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Pulling trailer full of kids tonight?

1501 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  okbear
I am pulling my tandon axle 14 foot trailer tonight with my ?16 Grizzly for the first year. The trailer alone weighs a good bit, which will also have two to three adults (150lbs each) and about 14 kids on and off (70-140lbs each) thru a Subdivision for a couple of hours, some hills.
Will this Ultramatic transmission be okay? It?s all still stock.
I pulled the same trailer and amount of kids last year with my ?87 Foreman with no issues. Seems I wouldn?t be concerned at all with a new 708cc but I am since one was built like a tank and foot shift and this one is a belt.
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You should be okay. Stay in low. Avoid really tight turns with a bunch of tongue weight. It puts a lot of stress on the rear end and axles. Keep it under 50. lol
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I know I am late to the party here but I'll add to it anyway.

You will be fine towing that trailer. These bikes will pull way more weight than the manufacturer states. The Ultramatic will handle whatever the Foreman geared transmission will handle because it's the wet clutch that slips (not the belt), which is the same clutch that will slip in the Foreman. This is what makes the Yamaha Ultramatic transmission the most reliable automotic transmission in the industry....bar none.
Okay well it sounded as struggling bad the whole time. Never not once went over 5 mph. The problem is as soon as we we got one house away from being back the back it made a loud noise and ?dropped? is the best I can describe, it sat so low in the back I had a hard time getting the trailer jack to turn to take it off. Once I did the 4wheeler looks as the front is at a 20 degree sloop up from the back.
What the hell is messed up with it? Just the shocks or what?
I?ve lifted the back I hopes the independent suspension would come up making it level. It did about half, but sinks back down to 10 to 15 degrees still up in the front. Doesn?t look like axle is broken that I can see. I will take it in the morning to Yamaha shop. Still under warranty but I don?t want on going problems at all. I have been so proud of finally being able to buy myself something besides always spending money on kids and others, I want this back like new or better.
Thanks guys, any comments or advice greatly appreciated.
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Didn?t mean ?axle? but whatever the metal rods or anything for the independent suspension, I?m just really upset right now, pretty pissed actually for me even being told to do this when my own son wasn?t even trick or treating bc he is 13 now and supposedly too cool!
Geez man. Sounds like a broken shock spring potentially. How much tongue weight did you have on the thing?
oh man not good hope you get it sorted out
can you post some pics to help ?
Had a similar thing happen to my 660, a rather large elk on the back and front up a steep rocky trail that I have hauled out elk before, it started dragging and bottoming out. It had never done that before. I could never find the cause as was thinking some welding might be in order, did put the shocks to full stiffness afterwards but hated not finding what was occurring. It was overloaded but this time it did something. I depend on the ATV for the property and use as a utility.
A 2017 now sits in the shed.
Wow, "Trick or Treat". Seems you didn't get the treat...

Hoping a simple fix with minimal replacement parts cost...
Dang... I'm too late to tell you but that's way too much tongue weight for your Grizzly. Good luck.
Sorry to hear that! I’ve pulled my 16’ around my old neighborhood in order to get it facing the right way to hook up. We lived in culdesac with a center median so that involved a trip around the block if I wanted to avoid reversing. It squated the rear end a lot but never I had any trouble or broke anything on my 10 or 14. I hope ya get it back quick!
Okay well it sounded as struggling bad the whole time. Never not once went over 5 mph. The problem is as soon as we we got one house away from being back the back it made a loud noise and ?dropped? is the best I can describe, it sat so low in the back I had a hard time getting the trailer jack to turn to take it off. Once I did the 4wheeler looks as the front is at a 20 degree sloop up from the back.
What the hell is messed up with it? Just the shocks or what?
I?ve lifted the back I hopes the independent suspension would come up making it level. It did about half, but sinks back down to 10 to 15 degrees still up in the front. Doesn?t look like axle is broken that I can see. I will take it in the morning to Yamaha shop. Still under warranty but I don?t want on going problems at all. I have been so proud of finally being able to buy myself something besides always spending money on kids and others, I want this back like new or better.
Thanks guys, any comments or advice greatly appreciated.
It sounds like you had too much tongue weight and broke a shock or shock mount. There is a difference between towing weight and tongue weight.
This is where a SRA (solid rear axle) suspension has a advantage over an IRS setup. With the SRA, all the weight rides on the axle carrier. The suspension is not effected. With the IRS, the suspension and frame carries all the weight. This causes the back to sink and the front to rise. All IRS bikes do this.
So I had someone else whose kind of a machanic check it besides me, and does not see any damage to any parts where stress on parts and bends caused any damage. I took it for my first real ride today since besides the neighborhood after Halloween night. Today at my camp after my son I hunted this morning we rode 15 miles and couldn?t tell any difference, it still seems it sits lower to me in the back than it did, and while my friend said it shouldn?t of lowered the way it did that night nor could the explanation be it?s just the shocks given out but plausible we couldn?t tell for sure.
So now my question is, ?is this a good reason now to buy some Elka shocks??
Ha, I?m thinking if I have an 80% recommendation from you guys, I can justify with the wife, the reasoning, haha!
Oh, and imput now on wherther all stage 3 on front of back or stage four on back and 3 on front, etc. now would be the best time for justification!
Hmmmm,
How can we justify new shocks to the wife when you hunted off it and drove it that many miles?
She may come back with 'just put used shocks on the back' and find you a couple old $20 Bronco brand shocks on flee-bay for Christmas.
You may have better luck buying 'her' a set of Elka's for Christmas. Good Luck with that!
Maybe you need a couple more Gold Stars in your account.
Uh....... Yea!!!
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