Extremely rough ride when towing
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Extremely rough ride when towing
My 06 f350 6.0 4x4 cc srw is extremely rough when towing. Almost to the point you need to schedule a chiro visit after a trip. I have noticed that the rear passenger side shock (factory) is damp so I am putting new Bilstein 5100s on all four corners. Hoping this will take care of it. Anyone ever experienced this before? Oh, I am only towing a boat with a tongue weight of about 300 lbs and a total weight of around 5500lbs so not much by the truck standard. Without a load, rides a bit rough (it is a 1 ton), but 100 times worse with the boat hooked up. Just looking for suggestions. Hoping it is the shocks. Thanks.
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Portage Twp, PA
I'm looking forward to an educated reply to this thread...my '89 half-ton had ¾-ton springs all the way around and six brand-new Monroe Gas-Magnum shocks (quad-shock front suspension) as of two years ago. Right after I completed the swap, I towed a 4500# Ford tractor on a ~2000# trailer, and the ride was horrific! Well, it was OK on asphalt, but jumping over the expansion joints on the concrete 4-lane WAS bad.
I, too, am used to a comfier ride loaded...but it was almost like I had a solid rear suspension that day.
Pat
I, too, am used to a comfier ride loaded...but it was almost like I had a solid rear suspension that day.
Pat
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Portage Twp, PA
Oh, and Ranger 620...part of your problem might be you don't have enough tongue weight for that trailer. General rule of thumb is 10-15% of the total trailer weight should be on the tongue. So in your case, you'd want between 550 and 825 lbs on the tongue...maybe shift some of your load in the boat forward of the trailer axles.
I'm not saying it's gonna cure the problem, but it can't hurt to try.
Pat
I'm not saying it's gonna cure the problem, but it can't hurt to try.
Pat
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: southeast Idaho
After you get the toungue weight correct, also make sure the ride height of both tow vehicle and trailer is correct also, that means fairly level for both, especially 2 axle trailers. If it sags in the rear but the trailer is level you can lower your hitch height sometimes, and help it a lot if your toungue weight is correct and not overloaded plus it really helps to keep the trailer axles at the same weight for each of them. These things should help any rig ride better and handle better also..
Last edited by wdfp; Jul 4, 2010 at 02:43 AM. Reason: correction
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: West Valley Utah
Moving the boat forward will not put much weight on the tongue. The weight is in the rear of the boat and behind the axles. If the boat is hanging off the trailer, you can move it forward some. Generally a boat trailer is designed to compensate by having the axles toward the rear of the trailer. Are you loading heavy coolers, tools or ?? toward the rear of the boat while towing? Try moving things forward
Unless your ball is not right or you have a lot of movement in your hitch, I don't see why hooking up the boat makes the ride so bad. I've had 6 different boats over the years, all in lengths of 21 ft or better behind several different trucks (Ford included) none have given the ride you are describing.
Unless your ball is not right or you have a lot of movement in your hitch, I don't see why hooking up the boat makes the ride so bad. I've had 6 different boats over the years, all in lengths of 21 ft or better behind several different trucks (Ford included) none have given the ride you are describing.
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I was estimating the tongue weight in my previous post, and must have been wrong. I am 100% confident it has nothing to do with the boat. I have owned the boat for 5 years and pulled it behind 3 different trucks. This is the only one that it has performed like this. The trailer is level and weight is situated correctly above the axles (factory matched tandem trailer for the boat). The other 2 trucks have been 1/2 ton trucks, and they pulled it without effort, just wanted better gas mileage as I travel north a lot and even a couple miles per gallon makes a big difference. I am really hoping the shocks take care of it. If anyone has any other ideas, please throw them out there. I should know if the shocks take care of it in a couple weeks (seems the rear shocks are on back order at Bilstein...figures). Thanks for all the help thus far. Oh yeah, I have also checked for broken leafs, but alas they are all fine.
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