- Joined
- Jun 1, 2001
- Messages
- 7,897
- Reaction score
- 134
- Points
- 63
- Age
- 62
- Location
- East-Central Pennsylvania
- Vehicle Year
- 1987... sorta
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- '93 4.0
- Transmission
- Manual
I own a commercially made tow-dolly (a Master-Tow)
that mounts the towed vehicle's front wheels on a platform that is free to pivot.
a dolly without a pivot is much more likely to jackknife with the tow vehicle than a dolly that does not pivot.
Because the dolly and the towed vehicle form a 4-wheeled "Cart" the without a pivot will only want to go it's own way and won't turn and as you enter a turn it will try to push the rear axle of the towing vehicle to the outside of every turn (a strong over-steer effect)
The necessity for brakes on a dolly cannot be overstated, because the weight of a towed vehicle on a dolly also generates an over-steer effect unless it has brakes in which case actuation of the trailer brakes can moderate or eliminate the instability created by over-steer.
If I did not have my master-tow dolly, I would never consider building one, a new tow-dolly is only about $1400 (I paid $1100 for mine, new) Bt if I did I wouldn't base it on a two piece axle from a TIB truck
BTW, that angling of the tires inwards at the top, it called "Camber", "Caster" refers to change in camber as steering is deflected from the center (neutral) position... you want to avoid any self steering n a trailer, it adds unpredictability.
You need towed loads that you are generally unfamiliar with to be predictable, as the "learning curve" is likely to be steep and Expenvive... potentially fatal...
that mounts the towed vehicle's front wheels on a platform that is free to pivot.
a dolly without a pivot is much more likely to jackknife with the tow vehicle than a dolly that does not pivot.
Because the dolly and the towed vehicle form a 4-wheeled "Cart" the without a pivot will only want to go it's own way and won't turn and as you enter a turn it will try to push the rear axle of the towing vehicle to the outside of every turn (a strong over-steer effect)
The necessity for brakes on a dolly cannot be overstated, because the weight of a towed vehicle on a dolly also generates an over-steer effect unless it has brakes in which case actuation of the trailer brakes can moderate or eliminate the instability created by over-steer.
If I did not have my master-tow dolly, I would never consider building one, a new tow-dolly is only about $1400 (I paid $1100 for mine, new) Bt if I did I wouldn't base it on a two piece axle from a TIB truck
BTW, that angling of the tires inwards at the top, it called "Camber", "Caster" refers to change in camber as steering is deflected from the center (neutral) position... you want to avoid any self steering n a trailer, it adds unpredictability.
You need towed loads that you are generally unfamiliar with to be predictable, as the "learning curve" is likely to be steep and Expenvive... potentially fatal...
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