Shaky towing experience, please advise

texasAUtiger wrote:
Well thanks Gdetrailer. Years ago, when I was NOT towing, I hydroplaned in a light rain and did so to the extent that I was flying down the interstate facing the headlights of a tractor trailer truck "behind me". Thankfully, we lived through it.

So I definitely know what "light steering" or "feels like you're driving on ice" or "hydroplaning" feels like. And there were easily a dozen moments on leg B of my trip where it felt that way. Please note: I am NOT saying we were literally slipping and sliding on leg B, I am saying that the lack of responsiveness in the steering wheel felt the same as when we hydroplaned in the past. Also, the moment would come and go in just a few seconds and stability was restored (until it occurred again, about 1 out of every 5 or 10 big trucks that went by).

I have a very hard time believing this is normal or the way it is supposed to be. I'm not talking about JUST a push-pull feeling when a truck passes; we all know that is to be expected to some extent. I'm talking about the feeling in your steering wheel where if you had to react to it, that you have zero confidence that turning the wheel would indeed point the truck in the desired direction.

Thanks everyone for your continued input.

Understood.

Years ago when I had a heavy half it had "P" tires, I ran into a set of new tires in the Fall that gave me a feeling I was at any time going to go sideways and that was not towing.

Went back to the tire dealer and they suggested adjusting the pressure front to back. They had put the max sidewall pressure in front and back when installing the tires.

Dropped a few pounds on the front and the rear 2 pounds less than the front.

Difference was night and day!

They told me some tires will often have a lot more squirm when new and after you get a few thousand that squire tends to fade. I towed that summer and never felt on bit of squirm on those tires.

Even today with my F250, I run a few lbs more in the front when empty and when towing I will fill the rear tires to max sidewall pressure and keep the fronts a few lbs LOWER than the rear.

Why?

Well I am not putting ALL the load on the front like the rear axle gets (remember, Ford now days recommends restoring only 50% of the weight to the front axle).

I find this gives me a good firm feel without any squirm.

Sometimes it is the nature of the tires, some tire brands or models are better than others so in some respects you may not be able to 100% shake the feel until your next tire change (you may want to find a different brand/model if you can't eliminate or the feeling doesn't get better as the tires wear).