Scum at the track: they are amongst us!

[Biggles08]

Last i heard he was off stealing trailer wheels........

Ha! bastard!

[MSTRS:Me]

Whilst what the engineers here are saying makes sense, can they please explain just how it is that a variety of trailers, which have all travelled a variety of distances to get there, have suffered failure on their way home after a day/weekend at a track?
And how many trailer towers have suffered these sorts of problems on their way TO the track?

[Brett]

Mate, I hope you catch whoever is doing this and teach them a lesson. That shit is really not cool. I am actually a bit stunned that someone would do shit like that. fucking with a racebikes suspension is a huge call to make, given that it can yield incredibly serious consequences.

[p.dath]

Whilst what the engineers here are saying makes sense, can they please explain just how it is that a variety of trailers, which have all travelled a variety of distances to get there, have suffered failure on their way home after a day/weekend at a track?
And how many trailer towers have suffered these sorts of problems on their way TO the track?

And if I understand correctly, it's on the way home from the Taupo track in particular ...

[Biggles08]

And if I understand correctly, it's on the way home from the Taupo track in particular ...

Well I had a trailer wheel actually fell off on the way home from Hampton Downs like I said. It is conceivable but unlikely that this was merely a freak occurrence but in light of the last incident I have my suspicions now.

[Dreama]

Whilst what the engineers here are saying makes sense, can they please explain just how it is that a variety of trailers, which have all travelled a variety of distances to get there, have suffered failure on their way home after a day/weekend at a track?
And how many trailer towers have suffered these sorts of problems on their way TO the track?

Well, obviously there is no engineering biased argument that could explain wheel nuts coming loose 'only' on the way home, and for the misalignment explaination to really be totally valid naturally some incidents would need to occur on the way to the track as well. To be honest, the only trailer incident I ever had was on the way to the track, but that was a broken spring so that doesn't count.

Anyway, since the people reading and posting on this thread are now aware of
a/ the misalignment concept I put forward and
b/ the nasty pricks lurking in the pits undoing wheel nuts and cutting tie downs
it should now be possible to eliminate both problems by
c/ checking that the trailer wheels have the correct rims to match the hubs and that the nuts are the correct match for the studs and rim tapers .... and
d/ check the trailer over thoroughly before leaving the track ... especially if you suspect someone dislikes you !!

Smartass comments aside .... it is a frightening thought that there really could be someone deviant enough to be doing these things.

[Jay GTI]

If Dreama's right the easy way to eliminate any foul play, is to check before and immediately after each substantial trip.

and if Dreama's wrong, the easy way to find out is check the nuts are all present and tightened when you arrive at the track, then check again just before you leave. If they work loose and go missing while the trailer is stationary, it's foul play.

[Moooools]

Come on guys, this is so easily explainable:

At a race meet you use gas. This makes your trailer lighter. Now the suspension has a specific spring constant, and deceasing the weight of the trailer increases the frequency of oscillation.
Taupo is near a Lake (I hear) so the moisture content of the air is much higher. This acts as a lubricant between the nuts and the wheels.

The higher frequency of the trailer is closer to that of the natural frequency of the wheel nuts, therefore decreasing the 'beat frequency' (resonance sort of) between them and vibrating them loose. And it only happens at Taupo because of the extra Lubrication.

Trust me, I'm an engineer.

[Shaun]

Come on guys, this is so easily explainable:

At a race meet you use gas. This makes your trailer lighter. Now the suspension has a specific spring constant, and deceasing the weight of the trailer increases the frequency of oscillation.
Taupo is near a Lake (I hear) so the moisture content of the air is much higher. This acts as a lubricant between the nuts and the wheels.

The higher frequency of the trailer is closer to that of the natural frequency of the wheel nuts, therefore decreasing the 'beat frequency' (resonance sort of) between them and vibrating them loose. And it only happens at Taupo because of the extra Lubrication.

Trust me, I'm an engineer.

Hahahahahaha The cheque is in the post for that info dude

[Deano]

Come on guys, this is so easily explainable:

At a race meet you use gas. This makes your trailer lighter. Now the suspension has a specific spring constant, and deceasing the weight of the trailer increases the frequency of oscillation.
Taupo is near a Lake (I hear) so the moisture content of the air is much higher. This acts as a lubricant between the nuts and the wheels.

The higher frequency of the trailer is closer to that of the natural frequency of the wheel nuts, therefore decreasing the 'beat frequency' (resonance sort of) between them and vibrating them loose. And it only happens at Taupo because of the extra Lubrication.

Trust me, I'm an engineer.

I love it when my nuts are oscillating at their natural frequency.

