Tow/haul newbie-what mods?

GrendelShooter · Feb 16, 2020

2017 Ram 1500 crew cab, short bed, 5.7, 8spd, bone stock.

I’ve been using my truck for a lot more towing and hauling lately than when I initially bought it.
Just yesterday I picked up a rick of white oak and when loaded my bed was riding on bumpstops. Not fun.

After looking around a bit I’m going to call Tuftruck about a set of springs (not interested in bags) and it got me thinking about what else needs to be done to beef these trucks up? I don’t expect it to be a 2500, but I’d definitely like some better braking, especially under load.

So what’s out there for brake improvements? Any other worthwhile suspension mods for a truck that semi-regularly tows/hauls?

mtofell · Feb 16, 2020

Tough plight starting with a limited carrying capacity to allow for a soft ride and not wanting the usual first choice of airbags. Timbrens? Those will keep you off the stops. Not sure if there are bigger brakes for a 1/2 ton but it's pretty much just physics. Bigger surface area on the rotors equals better braking. All the things you are asking for is pretty much a HD truck. There's no magic powder

When you start to run up against the upper limits I'd be looking at tires first and foremost. That white oak is some heavy stuff. How much did you have in the bed? Depending on how seasoned it is a chord is 4K - 6K pounds. Half a chord is pretty easy to fit in a truck bed so.... 2K-3K pounds? Yikes.... I hope not.

GrendelShooter · Feb 17, 2020

Tires were swapped long ago, running BFG T/A KO2.
I would happily sacrifice ride quality to increase the trucks utility. It’s paid off now so buying a new truck is out of the question lol.

With my old Camaro it was pretty easy to find brake kits with bigger rotors and calipers. Are there no such options for these trucks? I see lots of go fast and loft parts but no much otherwise.

Ive definitely pushed beyond the limits of what this truck is supposedly capable of. My first tow with it was about 13,000lbs. Of course I found that out after the job was done but it wasn’t really that bad...I won’t be doing it again though. What I hauled off yesterday was probably right at 2000lbs, more or less. I can do the measure ya and calculations tomorrow.

I don’t expect my truck to pull a battleship, but if I’m going to be playing around right at max factory specs for towing and hauling I’d like to improve what I can.

2003F350 · Feb 17, 2020

GrendelShooter said:
Tires were swapped long ago, running BFG T/A KO2.
I would happily sacrifice ride quality to increase the trucks utility. It’s paid off now so buying a new truck is out of the question lol.

With my old Camaro it was pretty easy to find brake kits with bigger rotors and calipers. Are there no such options for these trucks? I see lots of go fast and loft parts but no much otherwise.

Ive definitely pushed beyond the limits of what this truck is supposedly capable of. My first tow with it was about 13,000lbs. Of course I found that out after the job was done but it wasn’t really that bad...I won’t be doing it again though. What I hauled off yesterday was probably right at 2000lbs, more or less. I can do the measure ya and calculations tomorrow.

I don’t expect my truck to pull a battleship, but if I’m going to be playing around right at max factory specs for towing and hauling I’d like to improve what I can.

If it's paid off and only a 2017 like your profile claims, then I'd just trade it in on an HD. You'll get a lot for your trade in, and getting a truck that'll do more of what you're currently doing. You also won't be having to roll any outstanding balance into the equation, so your trade in will ALL go toward the purchase.

It's either that or invest in a high-quality trailer and use that for your heavier loads, taking care to keep more of the weight off your truck. 2k lbs in the back of a 1500 is dangerous.

I haven't done any looking into bigger brakes for 1500s because I don't have one, but I imagine there are a few out there. That said, the stock ones are designed to clear 17" rims minimum, so they're already pretty big compared to the old days. In order to go bigger if you have 17" rims, you'd have to get bigger rims too - I don't know what your stock setup is.

68PowerWagon · Feb 18, 2020

Why are you against air bags? I pushed the limits on many Dakotas in my past. Before air bags became available for pickups I used to put coil over shocks on my Dakotas & could gain an extra 500 pounds before it would start sagging. Re-gear is expensive with a 4X4 but well worth it if you are doing a bunch of hauling & towing. Lower gears would also help you slow down using the engine. Do a search on brakes. Several guys on here have upgraded & improved their stopping power.

gofishn · Feb 18, 2020

springs, tires, powerstop brakes * Rotors, better shocks.
Limiting factor is going to be the axle and weight it can bear. axle Pins, I think.

if up againstmaximum weight ability of truck, consider moving uo to 34 ton, better all around. If just looking to use trucks current ability but want more control when up against its maximums,then do as suggested.

BruceMorgan · Feb 20, 2020

A quality used utility trailer would be a lot more cost effective than modding your current truck or trading it in on a 2500. Or if you have the time, when you tow heavy rent a UHaul trailer or similar.

I put 5000 lbs of bluestone into one of those UHaul trailers last summer and it towed with my 1500 5.7 3.92 like it wasn’t there at all.

Overloading the box is bad news for longevity of the truck. And some will say if you get an an accident overloaded, your insurance company will disavow you. Illegal operation of the vehicle. Others say the cops will just ticket you hard.

pacofortacos · Feb 20, 2020

I have the 1211 rear springs, very happy with them.
You could also get a hellwig rear sway bar to help with body roll.
I have the factory HD rear shocks and can't complain about those either.

Michael · Feb 20, 2020

Tuftruck springs are definitely a must for our 1500’s if you use it as more then a car with a bed on it. As stated above the powerstop brakes are another good choice for you. I put the powerstop Z36’s on my truck and it’s a night and day difference in stopping ability. Also mentioned above is the hellwig sway control bar. It will also improve your handling of your truck. It won’t allow your truck to handle like a sports car, but it will handle better.

Tow/haul newbie-what mods?

GrendelShooter

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mtofell

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GrendelShooter

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2003F350

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