2024 ram 2500 Uncontrollable Trailer Sway

[RTTS]

I have a brand new 2024 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Laramie with the air bag suspension (Christmas Present!!).
At 842 Miles I towed a 16' loaded car trailer (10,000#) w/hydraulic brakes.
Hitting a bump, just before a curve, caused the trailer to sway uncontrollably resulting in a jack-knife into a fence accident.
I have tows trailers and loads of all sizes countless times and am no rookie by any means (for any nay-sayers).
But, it seems getting rid of the tried and true leaf springs and moving all rear end support way inside the frame has severely compromised the stability and safe usability of these "Heavy Duty" trucks, and replacing the heavy springs with rubber air bags only made it worse.
Has anyone else had any kind of issues with these trucks swaying while towing?
Does anyone know how to "fix" this problem for real and not just put a band-aid on it?
If you have, and/or do, please reach out to me directly
I'd love to hear about everyone's experiences and fixes.

 

[rzr6-4]

Doesn't matter what suspension you have if your trailer is out of balance. And if it's really whipping, slamming the brakes only makes it worse. There could be a number of factors, your air bags aren't one of them.

 

[RTTS]

Thanks for your reply, but from my experience, and I'm seeing from others, this new 4-link suspension, and particularly with the stock air suspension does cause sway.
I also get sway pulling my little dump trailer that I have pulled literally a hundred plus times with never a hint of sway, regardless of load.
I really wish I had discovered this issue before buying the truck, but....

 

[jejb]

I have had 2 newer Ram 2500's with factory air. I tow a 7-8K enclosed trailer with it quite a bit. I pull it down the interstate's; twisty, hilly Ozark Mt roads; through the Rockies and a fair amount of dirt roads. Never had even the tiniest amount of sway from it. I weighed my trailer at a CAT scale and setup the truck to tow it properly (WDH hitch with anti-sway built in), just as I've always done with non-Air suspended trucks I've owned over the years.

Sorry to hear about your crash. I'd suspect not enough tongue weight.

 

[nlambert182]

I've never noticed an issue towing an almost 10k lb 33' travel trailer with mine and I've been upwards of 70mph on the highway with it numerous times. I towed it home with no weight distribution hitch and didn't see any issues.

It sounds like the trailer is/was loaded heavy on the rear and was too light on the tongue. You need to shoot for 15% tongue weight on the trailer. If you can get to that number, you're likely to see the swaying stop. If necessary, you may need to add weight distribution with sway control.

 

[mtnrider]

These 2500 trucks have had 4 link coil suspension for 12 years with literally 100's of thousands of them on the road towing with no issue. Sounds like your trailer was not loaded correctly to properly distribute the weight where it needs to be.

.

 

[Daw14]

Are the trucks you are towing with different heights ?

If your hitch is higher or lower on the new truck , this may need to be addressed.

This suspension has been in use on these trucks for more than a decade , with lots of return buyers.

 

[Dean2]

I have an old 1996 2500 with stock leaf suspension, had a 1994 2500 with Firestone airbags added to the leaf rear, and a 2021 2500. The new one rides better, but towing wise, I see no difference. I do however, NOT have air, just the standard suspension.

You may have lots of towing experience but the description of the accident clearly says user error. Uncontrolled trailer sway after hitting a large bump is the result of the trailer not being loaded right, the tongue weight being wrong and quite likely that hitch not being at the right height for the trailer to tow level. I am betting you also weren't using a WDH. Hope there wasn't too much damage and you learn from what happened.

 

[nlambert182]

If anything I would think that air would help firm up the suspension.... it isn't replacing the springs and isn't meant to take the weight of the load. The springs take care of that.

Not knocking the OP at all, but this really does point more to user error unless there's something else we don't know.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Thanks for your reply, but from my experience, and I'm seeing from others, this new 4-link suspension, and particularly with the stock air suspension does cause sway.
I also get sway pulling my little dump trailer that I have pulled literally a hundred plus times with never a hint of sway, regardless of load.
I really wish I had discovered this issue before buying the truck, but....

My first thoughts goes to the center of gravity, fore and aft, on the trailer. Lack of trailer brakes/ control?

 

[tjfdesmo]

I had a 2015 2500 and pulled a friends WW bumper pull toy hauler with a standard drawbar, no sway control with no issues. Also pulled a 41' Sundowner gooseneck toy hauler and went across the scales at over 23K lbs. I did have Airlift bags at that point as I was way over on the rear axle rating with 4,700 lbs on the hitch.Pulled it thousands of miles with no issues ever.

