Batteries making my rig lean?

[Just_Jeff]

So...took the rig for a little drive after I got 3x220AH batteries into the newly welded box, which is a little over 500lbs added to the driver's side. Alignment was a little off.

Took it on a longer trip to CW for some warranty work (house door replaced) with my wife following, and she said it was leaning to the left enough for her to notice it. It also felt less stable like it was swerving a little, but it was very windy here in Colorado so that's not an uncommon feeling. The wind also could have made the lean worse but I suspect that was more due to the extra weight on one side.

What are the considerations for this? Any danger? I plan to get the alignment fixed shortly, and if the lean is bad enough maybe I'll add a leaf to that suspension or something.

I'm driving from CO to VA early next month so I don't really have time for significant work before I head out. If it's an issue, I'll just take a battery out to balance the weight until I get to VA.

Thanks!

[randallb]

Park it on level ground and measure to the frame rails at spots that are easily duplicated on each side. Measure front and rear. If it is with in 1" you are fine. If it is 1.5 to 2"s you might want to do something about it. Never spend money until you determine you actually have a problem.
Randy

[GMT830]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
FIRESTONE individual fill overload bag spring assists on the rear. Been there done that dept 🙂

Sounds like the best fix to me......

[Just_Jeff]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll make sure the tire pressure is good, and look into adding airbags. Do I only need them on the back? The batteries are just in front of the rear axle and I'm well under GAWR for the rear, and still pretty comfortably under it for the front.

[64thunderbolt]

I agree air bags with individual inflate option and adjust accorningly. On my F350 all the tires are maxed while towing. Anything less will cause more heating, uneven wear and be a hazard.

[12thgenusa]

HiTech wrote:
Look at my 8:50 am post.

500 pounds over one end of one axle (say batteries right over the wheels) affects that corner the same way as 2000 lbs added to the center of gravity of the vehicle.

Jim

Well, I don't see an 8:50 am post, but your logic still escapes me. The basic law of statics says that the sum of forces equals zero. For example if I fill my FW tank that is at the very aft end of my trailer it weighs 500 lbs. At that location it subtracts approx. 100 lbs from the pin weight but adds those 100 lbs to the axle which now has to carry 600 lbs instead of just 500. Maybe you could explain further?

[OnaQuest]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Want to have some fun?
With the front wheels pointed EXACTLY straight ahead, measure from precise center of front axle to precise center of rear axle. Both sides.

LOL, some are so far out you can actually see the "dog tracking" effect.

[OnaQuest]

PaulJ2 wrote:

I have had all this explained this way: Since most roads/highways have a slight "crown" for water drainage etc more of the load is carried by the inner dual tire. Therefore by increasing the air pressure by 4 lbs on the outer tire it increases it's diameter very slightly causing it to carry a more equal amount of the load.
This should equalize the tread scuffing in turns also.
Now this is all big rig stuff but I'm sure will apply to dualies also.

Paul, your theory might have more credibility if we always drove exactly in the center of the road (top of the crown), but it still has more believability than Hitech's stability claims.

In any case, Hitech seems to have successfully managed to shift attention from his defective weight distribution logic;)

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Want to have some fun?

With the front wheels pointed EXACTLY straight ahead, measure from precise center of front axle to precise center of rear axle. Both sides.

[PaulJ2]

HiTech wrote:
You can get into recurring springs as well. Or just move a battery or some of the other loads.

But for movement in side loaded winds, ensuring the inner wheel is no higher in pressure than the outer is critical, and I don't think anyone who has put the pressure a few pounds higher on the outer dually has told me it did not help.

Jim

I have had all this explained this way: Since most roads/highways have a slight "crown" for water drainage etc more of the load is carried by the inner dual tire. Therefore by increasing the air pressure by 4 lbs on the outer tire it increases it's diameter very slightly causing it to carry a more equal amount of the load.
This should equalize the tread scuffing in turns also.
Now this is all big rig stuff but I'm sure will apply to dualies also.

[HiTech]

You can get into recurring springs as well. Or just move a battery or some of the other loads.

But for movement in side loaded winds, ensuring the inner wheel is no higher in pressure than the outer is critical, and I don't think anyone who has put the pressure a few pounds higher on the outer dually has told me it did not help.

Jim

[MEXICOWANDERER]

A leaning rig skews the camber of the front tires. On a Ford chassis I discovered this is not conducive to long tire life. Coil over bags are near miraculous in curing handling problems of this sort.

[OnaQuest]

HiTech wrote:
Look at my 8:50 am post.

500 pounds over one end of one axle (say batteries right over the wheels) affects that corner the same way as 2000 lbs added to the center of gravity of the vehicle.

Jim

That's BS. (besides, it;s not exactly what your prior post says.)

2000 lbs at the center of gravity will not cause the box to lean. 500 lbs on one corner will.

You are considering only the weight on the axle, and trying to level it out with tire pressure (which cannot be done) and you aren't considering spring depression and flex.

[OnaQuest]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
FIRESTONE individual fill overload bag spring assists on the rear. Been there done that dept 🙂

This is exactly how I handle it. It's the spring suspended box that is leaning, NOT the chassis axles.

[HiTech]

Look at my 8:50 am post.

500 pounds over one end of one axle (say batteries right over the wheels) affects that corner the same way as 2000 lbs added to the center of gravity of the vehicle.

Jim