The Noob Trailer build
- Thread starter Forsie
- Start date
Thinking about how it rides even after the shocks, which are a major improvement, I still feel like it sways a lot and just lacks some lateral stability. Since this thing already has a pretty high center of gravity that scares me. I think it is mostly due to the narrow trailer leaf springs and mounts I used just not being wide enough to prevent side to side movement.
Im thinking about adding a Panhard bar to improve side loading performance and make this box ride a little better. Lots of vehicles use them in conjunction with leaf spring suspensions to add better handling characteristics, and I think that my trailer would benefit a good deal from having one.
I would also be able to raise the roll center by positioning the axle side mount as high as functionally possible under the box. for even more added stability.
Thoughts?
Im thinking about adding a Panhard bar to improve side loading performance and make this box ride a little better. Lots of vehicles use them in conjunction with leaf spring suspensions to add better handling characteristics, and I think that my trailer would benefit a good deal from having one.
I would also be able to raise the roll center by positioning the axle side mount as high as functionally possible under the box. for even more added stability.
Thoughts?
Did some real world testing over this holiday. Drove it from SLC to PHX empty with the spare inside. It towed pretty good, and the shocks worked well dampening the springs. Despite the steepish angle they are set up at they did a really good job controlling the empty trailer.
Then the real test came. I picked up a load of tools from my parents house on thanksgiving. Probably 400 -500lbs of stuff, and loaded it all into the trailer. I then towed it from my parents in the Prescott area, down to my in-laws place near Wickenburg. My wife's family runs a small cattle operation, it's pretty remote, around 15 miles of rough dirt out to their ranch.
I figured this would be a pretty good test for the trailer, since it was loaded, and the road out there is pretty rough, a lot like roads I intend to haul this thing up and down repeatedly over its life.
The trailer actually feels more planted and stable loaded. I am pretty happy with the way it performed. I do see some improvements that I need to make, and a few little adjustments too. I'm thinkin bump-stops, rework the shock setup, and some slight fender adjustments, etc. But I'm pretty happy with it overall. It was a great opportunity to get it out and use it, in a real world kind of test. I'm slowly getting things figured out.
Then the real test came. I picked up a load of tools from my parents house on thanksgiving. Probably 400 -500lbs of stuff, and loaded it all into the trailer. I then towed it from my parents in the Prescott area, down to my in-laws place near Wickenburg. My wife's family runs a small cattle operation, it's pretty remote, around 15 miles of rough dirt out to their ranch.
I figured this would be a pretty good test for the trailer, since it was loaded, and the road out there is pretty rough, a lot like roads I intend to haul this thing up and down repeatedly over its life.
The trailer actually feels more planted and stable loaded. I am pretty happy with the way it performed. I do see some improvements that I need to make, and a few little adjustments too. I'm thinkin bump-stops, rework the shock setup, and some slight fender adjustments, etc. But I'm pretty happy with it overall. It was a great opportunity to get it out and use it, in a real world kind of test. I'm slowly getting things figured out.
M35A2
Tinkerer
From how it looks in the photo, the shocks are not doing much. They are at a severe angle; that reduces the piston stroke. But they are also angled back to the shackle, parallel to the spring. The amount of differential movement there would be fractions of an inch.
If you want the shocks to do anything, you should reconsider which shock you use and how they are mounted.
If you want the shocks to do anything, you should reconsider which shock you use and how they are mounted.
Well with life being the way it is I have had hardly anytime to focus any energy on this project. But as always I keep it rolling around the back of my mind and finding new ideas and ways to fix things that aren't 100%.
I was very honestly frustrated with the way my shock setup turned out, and while it is better than before, I do need to change them up, less angle and shorter
The empty weight bias is killing the way this thing handles, the spare out on the tailgate sure looks cool, but it weighs 80 lbs and makes the trailer hard to tow without a load and way more sensitive to the way its loaded. I need to do some remodeling, and I have a couple of things in mind
I was very honestly frustrated with the way my shock setup turned out, and while it is better than before, I do need to change them up, less angle and shorter
The empty weight bias is killing the way this thing handles, the spare out on the tailgate sure looks cool, but it weighs 80 lbs and makes the trailer hard to tow without a load and way more sensitive to the way its loaded. I need to do some remodeling, and I have a couple of things in mind
It has really been a while, hasn't it. This little trailer hasn't had much love for the last year or so, life gets you busy. I have been using it as a small utility trailer and it has really been great for that duty. A couple of trips around the west, and some local hauling duties have gotten her pretty well broken in. Despite my qualms about the shock setup and weight bias, once loaded the trailer rides great.
However I have yet to use it for intended purpose! Sad, I know. So this winter I have determined to change a few things and make this little thing the camping rig it set out to be in the beginning.
So here is a list of things, in no particular order, that I intend to add to The Noob, as I do this make-over...
- New shock setup; Current setup has never made me very happy.
- Tires and wheels; The tires no longer match the truck and are actually a bit large for the fenders and suspension setup. I have found them rubbing and causing damage, to the fenders and the tires
- Possibly change the tongue setup, not sure yet if or how...
- Chuck box, including stove and sink.
- Propane tank and plumbing
- Water tank and plumbing
- Re-work the tailgate; The round tube has looked "off" to me since I built it, in a hurry, just to get it all functional.
- Stabilizers
- Soft Tonneau cover; Need something to cover the cargo area, and a lid just seems wrong for this trailer for some reason...
- Change the racks, to be removable
- Tent and Mounting system
- New paint
- Contemplating a battery, solar panel charging, and some lighting and power plumbing, but it way down the list.
However I have yet to use it for intended purpose! Sad, I know. So this winter I have determined to change a few things and make this little thing the camping rig it set out to be in the beginning.
So here is a list of things, in no particular order, that I intend to add to The Noob, as I do this make-over...
- New shock setup; Current setup has never made me very happy.
- Tires and wheels; The tires no longer match the truck and are actually a bit large for the fenders and suspension setup. I have found them rubbing and causing damage, to the fenders and the tires
- Possibly change the tongue setup, not sure yet if or how...
- Chuck box, including stove and sink.
- Propane tank and plumbing
- Water tank and plumbing
- Re-work the tailgate; The round tube has looked "off" to me since I built it, in a hurry, just to get it all functional.
- Stabilizers
- Soft Tonneau cover; Need something to cover the cargo area, and a lid just seems wrong for this trailer for some reason...
- Change the racks, to be removable
- Tent and Mounting system
- New paint
- Contemplating a battery, solar panel charging, and some lighting and power plumbing, but it way down the list.
First new shocks and better geometry. I spent a few good hours figuring out an effective shock that would both fit in the confined space under the trailer and work for my needs. After hours reading thru parts lists, measuring, thinking, measuring again, thinking, and returning to the parts list again and again, I found one that should work. At long last I cut off the old mounts and burned some new ones in.
The result is much better geometry, and hopefully better dampening performance.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
The result is much better geometry, and hopefully better dampening performance.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
