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HELP!! Towed for the first time with my ‘97 Ext cab w/4.6 but the experience was nail biting. I towed my 2400lb BMW with a Uhaul Trailer, like I’ve done several times before with rented trucks. 200mile round trip, clear roads, no hills (Florida). Drivetrain didn’t complain a bit, But OH LAWD, the suspension had a lot to say. 200lbs of gear in the bed. Too much rear squat lifted the front and made the steering downright scary 😟😟.
I want to put on some great shocks Front & Rear to help with extra load when towing. Please advise.
Sounds like a spring issue to me. The shocks aren't going to hold your truck up (unless you want coil overs).... they absorb shocks (hence the name shock absorber).
Might want to consider helper springs, air bags, or possibly a timbren system.
If you had 10% from trailer, and 200 lbs in bed, only be 500 lb
doesnt seem enough to make tail sink bad. What was tongue wt?
As a kid, i used to tow a 22' boat just to local ramp with jeep cj7. Talk about getting jerked around by the load ..unpleasant
The way that BMW is setting on the trailer, there's a LOT more than 10% on the tongue. However, there doesn't look to be an awful lot of squat/rise going on. It looks no worse than when I trailered my Mustang out here from Ohio. (In retrospect, I probably should have backed the car onto the trailer.)
As an aside, we used to tow a 25' Aquarius sailboat with a '74 Monte Carlo. We got some strange looks at the boat ramp!
Originally Posted by white89gt
Sounds like a spring issue to me. The shocks aren't going to hold your truck up (unless you want coil overs).... they absorb shocks (hence the name shock absorber).
Might want to consider helper springs, air bags, or possibly a timbren system.
..
Last edited by OhioLariat; Nov 13, 2018 at 07:24 PM.
Thanks for the replies Folks. This is how the BMW always sits with the Uhaul Trailers. Take a look at attached pic from April. Grant it that’s a 2017 HD Titan, but theres not squat at all.
For sure she’s getting new shocks all around. Some time ago, I heard a Ford owner talk about ‘Fatigued front Coils’ and that they ‘Sag’. My truck sits level when not loaded, no rake whatsoever.
Can the leaf springs fatigue so drastically?
Looking at the Squat with the Mustang loaded, that looks a whole lot more pronounced than mine. You Sir are Brave!
Yes, the springs can and, in many people's cases, do fatigue over time. As for my scenario, there was no lightness in the front end at all while towing.. I had zero issues. ..
My 2003 with 80,000 miles had loose steering when I got it. Worn idler arm, loose wheel bearings, worn steering box. The PO used to haul rocks in the desert apparently. Getting the front end up would have made it worse I'm sure, it's a nose down short bed, with the typical high *** end. Check your steering gear while you're looking for solutions. Your picture doesn't look terrible as far as rake, it shouldn't be having big problems.
Need a recommendation on Shocks
