Somewhat Disappointed ?????
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,394
Likes: 104
From: Southern KS
The biggest problem is you said the weight was centered BEHIND the rear axle. That turns your truck into a big fulcrum lifting the front and sagging the back. If you try it again with the weight ON or FORWARD of the rear axle it will behave very differently.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my super duty would sag some too.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my super duty would sag some too.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,542
Likes: 22
From: Murphysboro, IL
The biggest problem is you said the weight was centered BEHIND the rear axle. That turns your truck into a big fulcrum lifting the front and sagging the back. If you try it again with the weight ON or FORWARD of the rear axle it will behave very differently.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my 97 F 250 heavy duty would sag some too.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my 97 F 250 heavy duty would sag some too.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 536
Likes: 5
From: Phoenix, AZ
The biggest problem is you said the weight was centered BEHIND the rear axle. That turns your truck into a big fulcrum lifting the front and sagging the back. If you try it again with the weight ON or FORWARD of the rear axle it will behave very differently.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my super duty would sag some too.
Heck, if I put 600 lbs up next to the tailgate my super duty would sag some too.
But after thinking about some of the comments here, I double checked and the door piller states that 40psi should be used tire pressure and my tires were at 40psi. Today I looked at the Goodyear Wranglers that are on this truck and they are "C" rated and recommended pressure is 50psi. Since the tires only had 40psi, that is probably why the rear end was wandering around.
I'll have to try this again (not with the current 600lbs) but I will have move another 700lbs some time in January. I'll post back with proper air pressure vs what FORD suggests.
Certified Thread Hijacker
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,441
Likes: 59
I used to carry my Polaris RZR in the bed of the truck. That's 1200 pounds, it leveled the truck out.
That's why I laugh a bit when I see all the level kit installs. Well, duh this is what happens. Level the truck as a pavement princess and then complain when it squats when it gets used as a real truck? LOL
Josh
That's why I laugh a bit when I see all the level kit installs. Well, duh this is what happens. Level the truck as a pavement princess and then complain when it squats when it gets used as a real truck? LOL
Josh
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 297
Likes: 6
Are your tires "P" series? That will get you the soft side wall as comes with OE tires. I thought about it a lot when replacing the OEM tires on my 2013 F-150 4x4. Settled on LT series Goodyear Wrangler A/T Kevlar with C loading. I don't need a lot of carrying capacity although tow a 22' pontoon boat in the summer. The LT, C Load gives a lot better sidewall stiffness and is a somewhat lighter tire than the E series. Didn't get much of a gas mileage hit going with these either. All I need and the tires are wearing well, the ride is still very good. These tires are also snow rated. Seem to be good in the winter and very good in wet weather.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,710
Likes: 77
From: Central Florida
I have the Good Year Wrangler Fortitude on my current F150. They are a nice riding tire however I don't like them for towing, the side walls are too soft. When the time comes to replace them I'll get Good Year Wrangler Adventurer with Kevlar or Michelin LT MS2s. I'll also change out the factory shocks with Bilstein 5100's as I've done on all my F150's. Better tires and shocks make a big difference.
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 536
Likes: 5
From: Phoenix, AZ
Are your tires "P" series? That will get you the soft side wall as comes with OE tires. I thought about it a lot when replacing the OEM tires on my 2013 F-150 4x4. Settled on LT series Goodyear Wrangler A/T Kevlar with C loading. I don't need a lot of carrying capacity although tow a 22' pontoon boat in the summer. The LT, C Load gives a lot better sidewall stiffness and is a somewhat lighter tire than the E series. Didn't get much of a gas mileage hit going with these either. All I need and the tires are wearing well, the ride is still very good. These tires are also snow rated. Seem to be good in the winter and very good in wet weather.
To Frantz, the pressure recommendations that are on the door piller are just that. Tire manufactures rate their tire pressure based on the load their designed to carry. In the past I've always ran E rated tires on my F250's. Its door piller stated 55psi. The tire manufacture stated 80psi loaded. If I was running the truck empty, I kept the tire pressure @ 65psi. If I loaded the truck up, the tires ran at 80psi.
Yes I know that moving the weight forward will reduce the tail dragging, but this was a test to see what this new truck will do.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 1
From: NKY
So, with all that's been said, is it probably not a good thing to be towing 5K plus weight on SL load range tires, which I believe are P-metric tires? My tires are the OEM GY Wrangler Fortitude HT, 275/65R18 116T. The load range is SL, which I'm reading may not be the best for Heavy towing? The truck is primarily our tow vehicle and is minimally used not towing. The most the truck will tow is about 8K (enclosed car hauler) with about 600# in payload. Currently, I max the psi in the truck and trailer tires when towing, fully loaded and still feel I get a little sidewall roll/flex, especially when around semi's.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 72
I’d follow the suggestion of the tire maker on tire pressure.
Ford doesn’t have a good history of proper tire pressure recommendations.
Moderator
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8,210
Likes: 1,225
From: San Antonio, TX
So, with all that's been said, is it probably not a good thing to be towing 5K plus weight on SL load range tires, which I believe are P-metric tires? My tires are the OEM GY Wrangler Fortitude HT, 275/65R18 116T. The load range is SL, which I'm reading may not be the best for Heavy towing? The truck is primarily our tow vehicle and is minimally used not towing. The most the truck will tow is about 8K (enclosed car hauler) with about 600# in payload. Currently, I max the psi in the truck and trailer tires when towing, fully loaded and still feel I get a little sidewall roll/flex, especially when around semi's.
I run my load range E tires at 36-38 psi. It would ride horrible if I had them at 50 + psi, plus the center of the tread would wear out. I will air them up to around 45-50 psi in the rear when towing for any distance. I am nowhere near the max load the tire is rated for, so no need to use max inflation pressure.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 1
From: NKY
Getting rid of the squishy GY's, are there recommendations for better?
New User
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Since the tires I have are rated SL, I have no clue how that's compares to a Load Range of D or E, which I understand better. Its my understanding, and the education from this and other forums, that Load Range E, provides a stiffer sidewall. I would assume with the load weight I'm towing, TW of 1K, which includes payload weight, the Load Range E might be the way to go to reduce/eliminate the roll/flex I'm getting now?
Getting rid of the squishy GY's, are there recommendations for better?
Getting rid of the squishy GY's, are there recommendations for better?
Moderator
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8,210
Likes: 1,225
From: San Antonio, TX
E rated tires are far more numerous. C or D rated tires aren't near as common, but they are out there. I'm sure C rated tires would be fine for my uses but I wanted a slightly larger tire, which were all E rated.