RebekahsZ Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) Post pictures of your Z-car hauler, if you have one. I will add mine on an edit. I'm hoping somebody has a lighter approach than my budget trailer, which is, I think, heavier than I need for the Z. Also hope to learn something about the pros and cons of going from a dual axle trailer to a single axle trailer (Even after three alignment checks from three different shops, my car has a voracious appetite for tires). Please refrain from any "trailers suck" comments-I'm planning to expand my racing range beyond the point that I want to be calling my wife to come and get me. Besides, she doesn't know how to hook up the trailer and doesn't want to learn. Edited February 12, 2014 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSM Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 ?...-I'm planning to expand my racing range beyond the point that I want to be calling my wife to come and get me. Besides, she doesn't know how to hook up the trailer and doesn't want to learn. This made LOL to the point my asked me what was so funny. I just smiled and said car related. She looked at me funny. When I had my car trailer the angle was super important. I could get most cars on myself pushing them on. It was nice and low too. I used to keep it in my garage and drive my Z on and off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinpieces Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 You really really don't want a single axle trailer, 1 flat and you're done. With dual wheels you can change a flat without a jack, just pull up onto a couple of 2X6's and the other wheel comes off the ground. I've trailered cars all over the East Coast and dual axle trailers are much better behaved, not to mention each wheel has a brake so unless you're towing with a dualie you won't get pushed around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Any tips to stop eating tires? Friends tell me that it is a dual-axle thing - that when going around corners, the rear two tires are just sliding (and wearing out).... I was thinking about running 2 taller front tires with a higher load rating, and shorter enough tires in the rear to get them off the ground-kind of use them as emergency or secondary wheels. I loaned my buddy my trailer to take his Corvette to a show 6 hours each way, and it came back with one bald tire. It trails straight, doesn't pull funny or shimmy or sway. I have trailed it at 80mph without any trouble, the tires just wear really fast. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namor Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) That dual axle theory would only be feasible if the axles were linked from side to side (think welded diff). Even then it would be an inside tire vs. outside tire thing though (when looking at it dragging through a specific turn), not a front axle vs. rear axle. It isn't really a possibility if all the wheels freespin though. Maybe one of the axles is slightly bent such that the toe is out; toe will cause the tires to wear very quickly. Edited February 13, 2014 by Namor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Its not always the same wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namor Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Does it have brakes? Maybe the brakes could be dragging. I really don't know though. Good luck figuring it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSM Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Yeah I say bent axles, unless you have it loaded funny. I had my trailer for about 2 years traveled all over the state with it and had zero wear issues. My tires were used UHAUL trailer tires that someone was selling. You do have trailer tires and not automotive tires right and the air pressure is set correctly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Here's mine...it's a custom-built. Deck is 6' x 13'; total weight approx 800 lbs. Pulls really nice because of the light weight and the long tongue. Even with the dovetail and long ramps, still need wood block ramp extenders. I put the left fender on a hinge to give me sufficient clearance when opening the driver's door. Haven't had any unusual tire wear issues....sounds like a strange problem you're having, especially if it's not the same tire(s) wearing excessively all the time. Just out of curiosity, have you ever checked the loading on each tire (with trailer fully loaded and hooked to the tow vehicle)? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texis30O Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 https://www.facebook.com/AirbaggedTrailers Laugh all you want...... but when the time comes for me to get a trailer, I will be ordering one of these. Not for sure from these guys but one with the same concept....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOZ UP Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Not laughing, that's nice. Wonder what the load capacity is though, the angles of that suspension looked odd. Hard to tell though. I'm surprise no one has come up with that sooner. I've thought about trailers with some kind of unlock and tilt system that uses control arms rather than straight axles and raises the axles up (or rather, lowers the bed down). Then again, I'm a computer scientist not a ME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 That. is. COOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Keith, please stop thinking. Trailer tires last 5 years at the most and they are all made in China from old cow crap. Get used to replacing them frequently. Don't run different sized tires on any trailer - you'll imbalance the load and kill yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the reality check. I wonder why it seems that I have to replace two tires a year...actually two tires a summer, since that is when I do my all my trailering. A set every five years would be a relief. I will try to rotate more often, perhaps then I'll stretch it out a bit. I seem to wear radials out just as fast as bias ply. I wonder how that fancy trailer loads on uneven terrain? jhm-I like the custom trailer-getting some good ideas from this thread. I can load with 6' ramps and I used dropped axles. But, I can't open the door once loaded, hence the need for the winch-I winch it every time, which takes a while, but I feel safer doing it that way. I also wish my dovetail was longer. Also, my car is not very low, so that helps a lot. I also did not paint my airdam, since it smacks the ramps occasionally-I consider it a wear item. Edited February 13, 2014 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Get your trailer weighed with the car, tools, spares, etc. all included. Looking at your trailer my guess it that you're close to 6,000 lbs. fully loaded. You might find you're overloaded for the trailer tire capacity. Air pressures are important on trailer tires. Divide the tire's capacity by the the max air pressure and you'll get a ballpark idea of how many pounds each psi can carry. Typically for trailer tires its 35 lbs. per psi. which works out to about 7,000lbs. for a dual axle trailer with typical 14" or 15" trailer tires. Also, you might try positioning your car about 12" further forward on the trailer and make sure the trailer sits close to level when fully loaded and you're going down the road. A trailer that leans forward or back increases the load in one of the axles, possibly overloading that pair of tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 http://www.mrtruck.net/Model%203110%20Power%20Lift%20trailer.jpg I saw something like this on a foreign car show. It was low, light, aluminum and they were towing it behind a station wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Believe it or not, 4,000 pounds total with car and trailer together per a truck stop scale. I don't put anything else on the trailer, everything else goes in the truck. I moved the car around so that it would add 500# to my rear truck tires over the weight of the rear truck axle empty. Last year I tried putting 35# in the fronts, and lowered the rears to 25psi to try to get the fronts to wear as much as the rears. Have been playing with air pressure to get the fronts to wear evenly across the width of the tire. I will work on finding somebody with corner weight scales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I would run at least 40psi. even withthe trailer empty. If you're wearing the rears more then the fronts you need more weight up front on the trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Thanks for helping, johnc. Would you continue to run 40psi even if you noticed your tires wearing a lot more in the center of the tread? I started high psi and have been dropping over the period that I have owned the trailer (bought it new, for what that's worth). The forward tired wear in the center of the tread. The rear tires wear very in evenly, but not consistently so. The rears may cup, they may feather on one edge, but they are never the same. I've had the tires balanced, but haven't had them true-ed. Ill post a photo of the wear patterns tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Have you check alignment? Simple toe plates, straight edge, and an eyeball can tell a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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