Locating wheel chock in trailer
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 895
Likes: 27
From: Outside Dover, OH
Locating wheel chock in trailer
Anyone know the best way to determine wheel chock location in a MC trailer to keep the tongue slightly heavy? Any formula or websites that help determine how far in front of axle to mount the chock? Wanna make it so the tongue is slightly heavy loaded or empty.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,982
Likes: 226
From: W PA
The correct way is to weight the tongue unloaded and move the load around until you get 10-15% of the weight of the load added to the tongue. Can be done with bathroom scales. 800# bike means approximately 100# added to the tongue weight with the load on it. Were ever the front wheel lands mount the chock.
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 1,488
From: SW Washington State
put the rear tire over the trl axle or between if tandem axle. mark the floor where the chock goes and don't forget to look under the tlr floor for any obstructions before you drill.
Last edited by sixguns; Sep 14, 2014 at 09:50 AM.
Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,492
Likes: 10
The correct way is to weight the tongue unloaded and move the load around until you get 10-15% of the weight of the load added to the tongue. Can be done with bathroom scales. 800# bike means approximately 100# added to the tongue weight with the load on it. Were ever the front wheel lands mount the chock.
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 127
From: Chandler, Arizona
The correct way is to weight the tongue unloaded and move the load around until you get 10-15% of the weight of the load added to the tongue. Can be done with bathroom scales. 800# bike means approximately 100# added to the tongue weight with the load on it. Were ever the front wheel lands mount the chock.
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
Tongue has to be level when weight is applied.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx
If you want to just guess at it and hope for the best, there is always the drill a hole and cross your fingers method. The idea of a "normal/correctly built" trailer is a joke. These things are designed by rednecks with a welder, not engineers.
Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,492
Likes: 10
^^ No good grief about it. This is the proper way. ^^
If you want to just guess at it and hope for the best, there is always the drill a hole and cross your fingers method. The idea of a "normal/correctly built" trailer is a joke. These things are designed by rednecks with a welder, not engineers.
If you want to just guess at it and hope for the best, there is always the drill a hole and cross your fingers method. The idea of a "normal/correctly built" trailer is a joke. These things are designed by rednecks with a welder, not engineers.
Whatever.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 127
From: Chandler, Arizona
Congratulations on your successful career. The trailers you pulled WERE built by engineers. Are you suggesting you made a career out of installing chocks on flat beds and then pulling them with your pick up?
I have owned at least a dozen boats, ranging from my 12' john boats to 30' cruisers. Not one of them came properly set up on the trailer from the factory. Do you think any random trailer set up exactly the same whether a 250 dirt bike or a bagger?
I have owned at least a dozen boats, ranging from my 12' john boats to 30' cruisers. Not one of them came properly set up on the trailer from the factory. Do you think any random trailer set up exactly the same whether a 250 dirt bike or a bagger?
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Put it where it fits, Every trailer is going to be different, every situation...
Add a second bike, your dynamic is off. Wife throws the kitchen sink in her bag on the back of the trailer... or the front, your dynamic is off.
I've also loaded and towed thousands of miles... some in a commercial truck with my CDL, and some in my own trailers, At one point I had to stop the insanity, when I moved from Michigan to Virginia I owned 5 trailers....
The biggest thing to watch, is to make sure you have more weight forward of the apex than behind. It your trailer is tail heavy, it will not follow, and is dangerous.
The formulas above are absolutely correct, but in the real world, can be misleading.
Add a second bike, your dynamic is off. Wife throws the kitchen sink in her bag on the back of the trailer... or the front, your dynamic is off.
I've also loaded and towed thousands of miles... some in a commercial truck with my CDL, and some in my own trailers, At one point I had to stop the insanity, when I moved from Michigan to Virginia I owned 5 trailers....
The biggest thing to watch, is to make sure you have more weight forward of the apex than behind. It your trailer is tail heavy, it will not follow, and is dangerous.
The formulas above are absolutely correct, but in the real world, can be misleading.
You are correct, that is why the axles are at the rear.
Engineering cannot change nature, nor does it change the dynamic of trailering.
With MOST of the weight forward of the axles, the trailer will pull true.
With ALL of the weight forward of the axles, the trailer will pull true.
The ONLY reason some commercial trailers have slide-axles is to make the axle weight legal for the scales.
It has nothing to do with safety. It's for Profit.
The reason for most private trailers to have the axles more centered is to allow the trailer axles to carry the majority of the weight, due to low bumper capacities of a lot of private vehicles.
As long as the tongue has at least 10 or 15% of the total load, or more, and you do not exceed YOUR vehicle's tongue weight capacity, you'll be fine.
Engineering cannot change nature, nor does it change the dynamic of trailering.
With MOST of the weight forward of the axles, the trailer will pull true.
With ALL of the weight forward of the axles, the trailer will pull true.
The ONLY reason some commercial trailers have slide-axles is to make the axle weight legal for the scales.
It has nothing to do with safety. It's for Profit.
The reason for most private trailers to have the axles more centered is to allow the trailer axles to carry the majority of the weight, due to low bumper capacities of a lot of private vehicles.
As long as the tongue has at least 10 or 15% of the total load, or more, and you do not exceed YOUR vehicle's tongue weight capacity, you'll be fine.