tow vehicle tires and trailer sway
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Topic: tow vehicle tires and trailer sway
Posted By: Happy Tripping
Subject: tow vehicle tires and trailer sway
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 11:59am
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One of the less discussed factors causing trailer sway appears to be the tow vehicle's tires. From the internet, until about 4000 miles have been run off, new tow vehicle tires by themselves can cause significant sway because of the tread's surface. ?How about the width of the tires? My Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk has P244 tires, about an inch wider than the usual Jeep tire. I assume that this would have a beneficial effect in preventing/controlling sway because of the bigger 'footprint', just as dual axles help. I don't see, using the 'search' feature, that this has been covered in the forum before. |
Replies:
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 4:15pm
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Never heard of that one. I have had new tires on my 94 F-150 and never experienced sway pulling our 177. On the other hand we could never travel above 35 mph with our 08 Explorer and NOT have sway. A sway bar was mandatory on that vehicle. With our 13 Explorer we have traveled at speeds of 55 mph w/o sway bar and again, no sway noticed. I did that for a test even in cross winds, otherwise I use the sway bar link. The only reason i can figure on the difference of the 2 Explorers was the width between the tires. The newer one was wider, hence better tracking. As far as pulling with our '95 F 150 with manual transmission my only concern is hitting more deer. With 320,000 miles it has 31 deer kills, good thing it sits tall and has a real bumper on the front. Have already hit 3 so far this year, but no kills as far as I know; even though they were pretty well banged up. Would not want to hit one with the Explorer, with one hit I think it would destroy the vehicle. Tires on all 3 vehicles above were the standard size that came on them when purchased.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 4:26pm
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I read on the internet that deer kills increase the likelihood of trailer sway, and of course, everything you read on the internet is true, right? Jato, can you confirm? ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 5:25pm
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First I have heard this one too. I can say my D rates handle better than my 14" C rates. As far as sway not noticeable. I eliminated my sway issues very early in my Pod towing experience. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 5:42pm
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I think Happy Tripping is talking about sway occurring after changing to new tow vehicle tires. Nothing to do with trailer towing but I've put new tires on cars before and had them feel squirmy for awhile before the tires break in a bit. Could be that the squirminess results in some sway, could be sidewall stiffness variation, could be tire pressure a being bit low. FWIW, I just put new tires on my TV and noticed no squirminess on the TV or sway tendency on the trailer. If that's what they're talking about and your rig is that sensitive that a little tire squirminess causes sway you should probably think about redistributing some weight and adding/increasing sway control. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 5:52pm
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When radial tires were new o the American market I worked in a gas station and we were told to tell customers that the first 100 miles the tires were breaking in and traction issues could occur. They also could not be rotated so they moved in the other direction than they had originally be mounted. My tire dealer tells me this is no longer the case on either. My bet this internet wisdom is old. I cant imagine the liability a tire manufacturer would have if they sold tires that caused sway. ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 6:03pm
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I'm with Keith. I'm not sure I'm buying a tire break-in. In fact I know I'm not. BTW - what is sway on a tow vehicle without a tow? ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2018 at 8:05pm
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[QUOTE=offgrid]I read on the internet that deer kills increase the likelihood of trailer sway, and of course, everything you read on the internet is true, right? Jato, can you confirm? I have to oppose that 100%. Deer kills do not increase the likelihood of trailer sway. That being said, when a deer jumps in front of the TV and you swerve to hopefully avoid a collision, trailer sway then becomes a real possibility.  The deer in northern Michigan think they are pretty smart,"Hey Joe, watch that truck lock up the brakes as I jump out in front of him, or watch the whites of his eyes as I gracefully jump over his hood." Meanwhile the F-150 replies, "If it's brown, it's down."------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 4:41am
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mcarter, there is no trailer sway without the trailer. It was just my bad sentence structure. nothing to do with trailer towing means that when I noticed initial squirminess when I put on new tires it was just while driving the car. And that was a long time ago and on a sports sedan. To be clear, I don't buy the sway increase argument either, I'm just speculating where this particular urban legend might have originated. Like I said, I just put new tires on my TV, no squirminess, no sway tendency, better stability and ride from day one. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 10:30am
Jato, by chance do you have a crash bar on the front of your F150 and enjoy road kill tenderloin? 
------------- Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
Posted By: Shane
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 11:27am
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I drive a semi truck and last year I hit a huge buck, didn't have any trailer sway at all, hmmm to think about it I barley felt the deer impact my truck!!! ------------- ENGINE 55,TRUCK 44,BATALLION 12 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 3:07pm
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[QUOTE=DavMar]Jato, by chance do you have a crash bar on the front of your F150 and enjoy road kill tenderloin? Negatory, Do remember however that the older trucks had real metal chrome bumpers, the thickness on my front bumpers is just a tad over 1/8". Road kill tenderloin, yes, there have been a few instances where it was very enjoyable but usually after it hits the bumper and goes down, the truck then proceeds to run it over with the front and then back tire, sometimes it gets caught by the pig on the rear axle for extra tenderizing, rendering the whole thing unusable.------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 4:04pm
Even then, you're at least helping thin the herd. I don't know how it is in your area, but in the mid atlantic deer are now so over populated that they are causing severe forest damage. And its natural selection in action, truly a matter of the quick vs. the dead  ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2018 at 6:16pm
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Very true. We reside on a narrow strip of land about 2 miles wide between Lake Michigan and Torch Lake which is home to a lot of apple, cherry, and grape orchards, as well as golf courses. On the way to work, I will leave the truck in 3rd gear (manual stick shift) and go 30-35 mph for my 4.5 mile trip. Even at that speed I have already hit 3 deer this year and it is quite normal each morning to make 1 panic stop as well as seeing quite a number of deer playing chicken at several different locations. Way to many around here, at least the farmers are given block permits to thin the herd, but there are still too many.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |