Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

-----Original Message-----
From: L F [mailto:rocco16v@netzero.net] 
Sent: January 15, 2004 8:34 PM
To: Mark; 'Scirocco.Org'
Subject: Re: Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?

Coupla' things;
?
Since a dolly is really a four-wheeled trailer (with the car on it),
tongue weight would be inconsequential.? Don't worry about it.? (Look at
the big rigs with two trailers; the second trailer is a four-wheel and
it has zero tongue weight)
?
Second, if you bolt the wheels to the dolly (and don't lock down the
steering wheel), the WHEELS will take all the strain, not the steering
gear.??? 
(sounds like your problems are really non-existent!)
--------------------------


Here's where I still think there might be a problem:

In normal driving when you turn the steering wheel, the inside wheel
turns more than the outside, right?  Now lock both wheels in a straight
ahead position and "turn" the car behind them (as on a dolly, turning a
corner).  In this scenario the car is technically "turning" (if you
ignore the dolly beneath the car), but both wheels are locked to the
same angle.  My worry is that locking the wheels in a fixed position
could break something in the steering system since the inside wheel will
be prevented from turning more than the outside.

Thanks for the info on the tongue weight - I never thought about it that
way.  I think a bit of weight on the hitch would be good though...

Thanks!

Mark.
80 S
81 S  2.0 ABA/JH/4K
75    soon!


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