 

[2003F350]

Thanks for your reply, but from my experience, and I'm seeing from others, this new 4-link suspension, and particularly with the stock air suspension does cause sway.
I also get sway pulling my little dump trailer that I have pulled literally a hundred plus times with never a hint of sway, regardless of load.
I really wish I had discovered this issue before buying the truck, but....

This doesn't sound like a suspension issue, as there are hundreds of thousands of these pulling just fine every day.

If your trailer wasn't loaded properly and running level, this could easily cause sway issues. If your trailer brakes weren't functioning or your TBC wasn't functioning or set up properly, then you wouldn't have any trailer brakes to help pull you out of the issue.

This sounds like user error and an improperly set up/loaded trailer. With the weight right and the trailer level, sway should almost NEVER be an issue regardless of bumps or road conditions (with the exception of ice or inclement weather).

The FIRST thing you do when sway starts to set (provided you're watching for it) in is to get out of the throttle and start slowing down. DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL. If sway continues while you're slowing down, EASE into the slider on the TBC to gently engage the trailer brakes WITHOUT locking the tires. This gives some 'pull' from the trailer and usually helps bring it back under control - but if you lock the tires up all bets are off. I have only been in a situation like the above ONCE, but the process above got everything back under control in short order.

 

[Sherman Bird]

This doesn't sound like a suspension issue, as there are hundreds of thousands of these pulling just fine every day.

If your trailer wasn't loaded properly and running level, this could easily cause sway issues. If your trailer brakes weren't functioning or your TBC wasn't functioning or set up properly, then you wouldn't have any trailer brakes to help pull you out of the issue.

This sounds like user error and an improperly set up/loaded trailer. With the weight right and the trailer level, sway should almost NEVER be an issue regardless of bumps or road conditions (with the exception of ice or inclement weather).

The FIRST thing you do when sway starts to set (provided you're watching for it) in is to get out of the throttle and start slowing down. DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL. If sway continues while you're slowing down, EASE into the slider on the TBC to gently engage the trailer brakes WITHOUT locking the tires. This gives some 'pull' from the trailer and usually helps bring it back under control - but if you lock the tires up all bets are off. I have only been in a situation like the above ONCE, but the process above got everything back under control in short order.

And JUST THINK! The car Gods have put computers in the fray to fix the problem WAY quicker than us mere carbon units!

 

[LouM]

This doesn't sound like a suspension issue, as there are hundreds of thousands of these pulling just fine every day.

If your trailer wasn't loaded properly and running level, this could easily cause sway issues. If your trailer brakes weren't functioning or your TBC wasn't functioning or set up properly, then you wouldn't have any trailer brakes to help pull you out of the issue.

This sounds like user error and an improperly set up/loaded trailer. With the weight right and the trailer level, sway should almost NEVER be an issue regardless of bumps or road conditions (with the exception of ice or inclement weather).

The FIRST thing you do when sway starts to set (provided you're watching for it) in is to get out of the throttle and start slowing down. DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL. If sway continues while you're slowing down, EASE into the slider on the TBC to gently engage the trailer brakes WITHOUT locking the tires. This gives some 'pull' from the trailer and usually helps bring it back under control - but if you lock the tires up all bets are off. I have only been in a situation like the above ONCE, but the process above got everything back under control in short order.

Just one little problem, in his first post he stated hydraulic brakes, to me that would mean surge brakes. On a 10,000 gvw trailer I would doubt that it had electric hydraulic brakes. So he couldn't drag the trailer brakes with his controller.

 

[Dean2]

Just one little problem, in his first post he stated hydraulic brakes, to me that would mean surge brakes. On a 10,000 gvw trailer I would doubt that it had electric hydraulic brakes. So he couldn't drag the trailer brakes with his controller.

If you are correct and he was hauling a 10,000 LB trailer with only surge brakes on it, then the OP is not nearly as experienced hauling as he would have us believe. Any time the trailer is close to the same weight, let alone outweighs the tow vehicle, it needs to have proper brakes on it.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Just one little problem, in his first post he stated hydraulic brakes, to me that would mean surge brakes. On a 10,000 gvw trailer I would doubt that it had electric hydraulic brakes. So he couldn't drag the trailer brakes with his controller.

