HarborFreight trailer failure... need some advice ASAP
07-02-2005, 06:42 PM
#1
HarborFreight trailer failure... need some advice ASAP
Well, I will honestly say that using HarborFreight trailers are dangerous. Stay away. A synopsis of what happened.
I bought the trailer in February, and upon assembly of the frame, I noticed things don't line up right vertically. Hmmm...
February I use it for the first time... drive 250 miles to VIR, and on the way back, a trailer bearing fries and the inner ring fuses itself to the bearing. Cost of repair: $40 hub / bearing, $10 for dust caps, and $50 redneck labor to airchisel the old bearing off the spindle.
Thing is back in service in June, and I use it for the journey down to VIR and back.
Today I load up the trailer and drive it to my parents house as I leave for Watkins Glen tomorrow and I'm housesitting tonight. After about 15 miles, I hit a bump in the road, and I hear metal scraping, and I notice I no longer have a trailer. Instead I see the trailer tumbling end over end behind me. I pull over to see the tounge arm has sheered the metal off the cross members of the trailer frame. Fortunately, all vehicles behind me avoided disaster, and a random Subaru owner from NASIOC pulled over and helped me pull the remainder of the trailer off the road. Note: my Walmart straps held all four wheels securely to the trailer despire the tumble.
Can I dispute anything with HF since it's a self-assembled product? Since the metal sheered off the cross-members, it's clear to me that the metal is of substandard quality and is a safety hazard to ANYBODY who is using any HF trailer. Any suggestions about how I can approach HF about the situation, and more importantly for my pocketbook, refund me the cost of this POS?
I bought the trailer in February, and upon assembly of the frame, I noticed things don't line up right vertically. Hmmm...
February I use it for the first time... drive 250 miles to VIR, and on the way back, a trailer bearing fries and the inner ring fuses itself to the bearing. Cost of repair: $40 hub / bearing, $10 for dust caps, and $50 redneck labor to airchisel the old bearing off the spindle.
Thing is back in service in June, and I use it for the journey down to VIR and back.
Today I load up the trailer and drive it to my parents house as I leave for Watkins Glen tomorrow and I'm housesitting tonight. After about 15 miles, I hit a bump in the road, and I hear metal scraping, and I notice I no longer have a trailer. Instead I see the trailer tumbling end over end behind me. I pull over to see the tounge arm has sheered the metal off the cross members of the trailer frame. Fortunately, all vehicles behind me avoided disaster, and a random Subaru owner from NASIOC pulled over and helped me pull the remainder of the trailer off the road. Note: my Walmart straps held all four wheels securely to the trailer despire the tumble.
Can I dispute anything with HF since it's a self-assembled product? Since the metal sheered off the cross-members, it's clear to me that the metal is of substandard quality and is a safety hazard to ANYBODY who is using any HF trailer. Any suggestions about how I can approach HF about the situation, and more importantly for my pocketbook, refund me the cost of this POS?
07-03-2005, 06:36 AM
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That is scary since safety measures deal with keeping the tongue on the hitch. Do you have a picture of the failure? I'm going to do an inspection of my trailer this morning.
One of the guys in the club told me before I bought it to make sure I assembled it on a flat surface and I used a framing square to insure all connections were 90 degrees.
My 1st reaction is that they won't do anything. Chinese made products are really cheap with materials that would be thrown out in the US. I figure I got what I paid for.
One of the guys in the club told me before I bought it to make sure I assembled it on a flat surface and I used a framing square to insure all connections were 90 degrees.
My 1st reaction is that they won't do anything. Chinese made products are really cheap with materials that would be thrown out in the US. I figure I got what I paid for.
07-03-2005, 07:20 AM
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John:
Do you have the high speed option with the 12" wheels. I got that option from Northern Tool. It is a Chineese built trailer. I have one 500 mile trip and one 200 mile trip. I have been checking since I have seen the posting of others about the problems you have seen. The one issue could be vibration loosing up the bolts. Did you check the bolts regularly?
Do you have the high speed option with the 12" wheels. I got that option from Northern Tool. It is a Chineese built trailer. I have one 500 mile trip and one 200 mile trip. I have been checking since I have seen the posting of others about the problems you have seen. The one issue could be vibration loosing up the bolts. Did you check the bolts regularly?
07-03-2005, 07:29 AM
#5
It was the trailer with the 12" wheels.
After further discussion with the person who was behind me, when I hit the bump, the rear of the tounge sheered away from the center crossmember, causing the trailer to nosedive and at that point the pitched angle caused it to separate from the ball hitch. Odd that the safety chains broke clear. The tounge then separated...
To be honest, I didn't check the torque of the bolts beforehand, but there wasn't any play that I could tell. Plus it wasn't the bolts that failed, the metal of the crossmembers sheered off.
After further discussion with the person who was behind me, when I hit the bump, the rear of the tounge sheered away from the center crossmember, causing the trailer to nosedive and at that point the pitched angle caused it to separate from the ball hitch. Odd that the safety chains broke clear. The tounge then separated...
To be honest, I didn't check the torque of the bolts beforehand, but there wasn't any play that I could tell. Plus it wasn't the bolts that failed, the metal of the crossmembers sheered off.
07-03-2005, 08:07 AM
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How fast would you estimate you were going and what is the balance weight would you estimate? So you exceeded the strength load on the "U" member. Wow!! I have been not exceeding 62MPH but you never know when you hit a big bump when traveling in the truck lanes.
07-03-2005, 07:20 PM
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How much weight were you carrying on the trailer? I've had one for three years, and the Harbor Freight trailer's probably the most popular autocross trailer in the country, but this is the first I've ever heard of one failing.
As for the bearing, did grease them as directed in the instructions? If I recall correctly, the bearings don't come fully lubricated from the factory.
Steve
As for the bearing, did grease them as directed in the instructions? If I recall correctly, the bearings don't come fully lubricated from the factory.
Steve
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07-05-2005, 02:27 PM
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My wheel almost fell of the first time I took her out. When I arrived to the track (a 4 hour drive) I noted that there was only one stud holding the wheel on. The steel on the wheel is so soft it deformed and eventually all the studs came loose. And yes I torqued them to spec. I am currently using standard bolts and large washers that I was able to score at the only hardware store in town at the reno track.
My left turn signal still works intermittenly as well. I have heard similar stories to John's where the trailers just fall apart in transit. A guy at my last track event told me he eventually ended up replacing the bearings with better ones.
You really do get what you pay for with these things. I think my lesson learned is to check everything out before each trip. I've used mine a few times since with no problems. I really don't feel safe taking it on long distances. I think I will limit my trailer use to the closer tracks only.
It really sucked thinking I could be have been left stranded in the wild wild west of fernly neveda or worse, hurt someone with a runaway trailer.
My left turn signal still works intermittenly as well. I have heard similar stories to John's where the trailers just fall apart in transit. A guy at my last track event told me he eventually ended up replacing the bearings with better ones.
You really do get what you pay for with these things. I think my lesson learned is to check everything out before each trip. I've used mine a few times since with no problems. I really don't feel safe taking it on long distances. I think I will limit my trailer use to the closer tracks only.
It really sucked thinking I could be have been left stranded in the wild wild west of fernly neveda or worse, hurt someone with a runaway trailer.
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