Screeching & grating noise from new friction pads

S2SAP
S2SAP Forum Participant Posts: 75
edited May 2017 in Caravans #1

Alko 3004 hitch.

I fully understand the contamination issue with alko friction pads. I didn't think my old set were contaminated as I am very careful with them and clean the tow ball before every coupling and then use brake cleaner on it.

But after they started squealing for no reason I decided I would change them, which I did. Cleaned the ball with some fine metal sand paper until the point it shone - sprayed it with brake cleaner, coupled the van up and headed off.......Squeal Squeak Grind!!!!

So I have 3 questions:-

(1) I didn't change the front and back plastic pads just the two side ones as I don't see how the plastic ones could become contaminated - should I have changed them as well?

(2) If there is no contamination what else could be causing this irritating grinding noise?

(3) If it is not contamination anybody any solutions to stop this noise?

 

Comments

  • stephen p
    stephen p Forum Participant Posts: 194
    100 Comments
    edited May 2017 #2

    Are you sure it is the pads.

    My journey sounds like that when SWMBO is with mewink

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #3

    It might be worth a quick call to Al-Ko's UK offices in Warwickshire. 

  • johnathome
    johnathome Forum Participant Posts: 101
    edited May 2017 #4

    I had this on my last trip out. I cleaned every thing thoroughly and still it made some awful sounds.

    i unhitched and wiped the ball with a clean rag,a far amount of dust appeared on the rag, hitched up again set alko stabiliser on and off a couple of times and tried wriggling the stabiliser side to side when hitched but in release position.

    hey presto when all reset to go silence.

    worth a try it worked for me.

  • Harris550
    Harris550 Forum Participant Posts: 31
    edited May 2017 #5

    I have recently had this problem with the Alko 3004 hitch also, I used an old rag to clean my tow ball prior to hitching and it has been ok since - Touch wood.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #6

    You could try cleaning the front and rear pads. They are a bit of a pain to remove and refit, so just reach inside with a cloth soaked in brake cleaner.

    I do sometimes wonder if, when everything is clean and dry, whether this itself could cause the screeching. Imagine a perfectly clean and dry metal ball rubbing against a perfectly clean and dry plastic pad. A bit like rubbing the side of a balloon with your hands.

    Just a thought and something that I wonder about when I've done the same as the op and still it screeches.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #7

    Repeated comment removed due to useless software.

  • KenofKent
    KenofKent Forum Participant Posts: 209
    100 Comments
    edited May 2017 #8

    S2SAP, Do you think it could be nose weight? It did affect a previous caravan I had even though I too cleaned the pads.

    Ken

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,690 ✭✭✭
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited May 2017 #9

    Ian - I'm also coming to the same conclusion.  I always clean the tow ball with a fine sanding block and then wipe it with a rag.  However, I recently saw some spray stuff in a caravan dealers - designed to clean the tow ball and pads and started to use it after sanding the tow ball as usual.  Guess what - I now get that annoying squeaking at every bump and turn and I'm convinced it's because everything is 'too' clean - if that's possible. It seems to get worse the further we travel which I assume is due to everything warming up and causing even more friction.  I just do my best to ignore it but it is annoying.

  • crusader
    crusader Forum Participant Posts: 299
    100 Comments
    edited May 2017 #10

    Alko and Winterhof both say that you may get squeaking from the pads I had the same problem on my old van my service guy changed the pads 3 times but it didn't help, I the end I gave up and changed the van lol But have you any paint on the tow ball and is tow ball a Alko style tow ball ?

  • S2SAP
    S2SAP Forum Participant Posts: 75
    edited May 2017 #11

    UPDATE

    Spoke to alko who said it's unlikely the front and rear pads could cause the noise but clean them too and see if it helps .... it didn't.

    So after listening to the noise all the way to this weekends destination I met up with a friend who had the exact same problem on a new van with an alko 3004 hitch.

    He said he has given up changing and cleaning pads as it makes no difference ....he just throws some water over the tow ball and up into the hitch area where the pads are before coupling and it claimed it works every time.

    I tried it on leaving the site today and had such a quiet journey home I almost nodded offsurprised

    Anybody???????

Categories