10
votes
Accepted
Why do many hybrids have little or no trailer towing capacity?
Brake performance, or vehicle stability, not motive power are the primary concerns with trailer limits.
Why no trailers in early hybrids?
Several considerations; first is the battery. In hybrids ...
- 11.6k
9
votes
Trailer spare tire mount: U-bolt threads too long for lug wrench
Cutting them down to size is about your only option, unless you want to carry a separate combination wrench (spanner). If you want to cut the threads cleanly, don't use a bolt cutter. The way to go is ...
- 153k
8
votes
What type of safety pin would be correct for this tailgate latch?
Based on the search results for that specific type of latch, the "pin hole" is not a latch-opening-preventer, in the generic sense. An Australian resource shows this exact type of latch:
...
- 4,455
7
votes
Should I over- or under-inflate my tires when towing?
The conflicting advice is confusing to sort out, because the logic seems to have got the cause-and-effect connections wrong. So let's start again...
The tires are the only part of the vehicle that is ...
- 2,954
7
votes
How to get torque on frozen lug nuts on trailer?
The really simple option is to loosen the nuts while the wheel is resting on the ground, and only raise it up on the jack once they are loose (not removed, just loose)
Otherwise, if you don't have ...
- 18.6k
7
votes
What type of safety pin would be correct for this tailgate latch?
I think a large diameter safety pin would work just fine. Something like this
- 6,569
6
votes
Accepted
Cause of double trailer dump truck brake lockup
The issue most likely is, the trailer was empty. The brakes are designed to work well when the trailer is full. As you can imagine, if the dump was full of loose gravel there'd be quite a load in it. ...
- 153k
5
votes
Troubleshooting Trailer Lights
It sounds like you have a ground issue. When the running lights are on they are actually grounding through the brake lights. When you apply the brakes it cuts off the ground and the lights go out. The ...
- 16k
5
votes
Why is there a "DO NOT PUSH" sign on the back of some trucks?
I like to share my experience in this DO NOT PUSH dilemma. It is really simple:
You can damage the whole box since it was not designed to be pushed. It's just like a shoe box: you can stack one the ...
- 51
5
votes
Trailer spare tire mount: U-bolt threads too long for lug wrench
I agree with the answer by @Paulster2. However if you don't want to do any sawing, grinding or filing, you could buy a suitable box spanner, for example -
Product details from that website -
Make ...
- 24.9k
4
votes
Accepted
where to buy the tool for this special hex nut?
The nut you are referring to is meant to be welded in place. The bolt then threads into and out of this nut without it moving. What you have run in to is that the bolt is so rusted in the nut, that it ...
- 16k
4
votes
Why is there a "DO NOT PUSH" sign on the back of some trucks?
The bed of a dump truck is only secured by two hinges and a Hydraulic hoist. It is not designed to be pushed by a wheel loader bulldozer or other piece of equipment in the event it becomes stuck.
An ...
- 41
4
votes
Should I over- or under-inflate my tires when towing?
I think the terms you're using - over-inflate and under-inflate - aren't the best descriptors.
There's a maximum tire pressure, around 50 psi for many tires. Inflating past that PSI would be over-...
- 300
4
votes
How much can I load on my trailer on my 2017 Subaru Legacy?
You'll need to know the weight of the trailer and it's maximum capacity (which should be on a plate on the trailer, for any reasonably recent trailer), the maximum towing weight of the car (which ...
- 28.7k
4
votes
Trailer spare tire mount: U-bolt threads too long for lug wrench
The answers from Paulster2 and HandyHowie both provide viable solutions, but if neither option appeals to you, make a spacer.
Remove one nut and find a short length of pipe or metal conduit that will ...
- 5,510
3
votes
Why do LEDs go out on (boat) trailer tail-lights?
More than likely, the leds in the light assembly are being over driven for reasonable light output. Typical 5mm and smaller leds, including the typical 5050 or 0805 SMD leds used in these assemblies ...
- 603
3
votes
4-way car connector to 7-way trailer connector
Have you actually tried hooking it up as you suggested and ignoring pin 6 (circuit 54) on the trailer connector? I think it is likely that the trailer is wired with a single filament for the turn ...
- 14.4k
3
votes
Cause of double trailer dump truck brake lockup
My first thought is that the trailer brakes are correctly adjusted and the trucks are out of adjustment. Excessive pedal pressure (movement) is required to engage the truck brakes. This over brakes ...
- 19.9k
3
votes
Will towing a trailer hurt my 2008 Subaru Forester?
The fact of the matter is any additional load is harder on a transmission. Stuffing 5 of me in four car is 1000 lbs, add say camping gear and you're looking at 1200-1500 lbs of cargo. If my wife were ...
- 3,284
3
votes
Accepted
Should I apply grease to my trailer hook?
besides the fact that the grease will be messy and get all over everything, the only reason I have seen is that sometimes grease or anti-seize can interfere with a ground connection if there isn't a ...
- 552
3
votes
Trailer socket problems
The first thing to check (and think about when using a meter) is where the ground is coming from:
Is there a ground wire in the trailer wiring?
Is there a good solid connection of the ground wire to ...
- 14.4k
3
votes
How to prevent automatic transmission damage when towing a heavy load without the towing package
Automatic transmissions use a torque converter to allow the engine to turn at a different speed than the transmission input shaft. This allows smooth shifting and it allows the engine to run at idle ...
- 255
3
votes
Should I over- or under-inflate my tires when towing?
I had this same question, and while I mostly agree with alephzero's answer, I wanted to provide a way to actually account for the increase in tongue weight (the trailer's load on the vehicle).
Let's ...
- 286
3
votes
Accepted
Trailer tire weight rating
Basically, yes. However, there is the rating of the axle itself to consider. The axle, more or less, will have a different rating. Make sure you take into account this before you decide whatever you'...
- 153k
2
votes
Utility trailer lights issue
For the most part, it sounds as though your ground is dead. Trace the ground wire back to where it is connected to the frame of the trailer. You'll probably find that it is corroded where it's ...
- 153k
2
votes
Trailer AFC converter turn signals blink together
Ok, so as @solar-mike suggested it looks like the converter is is faulty. I did some additional tests so I thought it might be useful to document here what I've done, someone else might be interested ...
- 409
2
votes
Accepted
What to do about this rust on trailer wheel, suspension and part of axle?
There are several things here you're going to need to do:
Wheel: You need to replace this. The outside lip looks like it's about done. At the very least it is severely weakened. From what I can see, ...
- 153k
2
votes
Accepted
4-way car connector to 7-way trailer connector
OK, so the converter combines both the brake/turn signal into a single wire designed for a dual-filament bulb. It will send different voltage to the bulb such that either one filament is light or the ...
- 409
2
votes
Tyres with a lower ply rating as replacements on trailer?
The ply rating is a roundabout way to indicate the max. load. There aren't that many plies in the tire (just one or two, normally).
You'll want some margin on the max. load, because without a scale ...
- 4,422
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible