Do trailer rims need balancing

[the butcher]

Hey folks...I am just picked up a pre-owned tandem axle trailer. When driving it home it was unloaded and I noticed a significant vibration coming from trailer and the vibration moved up along trailer to hitch and to tow vehicle which allowed me to feel it while towing. Didn't happen at slower speeds...just around 90-100kms per hr. At 110-120 there was no sign of the vibrations. I came home and noticed all 4 aluminum rims had no balance weights. Googled and found out some guys have experience samebthing when pulling unloaded trailer at highway speeds and when they balanced the rims the vibrations went away. I called a few tire shops and every single one says they normally don't balance boat trailer rims. I assume when the boat is loaded on trailer, the weight of the boat pushes down and while the rims are still unbalanced, the weight of the boat is too heavy on trailer for the vibrations to be noticeable. But my question is, even though it's not felt, it is still unbalanced and should it not be balanced? The thing I don't understand is my pickup truck is approx 6000 lbs... if the tires were unbalanced, would the truck also not experience any vibrations and wobbling in the wheels due to the weight of truck against the axles? So if it's a no brainer to balance truck and car wheels, why do all the tire shops I've contwct tell me it's not necessary and not required and they don't often come across customers requesting trailer rims to be balanced. Am I missing out on something?

Curious to know what other members here do with regards to whether they balance their boat trailer rims or not.

 

[Loghauler]

Hey folks...I am just picked up a pre-owned tandem axle trailer. When driving it home it was unloaded and I noticed a significant vibration coming from trailer and the vibration moved up along trailer to hitch and to tow vehicle which allowed me to feel it while towing. Didn't happen at slower speeds...just around 90-100kms per hr. At 110-120 there was no sign of the vibrations. I came home and noticed all 4 aluminum rims had no balance weights. Googled and found out some guys have experience samebthing when pulling unloaded trailer at highway speeds and when they balanced the rims the vibrations went away. I called a few tire shops and every single one says they normally don't balance boat trailer rims. I assume when the boat is loaded on trailer, the weight of the boat pushes down and while the rims are still unbalanced, the weight of the boat is too heavy on trailer for the vibrations to be noticeable. But my question is, even though it's not felt, it is still unbalanced and should it not be balanced? The thing I don't understand is my pickup truck is approx 6000 lbs... if the tires were unbalanced, would the truck also not experience any vibrations and wobbling in the wheels due to the weight of truck against the axles? So if it's a no brainer to balance truck and car wheels, why do all the tire shops I've contwct tell me it's not necessary and not required and they don't often come across customers requesting trailer rims to be balanced. Am I missing out on something?

Curious to know what other members here do with regards to whether they balance their boat trailer rims or not.

If I had one that shook like that I’d get them balanced cause it’s still shaking the boat and we wonder why our wiring and electrical stuff fails due to poor connections
Also depends how far you tow
Could be bent wheel too
Seen a lot of stuff driven over a scrubbed around at the launches and ditches over the years
If it’s just a balance it’s a cheap fix
Most people don’t balance unless they know it’s a problem but then it’s worth every penny
Could be cords separating too
Always worth a second look lots of times a tire issue started with a shake and turns into a blowout, we’ve all heard that semi going down the highway making that rhythmic tire noise they usually shred or just go boom
I don’t cheap out on tire maintenance
More wrecks are caused by poor tires/ contact patch than most people think

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

I bet your hitting a natural frequency of the unloaded trailer at 90-100Km. My trailer hits a natural frequency at right about 80km/hr when unloaded makes for a very uncomfortable ride, it shakes the whole truck. Speed up or slow down it goes away. Loading the trailer also shifts the natural frequency.

 

[the butcher]

If I had one that shook like that I’d get them balanced cause it’s still shaking the boat and we wonder why our wiring and electrical stuff fails due to poor connections
Also depends how far you tow
Could be bent wheel too
Seen a lot of stuff driven over a scrubbed around at the launches and ditches over the years
If it’s just a balance it’s a cheap fix
Most people don’t balance unless they know it’s a problem but then it’s worth every penny
Could be cords separating too
Always worth a second look lots of times a tire issue started with a shake and turns into a blowout, we’ve all heard that semi going down the highway making that rhythmic tire noise they usually shred or just go boom
I don’t cheap out on tire maintenance
More wrecks are caused by poor tires/ contact patch than most people think

Tires look good. 1 out of the 4 is worn more than the other 3 but nothing is separating etc. Trailer has approx 1 year of use as it was purchased with boat from previous owner 1 year ago. Owner upgraded to to heavier capacity trailer due to how he loads up his boat etc... so the trailer looks brand new.

 

[the butcher]

I bet your hitting a natural frequency of the unloaded trailer at 90-100Km. My trailer hits a natural frequency at right about 80km/hr when unloaded makes for a very uncomfortable ride, it shakes the whole truck. Speed up or slow down it goes away. Loading the trailer also shifts the natural frequency.

So I assume you don't have your rims balanced?

 

[Loghauler]

Might be worth a look if it’s that new and one is already showing a different wear could be scrubbing
As far as a natural frequency lol that’s a good one
It’s just at that speed it makes the shake it’s worst
Loaded changes the shape of the rubber at the contact point so it loses its tendency to multiply the shake cause it goes though the flattened part of the tire which resets the vibration each time but it still is there acting on the lighter parts of the boat itself
Sort of like the bag of groceries on the back seat of the car gets weird shimmying and the car isn’t

 

[Loghauler]

Could also be mud or garbage on the backside of the rims we have to wash out the rims several times a month
Could be that simple too !

