Getting rid of the front end hop while towing

[ranchhopper]

I bought a new 2500 tradesman back in january and have used it to tow my skidsteer several times and it would like to beat me to death going down the road with the six thousand pound machine on the trailer. I never had the amount of front end hop this truck has Im not sure if its the coil springs or not I never had it with trucks with rear leaf springs. Its just on the concrete paved roads where the road is saw cut every so many feet to reduce the winter cracking of concrete and it causes a rythmic hop will heavier shocks in the front help this problem or is it just the nature of the beast given the coil springs and concrete paved roads.

 

[Redfisher1974]

Too much tongue weight?

 

[Longhorn1500]

Too much tongue weight?

That would be my guess. You have the 6.4, so don't have the luxury of the heavy CTD up front. Plus with an equipment trailer you don't have any weight distribution pushing weight from the rear to the front axle. Can you move the skid steer back on the trailer a bit to see if that helps?

 

[Tulecreeper]

That would be my guess. You have the 6.4, so don't have the luxury of the heavy CTD up front. Plus with an equipment trailer you don't have any weight distribution pushing weight from the rear to the front axle. Can you move the skid steer back on the trailer a bit to see if that helps?

^^^ That ^^^

And it wouldn't take much - 6" to a foot may just be enough.

 

[crash68]

Find a CAT scale and weigh the truck and loaded trailer, then drop the trailer and weigh just the truck. You can calculate the tongue percentage and see how much weight you lose from the front axle.
As mentioned the trailer is probably tongue heavy. A possible fix would be to add rear airbags to firm up the rear end if rearranging the load isn't possible or doesn't help.

 

[ranchhopper]

I have moved it around if I move it back much more the lack of tongue weight makes it track squirrely I dont want to get into the tail wagging the dog situation.

 

[dhay13]

Can you add a weight distribution hitch?

 

[2003F350]

I have moved it around if I move it back much more the lack of tongue weight makes it track squirrely I dont want to get into the tail wagging the dog situation.

You probably are moving it back too far then, sometimes just an inch or two is enough.

Might be worth it for you to buy one of the hitches with the scale in it, from what I understand they're pretty accurate, and can help when you are trying to balance a load like what you've got.

The other option would be to try to add a weight distribution hitch to it. It is entirely possible just would take a bit of work.

How much is the rear of your truck squatting, and how much is the front of your truck raising if at all? I've towed my fair share of heavy stuff, maybe I've just got a knack for it but I've always been able to eyeball my way to a decent hauling load.

 

[BossHogg]

I have moved it around if I move it back much more the lack of tongue weight makes it track squirrely I dont want to get into the tail wagging the dog situation.

I had to resort to loading my tractor/backhoe on the trailer backward, that is, backhoe up front, which allowed me to get the tongue weight in the 10 to 12 percent range. I also use a Weight Safe hitch with a built-in scale so I don't have to do the guesswork.

 

[2003F350]

I had to resort to loading my tractor/backhoe on the trailer backward, that is, backhoe up front, which allowed me to get the tongue weight in the 10 to 12 percent range. I also use a Weight Safe hitch with a built-in scale so I don't have to do the guesswork.

I think this is what OP needs to do - play with how he's got it loaded on the trailer. There's a contractor in my area (done a lot of work for me actually) who hauls his skidsteer around on an equipment trailer that he pulls with his F250 gasser, and when he pulls into my driveway everything is nice and level. It's all about getting the weight right, and as I stated before (and as you mention in your post), sometimes an inch or two, or turning everything around, is what is needed.

 

[ranchhopper]

You probably are moving it back too far then, sometimes just an inch or two is enough.

Might be worth it for you to buy one of the hitches with the scale in it, from what I understand they're pretty accurate, and can help when you are trying to balance a load like what you've got.

The other option would be to try to add a weight distribution hitch to it. It is entirely possible just would take a bit of work.

How much is the rear of your truck squatting, and how much is the front of your truck raising if at all? I've towed my fair share of heavy stuff, maybe I've just got a knack for it but I've always been able to eyeball my way to a decent hauling load.

Truck is almost level across as well as the trailer is the same way truck doesnt sit level when unloaded though so its down a bit when sitting level.

 

[ranchhopper]

I think this is what OP needs to do - play with how he's got it loaded on the trailer. There's a contractor in my area (done a lot of work for me actually) who hauls his skidsteer around on an equipment trailer that he pulls with his F250 gasser, and when he pulls into my driveway everything is nice and level. It's all about getting the weight right, and as I stated before (and as you mention in your post), sometimes an inch or two, or turning everything around, is what is needed.

