Pickup truck tow vehicle stability tests

TakingThe5th wrote:
You don't really need scientific studies, just take a dually on a test drive and see how much better it takes the turns and curves. It becomes obvious.

So a DRW has an effect on suspension?

Suspension on a pickup is the #1 limiting factor in a corner, unless you are on a slalom course and pushing the tires to their max.

On 2 similar trucks (suspension/frame/etc) I have yet to notice a difference in cornering with training wheels.

Cummins12V98 wrote:


I don't need no stinking study to tell me what I know from EXPERIENCE!

Just to clarify, you have towed the same load with a SRW?

I know you haven't, simply based on your pin weight :-) The sheer weight of your MS camper will also help it's stability.

Experience is hard to quantify if only one way has been tried. Not saying you haven't done both, just in general.

I have no experience towing a 8000lb 30' TT with a 1/2 ton, but having done it with a 1 ton in the mountains I know I don't want to try. I have only experience 1/2 of the comparison, so my experience doesn't lend to an unbiased opinion.

I can tow with a 35-40 mph side wind on a SRW with a TT and be rock solid at 70. I have also driven 35' Class C's with a 25 mph side wind and thought I was going to get blown off the road at 60 (thou Ford steering leaves a LOT to be desired).

BenK wrote:
Common sense is very UN-common...

stand with both feet touching and have someone push you sideways

Again with feet wide apart

Which one will have that person pushing you sideways easier?

But...this is a common sense topic, so tough to get common sense into the
discussion...

Yes, but it's not apples to apples.. well not granny smiths to granny smiths.

A SRW and a DRW have the same spring width, and in many application the same base leaf pack. With properly inflated tires there is more suspension deflection than tire deflection.

To make the analogy the same you would have to tell the person to keep their legs the same width apart, but widen their footprint. So stand with your toes pointing at 12 and get a push at the shoulders. Then point your toes to 3 and 9 and get the same push. There will be less movement, but nothing like your example.


Yes the additional 4 sidewalls make a huge difference in tire stability, and for some loads they are an absolute requirement. I am not discounting a DRW when the circumstances require it, but DRW owners are generally over the top with their examples. Even differences in SRW tires can make a HUGE difference.

Look at your load and use.. it should tell you if a DRW is right for you.

Sometimes a DRW just wont work based on use, so a HD SRW can be modified to meet the needs that an OEM SRW won't supply and go places a DRW can't.

An actual test would be interesting to read, thou I am not sure how to make it very accurate??

With the same loads a SRW could be at 100% of tire capacity and a DRW at 66% of RAWR capacity, but only 50% of tire capacity. That's not a apples to apples test, so it's hard to quantify and get fair results. This is the same reason many people who go from SRW to DRW feel an instant and very quantifiable results.. 2 tires at 100% load or 4 tires at 50% load.

So how about a test where each one is at 50% of it's load, or 75%? Even then the 4 additional sidewalls are going to provide improved tire stability.

One could widen the rear stance of a SRW to match the outers of a DRW, but you would still get better DRW performance based on sidewall numbers.

Personally I don't think it's the width that matters as much as the sidewalls, since the springs are at the same width.

Tires also create a different feeling for the driver. Suspension and tire deflection feel very different, and tire deflection always feels bigger than it is, IME.