I hate towing with my new truck, Why? - Diesel Forum

DSBlack · 08-11-2007, 04:37 PM

I moved from a 90 f-350 dually, to an 04 srw short bed. Both are diesel crew cabs.

the 90 was stuck at stock tires. But the new truck has this big 315-17's on it. How will that affect the stability when towing? What can I do to fix it? Trailer sway, and the bouncing after bumps in the road are driving me crazy.

Or will I have to deal with it until I can go back to DRW??

Love the power of the new truck, but this is driving me to quickly hate it. It was bought for towing, and in kind of an emergency situation.

thanks
Doug

bigdawgkp · 08-11-2007, 06:24 PM

What rating of tire do you have on the SRW? Sounds like a "D" rated tire with sloppy sidewalls. Recommend you go get you some "E" rated tires if you plan on keeping the SRW. I do not think a whole lot of tire manuf made a 315 in a 17 inch rated "E" tire in 04. Most tires of that size were all "D" rated. You will be surprised at the difference in the control. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]

MOUNTAINMAN444 · 08-11-2007, 06:25 PM

You've gone from a very stable platform to about the most unstable one you could have. You have a jacked up, big tired, short wheel base truck. The SRW doesn't help a lot either. You could lower the truck and go back to stock tires but just as bad, IMHO, is the short wheel base. It being a crew cab helps you out a little but won't make up for the tires and lift. I think you just have to get accustomed to the different truck and the way it handles unless you want to spend a lot of money on it.
Joe

Sparkydm · 08-11-2007, 08:11 PM

I pull 12,500 lbs. with a CC srw swb truck. It's rock solid
behind the truck. But, it's a triple axle trailer. Even when
I've blow the rear tire it still hangs in there so, I've been
very happy with mine. The srw truck is much easier around town
and still handles the load just fine. I'd check into the
tongue weight of your trailer. It might be a little light. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

DSBlack · 08-11-2007, 09:17 PM

I do have D rated tires. and they have huge sidewalls, So if I went to a larger rim, and lowered the sidewall and went to load range E. How much would that help? and where can I find that kind of info,

thanks
Doug

SmokeyWren · 08-11-2007, 10:01 PM

Well, MOUNTAINMAN444 beat up on you pretty bad, but let me join the frey.

Your daddy should have explained to you that a good towing machine makes a terrible commuter car. And a good commuter car makes a terrible towing machine. And a Saturday Night Special LOOK AT ME! pickup with a lift and big tires makes both a terrible commuter car as well as a terrible towing machine.

So you did it to yourself.

How to fix it without losing the "Look At Me" mods?

Assuming your trailer is a TT, then the first fix is your hitch. You need a Hensley Arrow hitch, properly set up so that the trailer is level front to rear when hooked up per the Hensley instructions. www.nosway.com

Next, when towing, you need to pump up the rear tires on the tow vehicle to the max PSI on the sidewall. Also pump up the trailer tires to the max PSI on the sidewall. The front tires of the tow vehicle should be pumped up enough to at least comply with the load/inflation table for that size tire, but nothing wrong with pumping them up to the max, too.

That should do it. That's about the best compromise you're going to get without junking the "Look At Me!" mods.

I don't buy the theory that load range D tires are not good for towing. If they have enough weight capacity to handle the wet and loaded GVW of the tow vehicle, they're fine. I wore out two sets of oversize load range D tires, mostly towing coast to coast, with no problems of sway or mushiness feeling. But you do need to pump them up to the max on the sidewall when towing heavy.

Yes, the Hensley Arrow in an expensive bugger. But so was your "Look At Me" mods, so I don't want to hear it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

BTW, next time you're in Camas, look up my niece, Dr. Allison Wren Higgins. She's a real sweetheart if you happen to need an ob/gyn doc. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]

Clevelandjim · 08-11-2007, 11:34 PM

1) The Hensley will stop the trailer sway.

2) If you don't have a rear sway bar, get one as big a one as you can.

3) I have the Rancho 9000 Adjustable shocks that can be turned up to a very firm ride helping your commuter vehicle be your tow vehicle. I would look into Pro-Comp adjustable shocks instead of Rancho's though. The are probably better shocks for about the same price.