Makes me feel all gooey inside.

[Biggles08]

I love it when my nuts are oscillating at their natural frequency.

Makes me feel all gooey inside.

Wish I had some nuts to feel them oscillating...some bastard stole them

[Shaun]

Wish I had some nuts to feel them oscillating...some bastard stole them

New you were a BIATCH in disguise dude- et

[roadracingoldfart]

Nope...this trailer was not brand new and the nuts were removed off ALL four wheels exactly the same. Also on the other trailer Both sides were loose. Its no a coincidence...its wankers. I've had my suspension fucked with at the track too...all preload and compression wound all the way out!??! That shit don't happen by itself. Someone has an issue with me and can't come to my face and tell me about it.

These people are not too smart obviously so spread the word...they would have told someone something...we need to find them and stop them.

Wheels fall of new and old trailers Morris . Ive seen all sorts of loose wheel combos while working in transport inspecting as i do.

I don't believe its a racer or my competition...just someone who is regularly at race meetings...like a racers support crew or club members who have it in for me for some reason...who knows!?

You mean somebody thats at the track at the same time as your trailer is actually at the racetrack with you !!!

Unfortunately, I can believe what you are saying and if there is some nutter out there playing with people's gear then we need to find them before someone gets killed or seriously hurt. All it will take is for someone to bust them in the act and they are rooted so we all need to keep an eye out.

Maybe this should be mentioned at riders briefings to keep everyone alert?

Dan , keep an eye on ya gear all the time as its like a gas station forecourt to an asshole . Its just too tempting for them.

Thats is a very good idea. Sounds like someone is very jealous of the "haves". This prick needs to be found, and found pronto

It always was mentioned , you must remember that happening.

I have to say that as an engineer I've been reading these posts with a degree of mirth.
Misalignment is one of greatest causes of mechanical failure, and no matter how tight they are, nuts, bolts and studs will fail in that circumstance unless they are total overkill for the usage .... wheel studs are not overkill and in fact it can be argued that are inadequate for the job. Four or five 7/16 studs to hold wheels on heavily laden trailers is minimilisim at best, then add misalignment into the equation.
The taper on wheel nuts have to exactly match the taper on the wheels ... the slightest deviation will mean they will work loose in stressful circumstances and intrinsically, the loads placed on bike trailers is often different to many other loaded trailers because of the weight biases, creating the stressful scenario.

Whilst the malicious sabotage theory may be possible, I do find it a bit theatrical. A person or group lurking about the pits with a wheel brace randomly loosening wheels nuts, or targeting individual trailers ....... sorry, I don't buy it.
I've repaired way to many catastrophic trailer wheel failures on boat trailers laden with the holiday gear to succumb to the 'sky is falling' thing.

Well put.

If Dreama's right the easy way to eliminate any foul play, is to check before and immediately after each substantial trip.

Wash ya mouth out , plans are for pussys.

A) Invest in lock-nuts (or nuts with locks). (in your case chrome or anodized blingy ones are best used, or maybe those ones that shine bright pink at night)
B) Invest in thread locker Loctite
C) Drill and lockwire

Personally i have seen countless things like drainplugs, pinch bolts, brake caliper bolts, fork clamp bolts, axles either fall out , chains seperate, chain carriers fail or loossen to the point of a problem occuring. In 99% of cases it has been an issue of usually the owner (racer) not being the best of mechanics and not doing the job right. i include myself in that catagory.

However as most of us cannot justify carting around an A grade mechanic with us (unless our name is Shifrriffs, Stroud or Bugden) - then things like items A) B) & C) become more important "just in case"

Signed Glen "did i replace those R clips in my brake caliper pins ?" Williams.................... (no), followed by a lot of hurt :-)

Your worse than me ya shit stirrer. Blingy one's hahahaha .

Wish I had some nuts to feel them oscillating...some bastard stole them

I will check ya nuts and ya rims for you Morris , or just ask a clever person around you.


Ive seen many trailers with busted studs , loose or missing nuts , small cracks in the rims between stud holes. badly aligned wheels from manufacture or curb bashing !! there are just so many variables and as much as i agree there are wankers out there its not always the wankers fault.
I was reminded lately about a couple of dudes heading to the track and the trailer lost a wheel , so it does happen in that direction lol aye Mr Mair.??

[roadracingoldfart]

I hate you and think you are a poof.
Im just saying thats all

[White trash]

.
I was reminded lately about a couple of dudes heading to the track and the trailer lost a wheel , so it does happen in that direction lol aye Mr Mair.??

No I believe what happened to those two rookies was the trailer hitch broke off the drawbar. So the two muppets in question simply rode their race bikes to the track.