I've been fortunate enough that when I have had trailer sway, I had the room to slowly, steadily speed up just enough to stop it. But I wouldn't depend on it.

 

[RTTS]

Thank you for all your replies. Let me clarify some things.
It had hydraulic brakes so TBC doesn't matter, nor should it.
All tires were max pressure.
Bought a brand new Reese drop hitch (2.5" to remove sleeve slop) to make sure the trailer was level.
Truck loaded and overly secured on trailer nose first, tongue weight not an issue.
The truck has the stock air suspension, so there are no rear coil springs, only rubber air bags to hold up the rear end.
No, a WDW was not being used, nor has this trailer ever needed one to pull safely, and it has been used to haul large fork lifts, tractors, skid steers and more without thought.
Until putting behind this air ride Ram, it pulled like a dream.
Like I said, I'm no rookie. I've pulled trailers of every size and load, in every king of weather, wind, rain, snow, 50/60+ cross winds (those will make you pucker), through the Rockies, north and south across country without incident.
My father-in-law, who probably has more experience than me, also checked over the set up, as father-in laws like to do!
Believe me when I say the set up was correct.
So, any other thoughts/suggestions?
Please, do keep them coming.
This truck is not safe and need to be able to be made so.

 

[Dean2]

Thank you for all your replies. Let me clarify some things.
It had hydraulic brakes so TBC doesn't matter, nor should it.
All tires were max pressure.
Bought a brand new Reese drop hitch (2.5" to remove sleeve slop) to make sure the trailer was level.
Truck loaded and overly secured on trailer nose first, tongue weight not an issue.
The truck has the stock air suspension, so there are no rear coil springs, only rubber air bags to hold up the rear end.
No, a WDW was not being used, nor has this trailer ever needed one to pull safely, and it has been used to haul large fork lifts, tractors, skid steers and more without thought.
Until putting behind this air ride Ram, it pulled like a dream.
Like I said, I'm no rookie. I've pulled trailers of every size and load, in every king of weather, wind, rain, snow, 50/60+ cross winds (those will make you pucker), through the Rockies, north and south across country without incident.
My father-in-law, who probably has more experience than me, also checked over the set up, as father-in laws like to do!
Believe me when I say the set up was correct.
So, any other thoughts/suggestions?
Please, do keep them coming.
This truck is not safe and need to be able to be made so.

There are many, many thousands of air ride 2500s pulling trailers safely but if the above is what you believe, sell 2500, buy 3500 with the old fashioned springs. It will be cheaper than modifying your existing pickup.

effect of weight in wrong place on trailer at DuckDuckGo

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effect of weight in wrong place on trailer at DuckDuckGo

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[rzr6-4]

Thank you for all your replies. Let me clarify some things.
It had hydraulic brakes so TBC doesn't matter, nor should it.....

First, a picture of how you had it loaded would do wonders. Help us get a better idea of what you are working with.

As several others have mentioned, this is not a new design. This has been around for a long time and this is the first I have ever seen it mentioned. Believe me, Rams do have systemic issues that we see brought up here over and over, that is not one of them.

I would chalk this up to a freak accident. Next time you need to pull something, do it just like you normally would. Obviously take extra time to double check your set up and weight distribution, but once all is verified just proceed with caution. Deeming your truck "unsafe to pull" seems excessive.

 

[crash68]

Truck loaded and overly secured on trailer nose first, tongue weight not an issue.
The truck has the stock air suspension, so there are no rear coil springs, only rubber air bags to hold up the rear end.
No, a WDW was not being used, nor has this trailer ever needed one to pull safely, and it has been used to haul large fork lifts, tractors, skid steers and more without thought.
Until putting behind this air ride Ram, it pulled like a dream.

Let's walk probably the in between of what's happening. The air suspension won't make the trailer sway, if anything it will hide a problem of the weight on the rear end causing the front axle to be light resulting in swaying between both the truck and trailer. The truck and trailer will look level but the weights on the axles will be off, far too many people claim that a WDH isn't needed but it's how the all axles are loaded that determines that.
I've posted this video before, it usually takes visual proof showing the difference between air bags and a WDH for people to believe it

The Difference Between Using Weight Distribution and Air Bags to Level Your Load

Fastway engineers Jason Harper and Matt Barnes investigate the difference between using either a rear axle air bag system, or a weight distribution hitch to ...

youtu.be

Only other things that could be a culprit would be loose bushings on the four link and panhard bars.