not right hence I am trying to buy or adjust whatever is needed to get it right. I know the trailer is overloaded and the axles will be a few hundred lbs over but I will justify that in it being brand new and greasing daily.

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Sway and jerking issues

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