My truck is pretty close to level when loaded the trailer is the same way.

 

[Choupique]

Sounds like too much speed and too much tongue weight.

 

[ranchhopper]

You probably are moving it back too far then, sometimes just an inch or two is enough.

Might be worth it for you to buy one of the hitches with the scale in it, from what I understand they're pretty accurate, and can help when you are trying to balance a load like what you've got.

The other option would be to try to add a weight distribution hitch to it. It is entirely possible just would take a bit of work.

How much is the rear of your truck squatting, and how much is the front of your truck raising if at all? I've towed my fair share of heavy stuff, maybe I've just got a knack for it but I've always been able to eyeball my way to a decent hauling load.

I have driven semi most of my working life so Im tuned into how things need to be loaded as a general rule machine sits on the trailer so the trailer and truck are both level the truck is pitched toward the front when unloaded and level when loaded.

 

[ranchhopper]

Sounds like too much speed and too much tongue weight.

Going speed limit when towing.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I have driven semi most of my working life so Im tuned into how things need to be loaded as a general rule machine sits on the trailer so the trailer and truck are both level the truck is pitched toward the front when unloaded and level when loaded.

Going speed limit when towing.

I maintained a CDL for 30 years before I retired too, so I understand exactly what you're talking about. I've run into the same bobbing/hopping issue - it's the concrete slabs you're driving on. They are all exactly the same length and it is the long wheelbase of the truck in combination with the waves in the road (the uneven seam where the slabs join) setting up a resonant frequency and you get a lot of bounce. Changing the speed of the truck should help eliminate resonance. Probably 5-10 mph or more either up or down should be enough to break the cycle. The only trouble is that you will have to do that every couple of minutes because maintaining any speed over about 50 MPH for a long enough period of time will just allow it to start again.

 

[Choupique]

The speed limit might be too fast.

Air bags will probably help significantly, but you should weigh the truck and see if you are overloaded or not. The coil spring 3/4 tons dont handle being overloaded well at all, and they can't handle much tongue weight.

 

[2003F350]

The speed limit might be too fast.

Air bags will probably help significantly, but you should weigh the truck and see if you are overloaded or not. The coil spring 3/4 tons dont handle being overloaded well at all, and they can't handle much tongue weight.

I'm going to respectfully disagree about the coil springs. I pulled a 40+' park model camper home for my in-laws with the new truck. It was squatted somewhat even with a WDH, but handled 1k+ tongue weight with ease (I don't recall exact numbers). No bouncier than I expected and I never felt out of control, most of the bounce was in the back anyway.

I have been similarly loaded to how the OP says he's loaded, and didn't notice any unusual hopping or bouncing even running 65 on the expressway. The ONLY times I've noticed anything similar to that with any truck was when I was trying to run faster than that...so my only other advice would actually be to slow down some and see if that helps.

 

[Travelin Ram]

I maintained a CDL for 30 years before I retired too, so I understand exactly what you're talking about. I've run into the same bobbing/hopping issue - it's the concrete slabs you're driving on. They are all exactly the same length and it is the long wheelbase of the truck in combination with the waves in the road (the uneven seam where the slabs join) setting up a resonant frequency and you get a lot of bounce. Changing the speed of the truck should help eliminate resonance. Probably 5-10 mph or more either up or down should be enough to break the cycle. The only trouble is that you will have to do that every couple of minutes because maintaining any speed for a long enough period of time will just allow it to start again.

Exactly this. Every vehicle combination has a resonant frequency and if you drive the right speed on a bad concrete road it’s going to want to bounce.

If you get some better shocks, it will change the damping characteristics and give you some relief. Bilstein is a good bet, their valving has high resistance to the initial movement, it makes them a good choice for when you want a more controlled ride than (most) standard shocks.

 

[joesstripclub]

I've only towed my camper once with the PW, but I got the resonant bouncing pretty bad coming home from our trip when I hit a concrete paved section. Speed limit was only 55 and I was going 60 to start. Slowed down and it was better, but I think it bounced so bad it screwed up the wiring on my electric brakes and I lost brake power to the trailer. Dealer was able to fix it after a very slow tow the rest of the way home. Will have to try to adjust the WDH or tire pressures or something if it happens again.