Towing a big box and controlling SWAY

[Sterling6.7]

The lighter rated tires are going to move around more than higher rated tires due to the construction. I would suggest trying to swap with someone that has a 10-ply tire in a close to stock size. It will bring you to a base line, at the very least. I experienced this hauling hay on trailers with 35/12.50 BFGs 8-ply tires on my '77. Huge difference going to a higher rated tire. The hitch will help, but if the truck is sitting on sponges, it will still sway. Street tires don't have the sidewall construction of the heavier rated ties.

 

[dsmracing1]

The lighter rated tires are going to move around more than higher rated tires due to the construction. I would suggest trying to swap with someone that has a 10-ply tire in a close to stock size. It will bring you to a base line, at the very least. I experienced this hauling hay on trailers with 35/12.50 BFGs 8-ply tires on my '77. Huge difference going to a higher rated tire. The hitch will help, but if the truck is sitting on sponges, it will still sway. Street tires don't have the sidewall construction of the heavier rated ties.

Sterling makes a very valid point. Those 22 inch rim and tire combo could very well be the underlying issue. I had an 07 tundra sitting on 22's with low profile tires and they made the truck sway away all over the place when towing. Put my stock wheels on with a regular all terrain tire and it was a night and day difference. These tires for the 22's quite possibly aren't rated or probably aren't recommended for towing.

 

[TrickTruck]

I've heard that to hook up the Hensley that you have to stab the tounge into your receiver. True? And if you are going downhill it can unlock and sway like hell.

 

[TrickTruck]

Nitto Terra Grappler G2
LT325/50R22 E 122S 215330 17.0 34.84 13.23 9.0-(10.0)-12.0 3305 @ 65
LT Tires with an "E" load range have a 10-ply rating.

I'm in spec across the board and have 10ply rated tires.

 

[Jason]

I've ran e-rated tires that handle like hell, and e-rated tires that were rock solid. The best towing tires I have ever ran were 275/65/20 michelin ltx's. My pro-comps were e-rated, and had a higher weight rating than nitto's "e rated tire", and they towed ok. But nothing like the michelins.

 

[Jason]

The michelins were 3750/tire. Had to look that back up.

 

[dsmracing1]

Nitto Terra Grappler G2
LT325/50R22 E 122S21533017.034.8413.239.0-(10.0)-12.03305@65
LT Tires with an "E" load range have a 10-ply rating.

I'm in spec across the board and have 10ply rated tires.

Not sure what to say then. I haul a 36ft heavy mother trucker work trailer and my 32ft toy hauler and have no issues with my 35x12.50x20 MT 10 ply's on my F350. I do find with too much air in the bags you will create sway from not having enough weight on the rear leafs. Maybe try and drop your bags to 50psi? I run the blue ox brand sway pro hitch setup and love it...

 

[Blue Line Fab]

I've heard that to hook up the Hensley that you have to stab the tounge into your receiver. True? And if you are going downhill it can unlock and sway like hell.

The receiver has four wedges on it to self centre, so yes true.
There is no way for the mechanical part of the hitch to unhook, if anything the trailer will be pushing the truck down a hill and the force should reduce the possibility of trailer sway.

 

[14ccd]

I would agree with others who have said your hitch is set up wrong. The trailer must be towed level and the truck should be as level as possible. If i read correctly you now have air bags so put 40 psi of air in the bags with the trailer unhitched, then hitch it up and take note of how level the trailer is, if it's not level then make adjustments either in air bag pressure on by adjusting the hitch head. Now I had major issues with my SRW when I had Nittos on it, it's a soft tire and I had white knuckle adventures like you did. When I got home I bought Cooper AT3 and never had sway issues again, I sold the Nittos with only 600 miles on them. So set up the hitch correctly and if the issue still exists, it's the tires.

 

[pullinweight]

We manufacture flat deck trailers, when we ship loads with 30' bumper hitch trailers (which no one likes to tow), we take a dually. If it's a long trailer it really needs to be a Gooseneck 5th wheel trailer.


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[Bartman]

Nitto Terra Grappler G2
LT325/50R22 E 122S 215330 17.0 34.84 13.23 9.0-(10.0)-12.0 3305 @ 65
LT Tires with an "E" load range have a 10-ply rating.

I'm in spec across the board and have 10ply rated tires.

How many plys in the sidewall? I ran some Terra Grapplers that were also "within spec" and their two ply sidewall made them squirrely compared to what I replaced. And I was running empty. They are great tires but are not as sure footed as others out there.

