Adding shocks to trailer?

[CHECrappie]

Has anyone added shocks to their trailer? I have a tandem with 19XS. Are they worth adding?

[rat0502]

Curious as well......

[JJolley]

[CaymasMan250]

My new rig has shocks on the trailer from the factory and worth every dime, doesnt feel like a pogo stick going down a rough road. I can't answer the question about adding them to a trailer but I see no reason it couldn't be done but it would be well worth it IMO.

[rat0502]

Found this in the trailering section. additional info http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=768226

[CHECrappie]

Found this in the trailering section. additional info http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=768226

Thanks! Guess the answer is no to shocks.

[R.D.]

You would need to built an entire trailer frame based around it for it to work. Torsion bar instead of solid beam axle. Stabilizer bars, plus added springs for load baring. I think by the time your done, you will add so much cost a trailer no one would be able to afford them, even with prices as high as they are on boats currently.

[CHECrappie]

Came across this. TIFWIW

Hi everyone -

My name is Dave Williams. I am the owner, designer, and builder PikesPeakTrailers.com. I saw references to our site from this website when looking at our web logs and decided to check it out.

The trailer being referenced is one that we built and was used as a giveaway. I am writing to address the use of shocks on trailers. My comments are specifically directed about the trailers we build which are designed to be taken off the highway. Our design characteristics and components we use have been tested over 10s of thousands of hwy miles and hundreds of trail miles. This include a variety of off conditions: rockcrawling, beach, fireroad, etc.

So, with this as a background, here is what I can tell you - for certain conditions the correct dampening system (shock) can make a tremendous difference in how a trailer behaves. Below are tested and observed facts, again specifically to our trailers.

-If the trailer is oversprung and does not flex, as many trailers are, shocks will not matter.

-Even when properly sprung to flex some when empty and more when loaded, hwy based travel does not benefit much from shocks as the bumps in the road are insignificant enough to cause much tracking disturbance or hop.

-By far, the biggest benefit we have seen to adding shocks is off road. The trailers are light enough so that, when used without shocks, hitting a large obstacle with a tire on one side can cause a severe pogo effect as the kinetic energy in the compressed spring fires back violently. This can cause the trailer, especially one side, to rebound and for the tire to get air. Proper dampening dramatically mitigates this.

-On washboard or other small tight terrain the effect is similar those understated. We have many hrs of video footage from a following vehicle observing how the trailers react on real trails.

[rat0502]

Thanks! Guess the answer is no to shocks.

Not commenting either way, just passing along information!!!!

[rchavis]

Look over on the Tin boat forum , there a guy that does it ? Look under mods .