When the shake comes from behind you
A vibration that only shows up while towing is easy to blame on the tow vehicle. Sometimes it is coming from the trailer.
An out-of-balance trailer tire shakes the trailer, and the trailer is connected to the vehicle through the hitch. At road speed, that shake travels forward and arrives in the seat or the floor of the vehicle as a steady vibration, which is why so many drivers end up having their own tires balanced and find nothing changed.
The test is simple.
Drive the same road at the same speed, without the trailer. If the vibration is gone, the vehicle is not the source.
Watch the trailer in the mirrors on a smooth stretch. A wheel that is out of balance sometimes shows as a visible bounce on one side.
Look at the trailer tires themselves. A flat spot from a trailer that sat loaded all winter, a missing wheel weight, or a tire that has never been balanced at all are all common on trailers that are only used in season.
Getting it sorted
Bring the trailer in with the vehicle where you can, so the whole rig can be looked at in one visit. Trailer tires are carried here, and so are passenger, light truck and UTV and ATV tires.
A pull rather than a shake points to alignment on the tow vehicle, and clunks point to suspension repair, both here. The national tire and wheel balancing page covers the other occasions worth asking for a balance.
Other stores nearby
Springfield and Washington also balance tires and wheels in Missouri.
About this store
The Osage Beach store carries eight of the nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Brett Turner.
See the national tire and wheel balancing page for all 51 locations.