Trailer wheel wobble
05-05-07, 08:29 PM
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Trailer wheel wobble
I've towed my kids in a bike trailer quite a bit, and now the oldest is ready to ride a trailer wheel.
I just attached a trailer wheel for the first time, and took my son up and down the street to try it out.
I found the ride to be very wobbly and unstable-feeling at low speed, with the towed weight rocking noticeably from side to side.
Is this because this trailer wheel is a piece of junk, and a better model will ride better? (It's a shabby-looking thing I got for $10 at a garage sale.) Or is that just what they feel like, and could it be because my 5-year-old son (his first time riding on one) was tilting from side to side?
I just attached a trailer wheel for the first time, and took my son up and down the street to try it out.
I found the ride to be very wobbly and unstable-feeling at low speed, with the towed weight rocking noticeably from side to side.
Is this because this trailer wheel is a piece of junk, and a better model will ride better? (It's a shabby-looking thing I got for $10 at a garage sale.) Or is that just what they feel like, and could it be because my 5-year-old son (his first time riding on one) was tilting from side to side?
05-05-07, 08:47 PM
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The wobble was probably one of two things:
First problem is a worn or loose hitch. If it is worn out, you can usually get a replacement hitch. Try tightening down all of the bolts before going for a replacement. If you're a bit more mechanically advanced, you can peen the correct points to tighten it up.
The other problem could be you. Sometimes a precieved mechanical problem is a rider's form problem. Riding slow usually causes a rider, particularly a causal rider, to move his or her arms back an forth to maintain balance. This motion gets amplified through the connecting hitch and can be smooth out with some practice.
First problem is a worn or loose hitch. If it is worn out, you can usually get a replacement hitch. Try tightening down all of the bolts before going for a replacement. If you're a bit more mechanically advanced, you can peen the correct points to tighten it up.
The other problem could be you. Sometimes a precieved mechanical problem is a rider's form problem. Riding slow usually causes a rider, particularly a causal rider, to move his or her arms back an forth to maintain balance. This motion gets amplified through the connecting hitch and can be smooth out with some practice.
