Trailer sproing

[Koko65]

Hello all

I am building our Tear on a Harbor Frieght frame. When I ordered it I do not recall selecting the option for an extra noisey sproing. Whenever I get in the trailer I here a creak and when getting out I here a loud "poing" sound. It happens only near the front of the trailer. When I put weight at the back for example their is no sound.

Any ideas? I was thinking of crawling under the trailer while my wife goes in and out to see if I can observe what might be moving around. It is still on a stand while we build her so it can't fall on me.

[KCStudly]

Koko65 wrote,

I was thinking of crawling under the trailer while my wife goes in and out to see if I can observe what might be moving around. It is still on a stand while we build her so it can't fall on me.

That would be a good start.

Does the HF trailer have slipper springs (back of spring slides on frame captured by a guide) or is it a double eyed spring with shackle links at the rear?

If it is a slipper spring you can get that slip stick effect (sometimes when I'm pulling my boat trailer, with slippers, out of the driveway I get a little boing when it drops down off of the berm at the end of the driveway, especially on the first trip of the year after I have lowered it down off of the jack stands that it sits on during the winter). Maybe put a little synthetic grease between the frame and spring...if it is a slipper style. It's just a thought. I suppose that might attract dirt and result in a grinding action, so maybe use some dry film lube instead.

[eamarquardt]

Ensure that all the bolts that hold the frame together are tight (locktite is a good thing) and grease everywhere that the spring moves. Even if this doesn't solve the problem it's not a bad thing to do.

Cheers,

Gus

[Koko65]

I'll try to get under the trailer tomorrow to have a look, and listen. I do not think it is coming from the springs though, the noise is coming from father forward. I'll check everything that I can and hopefully find it.

Thanks

[Nobody]

If you're using one of the HT 'Tilt' trailers, the noise may be coming from the 'latching mechanism' of the tilt part of the tongue 'A' frame. I have stabilizers on all 4 corners of my trailer but I often had noise when using only the tongue jack as front support so I replaced the pins of the latching mechanism with grade 5 bolts & 'nylok' nuts -

[bobhenry]

I am betting on Harvey.

Mine rattled on the road. I finally welded them to shut them up once and for all.

[Koko65]

I certainly have the original pins instead of bolts on the tongue of the trailer. Thanks for the tips, now I just need to find some time test them out.

Onno

[Koko65]

Aha! I found it.

I crawled under the trailer today and had my lovely wife climb in. She is rather svelte and as such she needed to bounce around a bit in order to make the trailer sproing. The culprit is the black goo undercoating that I used. There is a cross member that the floor does not make contact with, however when there is sufficient weight in the trailer they meet. As the black goo is still tacky it partially adheres to the crossmember and then releases when the weight is moved off causing the sproing.
I might add a spacer to fill the small gap... About a 1/16". Or drive some short lag bolts up from the bottom. Either way at least know what is causing it.

Thanks for the insight all.

Happy Easter