bigger tires affect towing???? help me!!!!
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bigger tires affect towing???? help me!!!!
i just bought a set of dick cepek wheels for my 08 f250. they are 17 in. rims and i put lt285/70/17 e range tires on it. i have a 36 ft travel trailer that just makes my truck want to sway all over and i was told its from my wheels. i was told to put my stock wheels back on which are 18in rims. 275/70/18 e range. my stock tires are continentals and my aftermarkets are fierstone destinations. has any1 ever experienced this??? my wheels are also offset.
Believe Nothing
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,514
Likes: 398
From: W. Central FL.
How did the truck tow with the original wheel tire set up?
How much offset are your new wheels?
Have you had an alignment with the new wheels tires?
Do your new tires have a more agressive tread?
How much pressure are you carying in the new tires?
Have you adjusted the hitch to comphensate for the different hitch height?
How much offset are your new wheels?
Have you had an alignment with the new wheels tires?
Do your new tires have a more agressive tread?
How much pressure are you carying in the new tires?
Have you adjusted the hitch to comphensate for the different hitch height?
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 177
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From: Ohio
36 feet is a big TT. Your sway could be anything. Are you using a "good" weight distributing hitch with built in sway control? Snap on friction sway bars arent good enough for such a long trailer. I would start by increasing tongue weight. This could be moving weight to the front or lowering the nose of the trailer by dropping your hitch head. Properly adjusting the hitch is a crucial and is topic all its own. Did you tow this trailer before changing the rims? If so how was it?
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,564
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From: Wayyy NoCal, USA
Good responses! Trailer set up is critical. A nose up attitude or light tongue weights are two of the most common problems.
For the record, I have 315/75-16's. That is a LOT more sidewall! I have absolutely 0 sway. I've towed in 50+ mph winds blowing from all angles. Still 0 sway.
I have the Equal-i-zer WD and sway control set up.
For the record, I have 315/75-16's. That is a LOT more sidewall! I have absolutely 0 sway. I've towed in 50+ mph winds blowing from all angles. Still 0 sway.
I have the Equal-i-zer WD and sway control set up.
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 929
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
Let's just say I got my money's worth out of the original Firestone tires on the F250. They were 255/75R16.
I installed Destination's 285/75R16 (the agressive mud tread series, but I can't remember if they are LE or what) so a wider print and more sidewall.
BUT...I couldn't find an "e" rated tire so I did drop from an "e" to a "d". But with the volume of air they were "just" slightly less load-rated then the "e"s.
I don't haul anything nearly as big as what you are hauling. I pull four quads, two adults, two kids and all our gear on a 17' flat trailer (one quad in the bed).
I can say as long as I ran the tires near capacity (which makes a HUGE difference for towing capacity) I did not notice any difference as far as the truck handling differently. Let me just add that going from 31" tires to 33" tires DID make a difference in towing in mountains. It effectively reduced my 4.10's to 3.85's for gearing.
Next major upgrade will likely be 4.56 gears.
I installed Destination's 285/75R16 (the agressive mud tread series, but I can't remember if they are LE or what) so a wider print and more sidewall.
BUT...I couldn't find an "e" rated tire so I did drop from an "e" to a "d". But with the volume of air they were "just" slightly less load-rated then the "e"s.
I don't haul anything nearly as big as what you are hauling. I pull four quads, two adults, two kids and all our gear on a 17' flat trailer (one quad in the bed).
I can say as long as I ran the tires near capacity (which makes a HUGE difference for towing capacity) I did not notice any difference as far as the truck handling differently. Let me just add that going from 31" tires to 33" tires DID make a difference in towing in mountains. It effectively reduced my 4.10's to 3.85's for gearing.
Next major upgrade will likely be 4.56 gears.
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the Goat
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Aug 27, 2010 10:35 PM
