Trailer Hitch Damper

[jcmac]

Hi all, I have an Indespension 2800kg general goods trailer and it has started slamming recently.

I've adjusted the brakes, distance on the threaded bar at the hitch, and greased the damper.

When pulling away, it bangs as you can see in the video.

Any help greatly appreciated to avoid replacing damper unnecessarily.

 

[Shovelhands]

Hi all, I have an Indespension 2800kg general goods trailer and it has started slamming recently.

I've adjusted the brakes, distance on the threaded bar at the hitch, and greased the damper.

When pulling away, it bangs as you can see in the video.

Any help greatly appreciated to avoid replacing damper unnecessarily.

Why do you not want to replace the damper? And you also say you’ve greased it?

 

[hiluxman]

Replacing damper is easy.

 

[Giles]

Swap the damper only about £60 and 2 hours work

 

[jcmac]

Why do you not want to replace the damper? And you also say you’ve greased it?

I can't think of any other reason that it is banging when the car comes to a stop other than the damper has gone?

 

[Shovelhands]

I can't think of any other reason that it is banging when the car comes to a stop other than the damper has gone?

We’ll I think that’s what we are all thinking!

Question is, what do you not want to change it?

You could pull the damper out of it, you’ll soon know if it knackered or not

 

[jcmac]

No reason other than the disappointment of misdiagnosing!

Thanks, I'll get down indespension this week

 

[Steve]

Remove the damper first as Shovelhands said you will know if it is knackered then & be able to confirm you get the right one from your supplier.

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

Stop! Adjust all the brakes at drums first and then work forward from there! The damper won’t stop the trailer if the brakes aren’t on the drums!

 

[Justme]

Looks like the damper is working. You stop is allows movement in a controlled way. Once stopped it pushes trailer back to release brakes.
I would check for slop in the tube and hitch to ball clearance.

 

[Justme]

I can't think of any other reason that it is banging when the car comes to a stop

when the damper goes it bangs when you first apply the brakes/ during the stop.
Not after you stop as in the video.

 

[hiluxman]

when the damper goes it bangs when you first apply the brakes/ during the stop.
Not after you stop as in the video.

Yes if the damper is totally buggered, when it's on its way out it bangs like that due to it still having resistance but not enough for it to work smoothly.

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

So if the damper is broken what is the tow tube banging against?

 

[V8Druid]

if the damper is burgered (and the brakes are way out of adjustment) the hitch bangs against the front of delta mount under braking and the rear when taking off again ... if the brakes are adjusted well, the brakes come on with a bang, trailer stops abruptly and then it bangs against the rear of the delta mount and usually kangaroos to a halt

 

[Justme]

So if the damper is broken what is the tow tube banging against?

The physical end stop. The damper does not stop the travel.

 

[Justme]

Yes if the damper is totally buggered, when it's on its way out it bangs like that due to it still having resistance but not enough for it to work smoothly.

I wonder if its a gas ram damper & the gas pressure is ok but the oil damping is not.

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

With brakes correctly adjusted the tow tube should not hit the end stop!

 

[hiluxman]

With brakes correctly adjusted the tow tube should not hit the end stop!

Of course it does the end stop is to stop you pulling the tube out while towing in a forward motion. So you are using the tube tight against the body of the hitch.

The video shows to me that the damper is weak hence why you get an bang moving off as the damper is not sufficient anymore to give a smooth return to its normal position, ie all the way out with the end stop up to the body.

When the damper is totally buggered the force of the slowing trailer can overwhelm the damper to the point when it allows the tube to fully retract, this is when the coupling head bangs against the body. You've also to remember that when the tube is fully retracted you have no brakes on the trailer at that point as its now in what would be the position for when your reversing ie no breaks applied so you can reverse up hills ect.

Top and bottom is you need the damper to be fully operational, a weak damper is just as bad as one that's gone altogether.

 

[V8Druid]

think Mick meant the coupling'd not strike the body with the brakes correctly adjusted - i.e. limited rearward travel .... as you rightly say, with the coupling against the delta body, you have no brakes operating

 

[jcmac]

Replaced the damper today and then set of for a quick test run.

Under all braking conditions the slamming had stopped completely.

Trailer loaded with about a bulk bag of sand, so I'm sure the brakes are working fine.

Admittedly the brakes did need adjusted and stopped the slamming into the car, I did that before I took the video above.

The damper I removed did seem to be weeping oil from the ram.

£65 for a new one and 2 hours

On the old damper, when I pushed in the hitch with my thigh it would slam back out.

The newly fitted one smoothly returns out.