4) I'd still rather have load range E's at 80 psi over load range D's at 65 psi. With load range D trailer tires, they can be filled to 75 psi or 10 lbs ove their stated max psi. I wonder if that works for truck tires???

kevinj1 · 08-11-2007, 11:42 PM

The first time I towed my trailer(see sig.) I was white knuckled the whole way. the trailer was swaying the truck from one lane to the other.
I have load range D tires. What I did was inflated all the tires to the max on the side wall(65 psi), and installed Reese weight dist. dual cam sway control. now I can tow comfortably. I drove into a storm last week 20-30 mph cross wind did not upset the truck or trailer. and the reese prod. are $10%$ of the hensley arrow. if I was towing across crountry alot I would buy the arrow.

DSBlack · 08-12-2007, 04:51 PM

Ok, OK, beat at will. A little about getting the truck, The old one blew its trans for the 5th time 1000+ miles from home, It was this or a gasser at the local place. Have a friend there that got me a good deal, but could not get the gasser, maybe I should have, but I love the diesel truck in general.

So, I have what I have. It is the truck that sits at home, and pulls the TT. not my commuter. have been contemplating how to fix this, even including trading in the truck. But my family likes it (I think they are tired of the old one always breaking). I have read about the Hensley, but it is out of my budget. Thought about the Reese system instead of the standard thing I have now.

So if I change wheels and tires, leave the lift, will that help? more narrow tire, shorter sidewall, and bigger wheel? Would that help to stabilize it? or do I just live with it? Changing the tires and wheels is coming, because those wheels rub under the truck. If I go a little narrower that would also fix that. Do not know If I can do that with the same wheels though?

thanks

85351ho · 08-12-2007, 08:25 PM

Why not go to a few 4x4 shops and see if youu can find the stock suspension parts and lower the truck back down to stock?

arisley · 08-12-2007, 11:27 PM

You might even find someone on this site willing to do some swapping.

suv7734 · 08-12-2007, 11:44 PM

Doug,

Exactly what tires do you have on the new rig (Goodrich etc)? Do you have the same ball mount as the old rig (not dropped any further)? IE what is your present ball height? What type of sway control are you using now (if any)? What type of lift was installed on the truck?
Just trying to get some ideas because there should be no reason you can't make this work. The shorter wheelbase will cause some difference but it sounds like there's a lot more going on.

Bruce

mrnecsteve · 08-13-2007, 03:16 AM

The lift and tires has worked against your towing capabilities big time.By having the lift ,lateral stability is affected.
By having larger than stock tires you have increased your gearing ratio by about 8-9 percent. This reduces torque in two ways. First your entire power band has shifted as seen at the rear wheels. Second through the entire shifting and running speeds,you have decreased the max turbo output at any given speed because the engine rotates slower ,the engine pumps out less exhaust volume and in turn reduces the maximum boost. If you dont want to undo the lift..you should consider regearing the differential.
The SRW has plenty of stability if you use load range E tires and keep them inflated to what they are supposed to be. You dont specify anything about what you are towing ?

6SPDMANUAL · 08-13-2007, 01:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You've gone from a very stable platform to about the most unstable one you could have. You have a jacked up, big tired, short wheel base truck. The SRW doesn't help a lot either. You could lower the truck and go back to stock tires but just as bad, IMHO, is the short wheel base. It being a crew cab helps you out a little but won't make up for the tires and lift. I think you just have to get accustomed to the different truck and the way it handles unless you want to spend a lot of money on it.
Joe

[/ QUOTE ]

I SECOND THIS!!! VERY WELL PUT.
shorty, jacked up, large tires are not what you need, or should have bought.

DSBlack · 08-13-2007, 01:53 PM

I understand that this is not the best, or what I should have bought. But there were not a lot of choices. I miss my long bed dually, but It was a decision to get us home.

I thought that I could make it work, There are a lot of them out there towing a lot of things!

SUV7734
I am running BFG 315/70R17 the lift is a 3" block under the rear springs, and an extension on the front shackle. I run no sway control at the moment. Did not need it with the other truck. I just bought a reeses friction control, but have not installed it, hoping for better affordable suggestions, I do not have the $$ for a Hensley.
And I am towing my TT in sig. Dry wt of 7700.