Power steering noise - do I need a WDH?

[Bryan L.]

Went for a little weekend jaunt with my 16' Scamp and noticed my power steering making a lot of groaning and whirring noises when hooked up to the trailer. On the way to the CG it was noisier and I think it is because I had more stuff in the trailer than usual. On the way home I put more of the items in the van and it was much quieter but it still made some noise. I pull it with a Town and Country van with the factory-installed towing package - giving it a towing capacity of 3500 pounds. It also has self-leveling suspension. Do you think I am in need of a WDH such as this one?

http://www.etrailer.com/p-3205.htm

A question on these WDH systems - Is it adjustable for height? Right now I have a about a 5 inch rise for my ball height. Do these accommodate different heights?

[floyd]

Went for a little weekend jaunt with my 16' Scamp and noticed my power steering making a lot of groaning and whirring noises when hooked up to the trailer. On the way to the CG it was noisier and I think it is because I had more stuff in the trailer than usual. On the way home I put more of the items in the van and it was much quieter but it still made some noise. I pull it with a Town and Country van with the factory-installed towing package - giving it a towing capacity of 3500 pounds. It also has self-leveling suspension. Do you think I am in need of a WDH such as this one?

http://www.etrailer.com/p-3205.htm

A question on these WDH systems - Is it adjustable for height? Right now I have a about a 5 inch rise for my ball height. Do these accommodate different heights?

My guess is that what you are hearing is not the power steering pump , but rather the motor/pump for the self leveling system, It is practically impossible for the trailer to affect the power steering unless the same pump were being used to run the leveling system which I am pretty certain that it is not.

[Bryan L.]

I'm almost positive that it's a power steering noise. I can stop at a light and move the wheel back and forth and replicate the sound all day long. What I'm wondering is if I am taking too much weight off of the front wheels and it is causing the noise necessitating a WDH hitch.

[CD Smith]

What I'm wondering is if I am taking too much weight off of the front wheels and it is causing the noise necessitating a WDH hitch.

Bryan, the answer is yes.

[Casita Greg]

Have you checked your power steering fluid level? Sometimes when its low, they will make some noise.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I pull it with a Town and Country van...
Do you think I am in need of a WDH such as this one?

http://www.etrailer.com/p-3205.htm

Your van is front wheel drive, so you do need a Weight Distributing Hitch. Yes, the one you link to is height adjustable.

[Bryan L.]

The PS fluid level was fine. I forgot to mention that my van is AWD. I still need that WDH though, don't I? The transmission noise was fairly loud on the trip down when the PS noise was loud too. It lessened on the trip home with the load balanced out better. Thanks for clarifying the height adjustability.

[Bill MacDermod]

Bryan, you just confused me, in the 1st post you said Power steering and in your last post you said transmission, was it both??

I tow with an Odyssey and I installed a transmission cooler and a power steering cooler, the latter is recommended for a front wheel drive with a wdh as the wdh will throw a bit more weight onto the front wheels

[Bryan L.]

It was both. I mentioned the tranny noise in my last post since I had forgotten to mention that it was AWD and that jogged my memory that the ride home was quieter with less tranny noise. It wasn't a crazy-loud noise from the rear, just loud-ER. I'll have to look in to the PS cooler although this is starting to get expensive!