 

[TrickTruck]

I know, big trailer for a bumper pull. Heavy, lot of side 'sail' area. Just couldn't convince myself to remove the cap and lift a 300lb 5th wheel into the back of my truck every time I wanted to tow. Maybe made a mistake...

Anyway, hitch...will work on setting this up again.

Bags, OK, will reduce the pressure a little and see what happens. But at 70psi w/ everything hooked up it's fairly level. Trailer was 1/2" higher at the nose than the tail - pretty level.

Tires. As I said above, I'm in spec. Also have tested a set of BFGs on 20s and in comparison the BFGs were horrible boating. Truck felt very loose. Granted that was empty and not towing the trailer. I don't think anyone makes a 35" on 22" with a higher rating than Nitto. They are all in the same range so for me to change to higher rated tires I'd have to go with a different wheel

 

[Bartman]

I know, big trailer for a bumper pull. Heavy, lot of side 'sail' area. Just couldn't convince myself to remove the cap and lift a 300lb 5th wheel into the back of my truck every time I wanted to tow. Maybe made a mistake...

Anyway, hitch...will work on setting this up again.

Bags, OK, will reduce the pressure a little and see what happens. But at 70psi w/ everything hooked up it's fairly level. Trailer was 1/2" higher at the nose than the tail - pretty level.

Tires. As I said above, I'm in spec. Also have tested a set of BFGs on 20s and in comparison the BFGs were horrible boating. Truck felt very loose. Granted that was empty and not towing the trailer. I don't think anyone makes a 35" on 22" with a higher rating than Nitto. They are all in the same range so for me to change to higher rated tires I'd have to go with a different wheel

Any chance you can swap wheels with someone sitting on stockers just as a quick test? Just to know for sure.

 

[TrickTruck]

Only person I could do that with is my buddy with those ****ty BFGs. No point in even going there.

 

[Bartman]

Only person I could do that with is my buddy with those ****ty BFGs. No point in even going there.

10-4

 

[lincolnlocker]

i think one of the guys from absolute performance mentioned going to a hellwig sway bar do to the same issues.. dont remember if it was mentioned but are all of your tires aired to the max pressure rating on the tire, not truck?


i honestly have never been a fan of bags myself. i always added more leafs to combat heavy loads and when i discovered the timbren style of bumps i got firestones version and made my own mount.. i can haul my dually at any speeds, even around curves and it doesn't rock/sway to any side at all.. my brother was riding to a pull with me once(its his gooseneck) and was freekin out.. we where runnin late and i was flyin.. he was grabing the "oh chit" handles and all.. i just looked at him and lol.. leaned on her a lil more and said she would take it..

i do understand a heavy bumper pull is harder to setup but you shouldn't be having these issues.. you mentioned traction bars, i could see that helping a lil but a good set will still alow articulation but if you get sway even going straight down the road it should help. curves, prolly not a lot.. just not sure if the cost to effectiveness would be worth it.. might try the hellwig sway bar first..

live life full throttle

 

[TrickTruck]

My tires are at 65 psi which is max for the tires.

What it 'feels' like is that the ass end of the truck is getting pushed around.

Dono.

Maybe the hitch needs a complete new setup now that the bags are picking the truck up some. Maybe more tilt on the head to put more load on the levelers. Or maybe someone who just has more experience setting it up vs reading the instructions. I'm pretty good at noodling things out, but this one is kinda a PITA. Hardest part is finding a straight bit of road to adjust it when traveling. I'm just not going to pull over on the highway and do it on the side of the road.

Or maybe sway bars and traction bars.

I'm getting married in July and don't have any trips with the toyhauler scheduled until after that. No point in hooking it up for a test pull w/o a bunch of toys loaded in the back.

Also, want to get my EGT's down some so that's $2k in parts I'm going to add. Biz is struggling and funds are tight w/ everything we are spending on the wedding too.

 

[Twan]

I didn't read all the comments, little over half.

I took the sway bars off my trucks, didn't notice a difference. The biggest thing that helped with my dually pulling was setting the height of the trailer. My tool trailer likes to be flat to a hair low in the front. Pulls like a dream. Raise or lower it a inch and it will start to sway in the wind or when passing a semi.

Also you can get a sway/ friction bar for the trailer to truck. I have one buddy that runs two of them when he pulls his trailer like yours. Said it made all the difference.

 

[TrickTruck]

I've read that the friction sway control is useless on something this size (34' box & 16klbs.) Dealer ordered one and returned it w/o trying it.

 

[Twan]

They are only $60. I would try 2 of them. My buddy had a 35' bumper pull camper and they pulled it around Colorado and he said with the two on it it pulled great.

I used one on my tool trailer it is 28' and 8-10k.

You just got to take them off to make sharp turns.