Towing a big box and controlling SWAY

Twan · Jun 12, 2015

For years I always thought that they were a joke. Finally decided I would try one. I was shocked at how much it helped. When set up right it was almost like the trailer and truck were 1.

I can see why people use them on the Rvs now. There is no way to load them perfectly. Even now that I have my new tool trailer loaded right, it still has a little sway. Very little but it's still got some. With the sway bar on before it took all the sway out.

Jomax · Jun 12, 2015

TrickTruck said:
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

Make the nose lower. My old 30ft toyhauler liked to be tongue heavy a bit. I has the front lower than the rear a bit.

Being your trailer is 1 in higher in the front. Make it lower 1in. Doesn't hurt to try.

Also those sway friction bars do work...
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TrickTruck · Jun 12, 2015

OK, will try that next time out. Bit of a pita to do since the head has to be moved down to do that and the 'shim' was too thick and had to be pounded in.

14ccd · Jun 12, 2015

I would not recommend lowering the front of the trailer so that the front is low. When the trailer is level, all four tires have equal braking. When you lower the front of the trailer, the front axle is doing most of the braking and the rear axle can very easily lock up and cause less braking.
As I read through this thread again, I notice that your tires can only be aired up to 65psi, telling me that you have load range D tires, I would highly recommend load range E tires that can be aired up to 80psi, I am convinced it's your tires that are the issue.

Akk110 · Jun 12, 2015

Flat trailers, only way to go. Dangerous to do anything other than that. Guaranteed its your tires! I put fancy boots on 35's... Garbage! Back to the stockers, all is fine. If you can only do 65 psi you're running junk. Just saying, 85psi for my true "e" rated tires.

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dsmracing1 · Jun 12, 2015

Akk110 said:
Flat trailers, only way to go. Dangerous to do anything other than that. Guaranteed its your tires! I put fancy boots on 35's... Garbage! Back to the stockers, all is fine. If you can only do 65 psi you're running junk. Just saying, 85psi for my true "e" rated tires.

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It's most likely a combo of things with my experience of hauling trailers. Probably a little too much in the air bags for sure, tires quite possibly too. It took me a long time to figure out the way my toy hauler liked to be setup. To go out and say any tire with a 65 psi rating is junk is out to lunch though lol. 99% of 35x12.50R20 tires are rates at 65 max. Has nothing to do with the tire just that there is less surface area of actual tire so it doesn't need as much air to maintain ground pressure.

TrickTruck · Jun 13, 2015

I agree. 65psi on a wider tire is nearly equivalent to 80psi on a narrow tire.
My empirical testing is that the truck is much 'tighter' on these nittos than it was on stockers or BFGs
IMHO, these tires ain't the problem (I freely admit I could be wrong, but I don't think so)

14ccd · Jun 13, 2015

I think you are misunderstanding, an E rated tire has a stiffer sidewall than a D rated tire. So what you are feeling is sidewall flex, Nittos are known for this, soft tires have better traction for the most part but don't have the strength in the sidewalls to carry a lot of weight thus the D rating. I loved my Nittos when not towing, they were great when I was framing a house that only had a dirt path up to it. I really really hated them when I hitched up my camper and could barely keep the truck on the road.

ToMang07 · Jun 13, 2015

TrickTruck said:
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.

14ccd said:
I think you are misunderstanding, an E rated tire has a stiffer sidewall than a D rated tire. So what you are feeling is sidewall flex, Nittos are known for this, soft tires have better traction for the most part but don't have the strength in the sidewalls to carry a lot of weight thus the D rating. I loved my Nittos when not towing, they were great when I was framing a house that only had a dirt path up to it. I really really hated them when I hitched up my camper and could barely keep the truck on the road.

:fustrate:

lincolnlocker · Jun 13, 2015

14ccd said:
I think you are misunderstanding, an E rated tire has a stiffer sidewall than a D rated tire. So what you are feeling is sidewall flex, Nittos are known for this, soft tires have better traction for the most part but don't have the strength in the sidewalls to carry a lot of weight thus the D rating. I loved my Nittos when not towing, they were great when I was framing a house that only had a dirt path up to it. I really really hated them when I hitched up my camper and could barely keep the truck on the road.

dude, you are misunderstanding that he has E rated tires and are a 65psi tire.. most 35 inch tall 20 inch rim tires are an E rating at 65psi..

live life full throttle

14ccd · Jun 13, 2015

Sorry must have missed that. I saw a weight rating of 3305lbs and assumed it was a D tire. So having said that 3305lbs is not a lot for a E rated tire. So both tires could support 6610 lbs, I would wager you are very close to that weight or over when the trailer is hitched up. A trip to the scales would answer that question.

TrickTruck · Jun 14, 2015

been to the scales, not overweight for the tires

Jason · Jun 14, 2015

What are your axle weights? That could tell a lot of the story, or...rule out a lot.

BSEITZ · Jun 14, 2015

The guys that are having the issues with sway, does your truck have the factory sway bars on it? The reason I ask is because I'm having the same issues with my truck pulling my camper and swaying. I do not have factory sway bars I guess that is included with the camper package maybe?

TyCorr · Jun 14, 2015

Cost cutting measure. My dads 15 didnt have them and his truck was supposedky setup for towing. He spent 1800 at Rondo getting it up to par. That was just a spring setup. No bags. Added swaybars and some fancy shackles.

His new ram 3500 srw needed nothing to tow for a living. Well, he made them take the black wheels and mirrors off. Fir chrome of all things.

Jomax · Jun 14, 2015

Camper package had all the overloads, and swaybars. And was a cheap upgrade. I removed my swaybars. And tow just fine...

I'd still try. Lowering the front so it's 1in lower. That shouldn't hinder braking on the axles.... my old 34ft toyhauler loved being tongue heavy a bit.

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F350 · Jun 18, 2015

Hopefully the pic downloaded but I have had hellwigs, air bags, timbrens, combinations of both, lowered truck and the sway bars you see in the pic. No matter what you do if you have a big bumper pull the wind will take U where it wants you to go. My only suggestions is run slower 65mph. Hope this helps

F350 · Jun 18, 2015

Maybe that Hensley hitch system would also work. The videos look pretty legit. FWIW I run nitto G2's and ran nitto all terrains for hundreds of thousands of miles on multiple trucks without any issue so I don't think it's your tires.

Bartman · Jun 18, 2015

F350 said:
Maybe that Hensley hitch system would also work. The videos look pretty legit. FWIW I run nitto G2's and ran nitto all terrains for hundreds of thousands of miles on multiple trucks without any issue so I don't think it's your tires.

Unless you ran the same sized 22" Nittos, I would not make that statement.