...I wouldn't feel that safe towing 10k behind a tundra...
Me neither. Just to pull something is totally different then trying to stop it or to be stable around corners. If you think about it, the tow ratings are really a joke anyways. For every rating that you got one person that thinks its safe, you always got another person that thinks its not. Who is really in the right?
i wouldnt tow that much either but i seen a toyota turndra pulling 10K it was driven by a guy from toyota that goes all over the u.s to car show and nascar races's it was pulling a trailer that was built to hold 100 100 lb tractor weights and it had a bunch of signs saying how much it weighted, it was going up I-75 out of florida and i followed him in to a truck stop and talked to him and he said it pulled it pretty good but he worked for toyota so i dont know
The thing I see is that Air Springs with fit inside the coils for even added capacity. On my 86 F250 4x4 I pull 10,000# trailer & I had to put 5000# AirLift air springs on to it handling the load safely.
... If you think about it, the tow ratings are really a joke anyways. For every rating that you got one person that thinks its safe, you always got another person that thinks its not. Who is really in the right?
We are talking about manufactuer's tow ratings, not just someones opinion. The problem, of course, is internal to Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, etc. The marketing people want it high, warranty claims "beancounters" want it low and the engineers have to sign off on some number in between. When it comes down to it, legally it is a warranty requirement. As long as the GVWR of the trailer and tow vehicle are not exceeded you are legal. GCWR is not listed on the data plate or registration card, maybe the sales literature, towing guide and owners manual. YOU still have to determine what is comfortable and safe for your driving conditions. There is no way I would tow at maximums up here on SR 18.
if i was going to buy a $30,000 truck id expect it to ride like a $30,000 vehicle...
My take on this is if I buy a $30,000 CAR!!! I expect it to ride like a $30,000 vehicle... If I buy a $30,000 TRUCK then I expect it to WORK like a $30,000 vehicle.
My take on this is if I buy a $30,000 CAR!!! I expect it to ride like a $30,000 vehicle... If I buy a $30,000 TRUCK then I expect it to WORK like a $30,000 vehicle.
Excellent! MY $29K superduty truck, rides just like a $29K truck, because it is one! But if you put about 2K pounds in it, then it rides like a $29K car.
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2003 F250 SD 4X4 5.4L 4:10 Arizona Beige
1987 Mustang GT
A bunch of motorcycles, other cars, and a Quad.
Ya well I want a 30k dollar truck to ride like Volvo semi and handle weight a Volvo semi.
I want my cake and eat it too.
You would guys would pick apart a square donut with a square hole in the middle. Who cares? It's a donut? It might not taste the same..... but it's made with the same dough, it might not fit in your hand the same, but you have no problem holding a square sandwich......
You are already downing the system before it's even here yet. Well if it didn't work on my 1967 automobile, then it surely won't work on my 200X vehicle.....
Sheesh.
BTW, what makes a 3/4 ton truck safer to haul 15k pounds then a 1/2 to haul 10k pounds. Am I missing something here?
While we are on the subject of coil springs, I think IRS could be put on the back of a truck and be made to work better, ride better, and off road better than anything currently on the market. Yet all of the naysayers would say how weak it was and what a bad design......and blah blah blah about how they wouldn't take it if it was given to them. LMAO
We have had Coil springs fitted to the rear of Nissan Patrol Cab Chassis (similar in size to an F150 - but with the payload capacity of an F250)
They provide a much better ride - and 10 times better dampening tunability over leaf springs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by duramaximizer
While we are on the subject of coil springs, I think IRS could be put on the back of a truck and be made to work better, ride better, and off road better than anything currently on the market. Yet all of the naysayers would say how weak it was and what a bad design......and blah blah blah about how they wouldn't take it if it was given to them. LMAO
... I could only see it working with self leveling air bags.
I think coils belong on vehicles looking to hook up with some traction and benefit from an effective suspension. I wouldn't drive anything heavier than a 1/2-ton pickup with coils.
However, rear solid axles with leaves have their place. Yes, they aren't perfect, but they are proven reliable when it comes to a work truck. Let me ask this: how many coils springs do they use on the 18-wheelers or even medium-duty trucks?
And fronts ends is an entirely different subject. And it's also a lot of personal preference there. You can't compare a leaf spring front end to a leaf spring rear end (or anything else)...there's too many different characteristics between the front and rear of a truck.
But hey, what do I know?
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-"$lick"
1984 Ford F150 4x4 (300 Six, 4-speed)-daily driver
1974 Ford F100 4x4 (360 V8/C6)-burnt up
1979 Toyota 4x4 pickup-rusting away
1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme-a 350 V8 is being prepped right now
If you don't like the weather in Montana, wait 5 minutes and it'll change.
Looked underneath an 18 wheeler lately? There aren't many leaf springs under there nowadays either.
I agree...but they don't use coils either. Every type of suspension spring has its Pro's and Con's. And if somebody thinks they can improve the Dodge 1/2-ton by upgrading to a coil rear end, that's great! Maybe it will be all benefits and minimal downsides of typical coil setups. That would be good. But when it comes to a truck I'm going to buy, I'd rather wait a few years, see if they're dependable, see how they hold a load after a few years, alignment issues, etc, etc. I'm glad somebody is trying something new, but I tend to trust something that's been used for 50+ years. I keep an open mind, however.
And if it doesn't work, the designer/engineer shouldn't be ashamed, it would just be an idea that didn't pan out. Those things happen (i.e. GM 350 diesel V8, reverse-thread lug nuts on left side of early 60's Chryslers, etc)
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-"$lick"
1984 Ford F150 4x4 (300 Six, 4-speed)-daily driver
1974 Ford F100 4x4 (360 V8/C6)-burnt up
1979 Toyota 4x4 pickup-rusting away
1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme-a 350 V8 is being prepped right now
If you don't like the weather in Montana, wait 5 minutes and it'll change.
I think going to coils on the rear will be a mistake. Leaf springs seem to hold their maximum capacity better, with out sagging or dropping as much as coils. Every car i have seen with coils, or even fronts of pickup trucks, drops eaiser when putting weight on it that a leaf spring set up does. yes the coils in these vehicles are rated for less weight, but there is still a noticeable drop while still being well under the weight rating.
I drive an international 4300 box truck a few days a week. It has leaf springs on front and rear. There is maby a 2-3 inch drop between a full load (or maby overload since the rear gawr is only 17000) of 18000 lbs and being empty. I cant see coils being able to handle loads that well, even on a much, much smaller scale.
Over all, i say keep the trucks like they are, leaf springs have worked well for a hundred years and there no reason they wont work for the next hundred. They last a long time and can be overloaded more and not bottom out on the axle. If you cant take the ride buy a car. (Btw. after spending a day in the international, my '94 f150 rides like a caddy )
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1994 f150 4x2 reg cab I-6, 5spd
ain't no such thing as too much overkill.
rail car wheel bogies use coil springs, they appear to hold up very well to super heavy loads for decades. A spring is a spring if it's made well it's shape is irrelevant.