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Posted by: Rob Ways Jun 30 2003, 12:31 AM

Am stoked! The wife and I just picked up our AX 914 hauler just south of Redding. It's a 16 ft open trailer with 5ft ramps and 4 in drop axels. Got a great deal.


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Posted by: Rob Ways Jun 30 2003, 12:34 AM

I am a newbie with a trailer.... where is the best place for the 914 to sit???? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!!!

Posted by: nomore4 Jun 30 2003, 04:49 AM

On the ground running. Just kidding. I have a trailer @ the same size. I park mine on the front wheel chocks to get some weight on the trailer tounge.

Posted by: rhodyguy Jun 30 2003, 07:39 AM

ot. clean your gutters, down spouts, and roof, man. the cost of roof/ framing damage will make your 914 costs seem like penney candy.

kevin

Posted by: VegasRacer Jun 30 2003, 10:14 AM

Where you have it now looks about right to have the weight centered over the axles. Make a test drive. Move it forward a foot and then back a foot. You should be able to feel the difference. Does the trailer try to push? Does it bounce or wiggle? Find what feels best and mark the spot.

Posted by: brant Jun 30 2003, 10:22 AM

There is a method to weigh Tongue Weight...
(look on pelican or rennlist for old threads)

I played with mine and when it was good, I drilled holes and dropped in permanent wheel chocks.

brant

Posted by: L8Apex Jun 30 2003, 11:38 AM

NIce trailer! I got a cheap one. $600, good deal for a college kid.


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Posted by: Aaron Cox Jun 30 2003, 01:16 PM

LOVE the paint job, Charcoal? w/ black side stripes/script...looks Boss man

Posted by: tryan Jun 30 2003, 02:25 PM

to be safe tounge weight needs to be 10-15 % of total load. assuming a 2300# car and a 800# trailer, you need a minimum of 310# of weight on the ball.

if you have mechanical brakes on the trailer the tounge/trailer needs to be as close to level as possible.

looks nice. wish i had one.

Posted by: TimT Jun 30 2003, 05:10 PM

Yeap youll need to find the sweet spot for your car, where the "tail doesnt wag the dog"

about 300# on the tongue.. give or take.

Then screw down a chock or mark the spot

Posted by: Rob Ways Jun 30 2003, 10:20 PM

So the tongue weight should be 10-15% of the total? The trailer is about 1200lbs, and the car 2300lbs so 3500lbs x .125 is about 430lbs. Is that right? I also have electric brakes on the trailer controlled by an adjustable switch at the driver's seat. Does this make a difference?

My tow car is a 4Runner. The backend sags like any 4Runner. Should I go with airshocks or HD gas shocks?

Lastly, with 4in drop axels, I'm scraping up the driveway in the rear where the ramps stow, and at the tow hitch lift. What can I do to keep it from scraping?

THANKS!

Posted by: jonwatts Jun 30 2003, 11:52 PM

I would say yes to air shocks (or an air bag suspension) and an onboard compressor / airtank. You'll get the control you need to keep everything level.

Are you scraping because of a dip at the end of your driveway? You may need to make some ramps out of plywood to ease the transition coming in from the street.

Posted by: campbellcj Jul 1 2003, 12:04 AM

The PO of my trailer installed steel casters on the tail end, because the private road he lived on had some severe dips/inclines. It's not a bad idea, compared to the alternative...scraping the hell out of the trailer when it hits bottom

Posted by: tryan Jul 1 2003, 07:14 AM

i have to use 6-10" drop recievers to keep my rudder out of the pavement on two of my boats. heavy duty casters are a good idea,, but just going slow or approaching on an angle will work most times. do a search on wakeboarder.com for some caster pictures.

toys ride pretty firm to begin with. search the 4-wheel sites for the next stiffer leaf springs or helper springs. can you lower the front torsion bar? air shocks would be a last resort. the shock mounts are not really designed to be load bearing.

EVERTIME i hook something up to the back of my truck, i go 50 feet and get out and double check. i have had two trailers come off. a bobcat once, not enough tounge weight on a worn out rental trailer . a gradywhite boat that the boat owner hooked up and i did not check it. made it 10'before it poped off the ball. again, not enough tounge weight.

Posted by: Rob Ways Jul 1 2003, 07:40 PM

I'm scraping because 1) my driveway is funky 2) the trailer is really low, 3) the ramp racks sit lower, and 4) the front crank / jack only comes up 4 inches from the bottom of the trailer.

Angles and Ramps are great ideas.

The 4Runner didn't sag much without the car on, but it did some with the car on. Would you suggest HD gas shocks vs air shocks?

Another question: the ramps are ladder style. Is this a bad idea for driving on Kuhmo AX tires??

Posted by: Rob Ways Jul 1 2003, 07:44 PM

I just got that. That's the neighbor's house and its a rental. You could eat out of my gutters (but why?)

Posted by: URY914 Jul 2 2003, 01:56 PM

If you cover the ladder ramps with some plywood it will be easier to drive on and off. Just drill some holes and bolt the plywood to the ramps.

Paul