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I towed a car trailer yesterday with my 17 3.5L eco in the early morning. couple cars flashed me, then I noticed the low beam was pointing way too high because the car was in squat position. is there a way to manage or control the light beam?
Don't drive at night. I know that is a smarta** answer, but I really don't tow much after dark. I used to have the right tool to lower my beams when hauling my truck camper and return them to original when not.
is there a way to manage or control the light beam?
There is, and please forgive any seeming sarcasm: It's called Headlamp Adjustment, and it's in your Owners Manual. If you tow this combination often, you could adjust for it, then again for your standard, unloaded rear suspension height once you work up a routine for your particular circumstance.
What would ultimately be easier but will involve $ is to, as Simnut has just suggested, enhance your truck's soft rear suspension leafspring pack, either with Sumo springs or Timbrens (both are effectively larger rear axle bumstops) or with something rather novel and in my humble opinon, a long-overdue auxiliary device for the semi-elliptical leaf spring, the Roadmaster Active Suspension. This latter device's cost will floor you, though, if all you thought you had to do was a headlamp adjustment...
Don't drive at night. I know that is a smarta** answer, but I really don't tow much after dark. I used to have the right tool to lower my beams when hauling my truck camper and return them to original when not.
I have no choice, the time I am towing will be early in the morning & in the evening. I was actually turned off my low beam yesterday when there was oncoming vehicle...
If you are over 500# of tongue weight, you should be using a WDH.
Is your truck stock, leveled, or lifted?
If leveled, have you checked headlight alignment after the level? Even still, a leveled truck will nose up with much of any load on it. Add-a-leafs, airbags, supersprings, etc can help keep the rear end from squatting.
If you are over 500# of tongue weight, you should be using a WDH.
Is your truck stock, leveled, or lifted?
If leveled, have you checked headlight alignment after the level? Even still, a leveled truck will nose up with much of any load on it. Add-a-leafs, airbags, supersprings, etc can help keep the rear end from squatting.
not too familiar the terms, the load is about 5500 lbs. I just got the truck 3 weeks ago, so it's completely stock.
I only tow ~2 times/month except for winter and I don't plan to mod my truck. in my situation, what would be the options except for helper spring?
A nose high position on your truck indicates that considerable weight has been lifted from the steer axle. Less weight means less traction for steering and stopping. In a low traction situation like water or sand on the pavement, it just may keep going straight in a tight turn instead of turning. Stiffer springs or bigger bump stops can lift the rear and re-aim the lights, but they will have NO EFFECT on that lighter steer axle condition. Get a weight distribution hitch. https://www.ebay.com/sch/eBay-Motors...+hitch&_sop=12
Here is the result of using a WDH on my truck. The trailer lifted 360 lbs. from the steer axle and the WDH returned 320 lbs. to the axle. A rear spring or bump stop won't do that.
Last edited by atwowheelguy; 09-25-2017 at 02:03 PM.
forgot to mention, my truck is equipped max tow package, with 3.5L eco, it can tow 12k-13k lbs. is WDH required? sorry, I really have limited knowledge on this topic.
09-25-2017, 11:23 AM
low beam points high when towing?
