Towing stability studies

On Jan 27, 7:37 am, nimbusgb wrote:
On 26 Jan, 18:20, wrote:



If you can stand the size and poor gas milage, it's hard to go wrong
with a pickup or commercial van with a solid axle and a factory tow
package, BTW

My suggestions/opinions only; your milage may vary.

Ray Warshaw
1LK

I'm hoping for a solution to trailer sway in the Acura MDX that I am
waiting for delivery next week. The MDX has a Trailer Stability Assist
program included in the Vehicle Stability Assist system. Of course,
TSA doesn't fix whatever is causing the sway in the first place but at
least it should eliminate the effects. I've tried various solutions on
my trailer and the one with the greatest positive effect was inflating
the tires to max rated pressure. I think the fundamental problem on my
trailer is the wimpy torsion bar suspension.
Steve

If you have an airfoil shaped fin box on the trailer try fitting a
'spoiler strip' to either side of the finbox!

I had a ventus B Turbo in a Komet II trailer that used to quietly
dance behind what was normally a perfect tow vehicle. The sway was
usually kicked off by a passing car or when overtaking a big rig or
bus on the motorway. Taping 2 25 mm aluminium right angles about 1m
long, vertically about 100mm behind the leading edge of the fin box
killed the horizontal lift on the box and transformed the handling.

I often got some very strange looks from other club members about it
but I swear it worked a treat.

I'll second your comment. I have a Komet trailer with a symmetrical
airfoil tailfin. Gusts from passing large trucks would cause it to
sway. I think the curling air caused just the right angle of attack,
and an ugly harmonic say until out of the wake of the truck. I also
added the right angle aluminum bars just as you described. These
spoilers really added 5-15mph more safe speed to the trailer, very
dramatic change.

As far as mechanical side sway [not the aerodynamic type] changing to
stiff sidewall tires "V-rated" and keeping them inflated solved the
issue for me. Factory tires/ones you get when you buy a car can be
terrible.
Instead of 32psi I keep the front tires inflated to 35psi and the
rears at 40psi. Also helps gas mileage.
Chris