Reducing jolts and noise while trailering

[Ronnie]

I don’t like feeling the trailer push or pull the tow vehicle while starting and stopping. Today I installed a Curt rocker ball, collar and rubberbands on. my drawbar. Now there is no play on the assembly. I will post the results soon.

 

[fireflymedic]

I'm not sure with our surg brakes you will be able to get rid of the clanking. Especially that first pull off after stop. But I will be interested in the results. Not sure how much it would cost to convert to electric brakes but that would be cool to do also

 

[ChrisM]

once in a while I spray silicone spray in the surge brake tongue, this makes the action much more fluent when braking.

 

[captras]

These work very well!

 

[2kwik4u]

These work very well!

Agreed. Especially in unibody applications where the hitch is attached right to the body of the vehicle instead of to a frame that is isolated from the cabin.

I had this setup for a few weeks on the Audi right after we got it.


The thing I didn't like about it was that it was somewhat of a PIA to put on and off each time. I ended up moving over to a threaded hitch pin, and have used it for the last two years.

 

[Ronnie]

These work very well!

I had one of these before and it did work well but I didn’t like that I had to remove and install it every time I removed and installed the drawbar and ball into the hitch receiver. With my current set up everything is already installed and set on the drawbar.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I don’t like feeling the trailer push or pull the tow vehicle while starting and stopping. Today I installed a Curt rocker ball, collar and rubberbands on. my drawbar. Now there is no play on the assembly. I will post the results soon.
View attachment 197072

Very interested in your review and opinion on this.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I'm not sure with our surg brakes you will be able to get rid of the clanking. Especially that first pull off after stop. But I will be interested in the results. Not sure how much it would cost to convert to electric brakes but that would be cool to do also

Roughly $700 for electric over hydraulic… perhaps more now that prices have gone up. It was about $700 when I looked into it a couple of years back.

 

[Bottom Bracket]

My choice,.
No clanging, no banging, the disc brakes on these trailers are very nice.

• Polyurethane interior acts as a shock absorber, reducing bounce and rhythmic vibration
  • Protects tow vehicle's driveline and hitch assembly, as well as trailer's contents

"

https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Convert-A-Ball/AMSC8.html

 

[Ronnie]

My choice,.
No clanging, no banging, the disc brakes on these trailers are very nice.

• Polyurethane interior acts as a shock absorber, reducing bounce and rhythmic vibration
  • Protects tow vehicle's driveline and hitch assembly, as well as trailer's contents

"

https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Convert-A-Ball/AMSC8.html

View attachment 197110

Update the rocker ball along with the collar did a great job of reducing the noise and jolts while starting and stopping. However, I didn’t account for the increase in the ball height caused by the base and base plate of the rocker ball so it’s too high / the trailer isn’t level when used with the 4” drop draw bar I bought. As a result I solved this problem the old fashioned way, I threw money at it. That is ordered a cushioned draw bar with a 6” drop. Thanks for the tip @Bottom Bracket. The price difference compared to a non cushioned unit was about $30 which in the overall costs for upgrading and repairing my boat this season is a rounding error plus any additional smoothing relating from the reslit use of the cushioned draw bar (along with the rocker ball can only help. I’m hoping the new draw bar will allow me to get rid of the collar and and rubber bands as well.