I read a post a few months back about getting the tires on your Pup balanced for better towing stability.I had the tires balanced and this past week I towed to Carolina Beach State Park for some fall fishing.I can definitely say the Pup towed soooooo much smoother with balanced tires.Whenever I hit a bump or dip the Pup would settle back down immediately.While driving on a stretch of segmented highway the Pup was far more stable than before.Before having the tires balanced this type of highway caused the Pup to bounce and jerk on the hitch to the extent that I feared it would shear the ball off the hitch.On one occasion I started to pull over thinking I had a tire going down.Towing with Pup tires balanced was a vast improvement in stability.
This is a link to the few pics I took.The last is a pic of the folding clothesline my wife found for the camper.I took it while we were cleaning the camper at home.I can't weigh something this light but I doubt it weighs much over one pound and it folds for easy storage.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/575277957jCJYNa?start=0
Your pictures are beautiful. Where did you wife find the clothesline? I would love to have one.
Is there a chance that the shop that balanced the tires also adjusted the tire pressure?
Austin
where did you find the clothes line? And where do you store it?
Here is a link to the clothesline.You can search the net for best price.My wife sewed a cloth bag with drawstring for the clothesline and we lay it on the floor of the pup.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9730040
I inflate my own tires before each trip.I had purchased the tires 3 or 4 months previous to reading the post about tire balancing.I assumed that the tire dealer had balanced the tires when I purchased them.When I checked the tires there were no balancing weights on them.I called the dealer I purchased the tires from and they informed me that they don't usually balance tires that have no weights on them when the tires are installed.They told me to bring them back and they would balance them ,no charge.Can't beat that for service.
I also had my tires balanced when I had the replacements put on. Glad I did. They were out, it pulls great. Mark
I'm also a fan of balancing trailer tires. They're spinning at umpteen thousand rpm, so why not?
The trick for me at least, seams to be getting the local tire shop to do it after I ask.
Balancing my PUP tires made a very nice difference in the towing. Much smoother tow. (Never had issues with sway or bounce).
My tire guys ask that I bring the PUP up every trip to have the inflation checked and tires inspected, and since it's free, I do it. Well worth it to me as they check the spare too (and with it's cover that's also well worth it).
I suppose if the tires were really out of swack they might very well cause some disturbance. According to this Dexter Axle chart I have not experienced any cupping or uneven wear of my tires.
http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/Service_Resources/Tire_Wear_Chart_3-09.pdf
My little Starcraft (which has the 5.30 X 12" tires) is an easy, smooth, tow. I'm hard pressed to understand how balancing the pup's tires could make that much difference towing. Now, I understand how my TV drives so much better because I just washed it or changed the oil, but I know this all in my head.
Fly
May be I should unbalance my truck tires and that would be an improvment?
Mark
Quote from: flyfisherman;212563I suppose if the tires were really out of swack they might very well cause some disturbance. According to this Dexter Axle chart I have not experienced any cupping or uneven wear of my tires.
http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/Service_Resources/Tire_Wear_Chart_3-09.pdf
My little Starcraft (which has the 5.30 X 12" tires) is an easy, smooth, tow. I'm hard pressed to understand how balancing the pup's tires could make that much difference towing. Now, I understand how my TV drives so much better because I just washed it or changed the oil, but I know this all in my head.
Fly
If the tire is out of balance, it can set up a patterned "Bouncing" as the tire goes down the road. That's what causes the cupping to occur. Each time the tire bounces, it hits the pavement and "skids" for a nano-second and removes a small amount of rubber each time (usually in the exact same spot each time).
Any time that you have a spinning object, it must be perfectly balanced or the centrifugal force on the heavier side, will cause the object to "Wobble".
The bouncing can be so severe sometimes that it can actually shake parts loose on the trailer or damage the cabinetry inside.
Quote from: wavery;212638If the tire is out of balance, it can set up a patterned "Bouncing" as the tire goes down the road. That's what causes the cupping to occur. Each time the tire bounces, it hits the pavement and "skids" for a nano-second and removes a small amount of rubber each time (usually in the exact same spot each time).
Any time that you have a spinning object, it must be perfectly balanced or the centrifugal force on the heavier side, will cause the object to "Wobble".
The bouncing can be so severe sometimes that it can actually shake parts loose on the trailer or damage the cabinetry inside.
Like I said ... that very well may be possible, but in my years of towing trailers with 12 & 13 inch tires I've never had that experience.
Quote from: flyfisherman;212639Like I said ... that very well may be possible, but in my years of towing trailers with 12 & 13 inch tires I've never had that experience.
I agree with Fly... I too, have been dragging trailers around the country for a lot of years and have never had a wear problem caused by unbalanced wheels. I have had trailer wheels balanced a couple of times and never noticed a difference in towing, one way or the other. I put a new set of four 13" tires on my 23' TT in September and they have made no difference in the way it towes. I don't use a WDH or sway bars either..