Please help, my Magna sits too low in rear suspension with 900kg in tow

[timddo]

MAte is that 900kg in two including trailer. If so your magna should do it fine. i towed a 4.85 trailcraft for 12months using a magna 99. Towed good. But now have sold the boat and going a little bigger. Tow vehicle is Vr commondore . Have upgraded it with king springs, poly bags, tranny cooler and new radiator.

Will be upgrading when minister gives me the node. But for now the car will do. P.S i only use the boat once a month or so. So in theory thats 12 times i drive the car a year ( not very much point buying a good car if its not getting used ) only for safety reasons.

Air bags cost $300. springs $140 , Installation aroudn $200 for the lot. Tranny cooler is $75.

i

[Dirtysanchez]

The vehicle is rated to 1500kg, I had one very similar, therefore the maximum towball down weight you can apply is 150kg (apparently)
I towed a Jayco Swan campervan with mine for 18 months and with the levellers it was OK, the swan when fully loaded up weight about 1200 kg. It answered back a bit around roundabouts, but thats about it. The 3.5 ltr engine handled it fine.

Front wheel drive is an advantage on some ramps at low tide too. Sounds to me like you need to sort out the suspension in the arse end a bit and you will be OK

Mind you, I ended up upgrading to a 4wd anyways, mainly coz I love driving on the beach, so now I take my campervan to beachy places

[baitable]

hi chris, firstly congrats on the boat!!!!! having towed the boat in question, i can make a reccommendation to leave the trailer as is. The boat tows very well and as you would have noticed by now, no speed wobbles. If your really concerned - go through your avenues discussed, also try offsetting the load in the boat to behind the axel. The old jeep should always be designated tow car. I also believe that the boat motor trailer combo is also somehere in the vicinity of 1200 kg +.

You main issue in all of this is safety especially stoppping power. Just use the jeep.

[1975fflh]

Mate

I have an old ford wagon I use to tow around a n old Coxcraft Rumrunner (see the avatar) The hulls about 500kgs the motor is 150 Kgs add the gear and 110 litrse of fuel the trailer etc. and comes close to 900kgs (The ex wife calls me a fat bastard, but i can loose my weight and no matter what she does she will still be ugly) anyway I fitted a set of Load Helpers, they cost about $120.00 and theyb are great but you need leaf springs on the rear.

They fit them to 4X4s as well .

I think you can get them for coils but they work a bit different. or an air bag will do the same.

[mirage]

Weight Distribution Bars for sale on #bay $80.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Weight-Distri...QQcmdZViewItem

[dnej]

Cj,
The lads have just about covered it all. I have a good friend in the trailer manufacturing industry,so he has been a great help to me, with the same issue.

The goose neck, to get it level is important,otherwise you get that flicking motion.
If the bathroom scales show up too much weight( More than say 90 kg),undo the axle shackles( dont remove) place two bricks on the ground,behind the wheels ,some short distance away, to run into.

Mark on the trailer how far you want to move the running gear forward, then back up the trailer at more than normal backing speed,until you hit the bricks.

Running into the bricks will move the running gear forward. A centimetre at a time,makes a big difference,so weigh again,after the first move. Repeat as necessary.
Once you get the trailer level,and weighted correctly,and you still have problems,you may have to do what I did ,and fit the air bags.
Boy what a huge arse difference that made.
Now I am straight and level,and weighed correctly,with good steering,and can zoom up the highway at 110,like everyone else.

Which ever way you go, as smithy says,you need to do something,however you need to pay for it.
David

[dnej]

PS mine was a wagon as well.
DaVid