 

[the butcher]

Would folks who reply mind just starting off with whether you balance your trailer rims ? Curious as to the ratio

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

Just went out and checked all my tires plus two spares are all balanced. I still think it’s just the natural frequency of the trailer but the below discussed it as-well.

https://www.thehulltruth.com/trucks-trailers/445028-trailer-vibration-question.html

Unfortunately for you the consensus here is that you might have a bad bearing, bent axle, or loose bearing nut. You mentioned that the previous owner loaded heavy and one tire is more worn than the others. I would be thinking bent axle.

natural frequency for the trailer system is important and most trailers are designed to push the natural frequency as high as possible to avoid vibration. But there might be a compromise between the loaded and unloaded weight of the trailer. Any input vibration from the tires could be affecting it.

If you’re paying to balance the tires I would think any shop would be happy to take your money. Start there, then check some bearings. If all good check for bent axle.

Hopefully you didn’t inherit somebody else’s problem.

 

[bigbruce]

My tandem axle trailer wheels are not balanced. Doesn’t seem to create any issues.

 

[Reel Gone]

Mine are not balanced and toes fine. Separated tires will wobble for sure, pick them all up and spin by hand to see if you can feel or see a twist

 

[Squire]

Just went out and checked all my tires plus two spares are all balanced. I still think it’s just the natural frequency of the trailer but the below discussed it as-well.

https://www.thehulltruth.com/trucks-trailers/445028-trailer-vibration-question.html

Unfortunately for you the consensus here is that you might have a bad bearing, bent axle, or loose bearing nut. You mentioned that the previous owner loaded heavy and one tire is more worn than the others. I would be thinking bent axle.

natural frequency for the trailer system is important and most trailers are designed to push the natural frequency as high as possible to avoid vibration. But there might be a compromise between the loaded and unloaded weight of the trailer. Any input vibration from the tires could be affecting it.

If you’re paying to balance the tires I would think any shop would be happy to take your money. Start there, then check some bearings. If all good check for bent axle.

Hopefully you didn’t inherit somebody else’s problem.

I agree with the natural frequency theory. I’ve towed a variety of trailers over the years for work and play and have experienced this phenomenon many times. It seems to happen when towing an unloaded trailer with dual axles and a 6,000 lbs or more load capacity. I had a dual axle high-boy that would jostle and bounce pretty bad at 50 kph when empty but not at all when loaded. Considering the posted 50 kph all through town this was particularly inconvenient.

My current boat trailer hits this un-sweet spot at about 20 kph. I’ve been up to 100 kph without finding another ‘node’ of instability.

 

[Loghauler]

My tires are balanced

As the frequency of the tire spin causes shake/vibration at a certain speed does not mean it’s “natural” frequency if you change the “balance” of the tire the speed at which the resonance moves into the frame of the trailer will also change “naturally”
In a four tire system even the suspension will participate vigorously in this resonance speed
That’s why one must address the situation

Ie having a tire person inspect and frame guy run a string if a balance job doesn’t solve it
I’ve seen all of the above problems in the logging trailers and usually smaller trailers smaller issues
Knowing who balanced and who hasn’t just speaks to who is cheap or not and doesn’t move the needle to finding your particular problem with the trailer
Cheapest route is getting the tires checked and possibly balancing or repairs if some are needed after the balance doesn’t fix it
Because if it’s just tires then a balance will change the speed of resonance to a high enough number it won’t bother u

 

[RageWelding]

Id ballance them. You have nothing to lose. If it still does it you likely have a bent axle.

 

[Loghauler]

Id ballance them. You have nothing to lose. If it still does it you likely have a bent axle.

Or wheel
Which they will find if you balance

 

[RELIC]

I get my trailer tires balanced for the same reasons I get my vehicle tires balanced. I have heard a few arguments against balancing trailer tires such as install weights will damage the galvanizing on the rim, I only tow short distances and it is only a trailer and you won't feel it. Depending on the tire and rim sometimes very little balance weight is required so the effects of not getting them balanced are minimal.
For me I travel at highway speeds a fair bit so I just get it done and hopefully that will give the boat and trailer the smoothest ride and all the moving parts last longer.

 

[turbomack]

i would check for chord separation, jack the wheels half inch or so off the ground and give it a spin and see how the are for out of round. i have had a lot of trailer tires fail like this, lots of lateral load on tandem axles and even worse with tridems can pop cords inside, not easy to see. Tows fine loaded but empty the trailer gets to bouncing

 

[-Jim-]

Gents, In a past life I took courses and did Dynamic Balancing on all types of apparatus like 3 Phase Electric Motor Rotors, Armatures from DC Motors and Generators, Alternators, Chippers, Hogs, Steam Turbine Rotors, Fans, etc. as part of my work. (If it spins, I can balance it was my moto.) Typically instructors always started by using balancing Tires as an example folks could relate to, and made it understood that unbalanced tires caused vibration and excessive wear regardless if they were driven or just pulled along.

Of course the precision level needed for the gear I balanced was much tighter than a Tire needs, but I'd never not balance my tires - for a trailer or a vehicle. I'm not saying this would be the only source of the vibration, but it's the easiest one to eliminate as a cause after inspecting the Tires for damage.

Just my 2 Bits.

 

[Almar22]

I balanced mine. 7 years ago I bought a new aluminum Tuff trailer, dual torsion axle to increase the overall load capacity. Worked great but after a couple years I noticed that the fenders (bent aluminum diamond plate) were cracking at the bend lines. Welded up the cracks and they came back alongside the welds in another year. Welded again, and balanced the wheels. They were seriously out of balance! Cracks haven't come back and I tow a lot at highway speeds. I am making the big assumption that tire vibration caused the cracks - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[noluck]

one thing i will mention that most people will will never check is trailer axle toe. every axle will have toe and a lot of axles will be installed with toe out and not toe in. put a couple of strait edges on the tires and see if the toe is correct