Busted Shock & Mystery Brake Ping

[technomadia]

After a bit over two weeks paused in Orlando, we got back on the road today... Only to discover something troubling when we stopped for the night at Manatee Springs State Park.

 

While settling into our trailer, I realized I could hear a faint ping repeating every regularly every few seconds coming from underneath the trailer. At first I thought it might be the jacks settling (we have heard that before), but sticking my head into the space under the seat, and then crawling under the trailer outside - I ruled the jacks out.

 

As best as I can tell, the noise was coming from inside the trailer brakes. Potentially on both sides - it is really hard to tell exactly where the source direction is.

 

This is a sound we have not heard before.

 

We had left our truck plugged in to the trailer. The truck at this time was off an locked. But interestingly, when we unplugged the cable between the truck and trailer, the pinging stopped. Hmmmm.... Grounding issue?!? Something else? This is a total mystery to me.

 

Likely unrelated, but potentially even more unfortunate.... While crawling under our Oliver looking for the pinging noise, I discovered that the bottom attachment bolts of the rear right trailer shock was gone, and the shock itself had come lose from the attachment location and was wedged tight not in the hole, but against the spring. *ugh*

 

It looks like a the shock is a Monroe 555001. Can I just replace the attachment bolts, or should I get a new shock? How hard is this going to be to fix? Advice on handling this, and preventing this from happening again, are much appreciated.

 

*ugh*

 

Thanks for the collective wisdom,

 

- Chris

[mountainborn]

After a bit over two weeks paused in Orlando, we got back on the road today... Only to discover something troubling when we stopped for the night at Manatee Springs State Park.

 

While settling into our trailer, I realized I could hear a faint ping repeating every regularly every few seconds coming from underneath the trailer. At first I thought it might be the jacks settling (we have heard that before), but sticking my head into the space under the seat, and then crawling under the trailer outside - I ruled the jacks out.

 

As best as I can tell, the noise was coming from inside the trailer breaks. Potentially on both sides - it is really hard to tell exactly where the source direction is.

 

This is a sound we have not heard before.

 

We had left our truck plugged in to the trailer. The truck at this time was off an locked. But interestingly, when we unplugged the cable between the truck and trailer, the pinging stopped. Hmmmm.... Grounding issue?!? Something else? This is a total mystery to me.

>

My guess is that your brake controller is sending it's periodic system check signal to the trailer's brakes to make sure they are connected and not shorted or anything. Our Tekonsha gives a readout on the controller's digital display to show that the trailer is connected and the system has been checked and is normal. It also reads ".C." each time the key is turned on.

>

Likely unrelated, but potentially even more unfortunate.... While crawling under our Oliver looking for the pinging noise, I discovered that the bottom attachment bolts of the rear right trailer shock was gone, and the shock itself had come lose from the attachment location and was wedged tight not in the hole, but against the spring. *ugh*

>

If the shaft in the shock isn't bent and the threads are ok, then the rubber bushings, washers and nut can be replaced. They are readily available at most garages.

>

It looks like a the shock is a Monroe 555001. Can I just replace the attachment bolts, or should I get a new shock? How hard is this going to be to fix? Advice on handling this, and preventing this from happening again, are much appreciated.

>

Routine checking of the tightness without a torque wrench can be done by giving a sharp rap to the nut, to see if it "sounds tight or loose".

 

*ugh*

 

Thanks for the collective wisdom,

 

- Chris

[andrew]

Mountainborn had some good thoughts on the shock, I would say if anything was broken with the shock, it would be visible, so all you should need is a new bolt.

 

As far as the "pinging" sound, I have heard something similar when the brakes are engaged, but I haven't listened at other times with the TV connected. I can try hooking up the truck today and listening in different situations and see if I can reproduce so we can decide if it is "normal"

 

Which brake controller do you have in the new truck?

[davide]

I had a similar occurrence with one of my shocks when the lower nut loosened and fell off. The lower mounting bolt came out of the mounting plate and just hung there. There was no apparent damage to the shock itself and we drove several hundred miles with only three without problem. If fact I could not tell the difference.

 

You can purchase a mounting kit, Monroe part no. P1134, which includes the upper and lower bushings and the nut, for about $1.75. In this area O' Reilly Autoparts is a Monroe distributor but they had to order them and shipping is not include in the price. I purchased two sets.

 

Replacement is straight forward. The shock compresses quite easily, In my case neither of the brackets were damaged, and I used loctite on the thread when replacing the nut.

 

Hope this helps,

 

David E

[technomadia]

Which brake controller do you have in the new truck?

 

The Prodigy.

 

My guess is that it was the brake controller's test circuit as well - somehow yesterday it was just refusing to shut off. Tonight it seems fine, though there is so much ambient noise here at the Walmart we have picked for the night that perhaps I just can't hear it.

 

- Chris

[andrew]

I did just want to add, that I hooked up Rdiculs to the Oliver and didn't get any pinging trying anything I could think of.

 

Wayne suggested if you had recently stopped that it could have been the sound of the brakes cooling, but that didn't make sense since it stopped when you disconnected the truck. Did it start again when you hooked the truck back up? If not perhaps it had just cooled enough and the fact that you unhooked the truck was just a coincidence?