Decreasing towing fatigue in Ram 3500 4x4 single

[norfla71]

I pull a 34' Salem toy hauler and, lately, have noticed the truck loaded or empty is not nearly as stable as when I bought it. It currently has 72,000 miles and, aside from the usual suspects (ball joints, tie rods, bushings which will be inspected Saturday) it was never really that great to begin with. I have to fight the wheel for constant corrections. Every 4x4 I've towed with (2000 Super Duty previously) has been tiresome to tow long distances; my 04 2500 2wd was excellent and I could tow heavy and not feel like I had been to the gym for a couple of hours afterward. Tires are 265/70 Dueler Revo's, and I'm not overly impressed (stock BFG's were much more stable).

Questions:
- aside from replacing normal wear items, are there any aftermarket bolt-ons that will increase stability to near dually levels? A conversion is not is the budget. Things like a rear sway bar, front arms, adjustable trac bar, A/S tread tires, etc.
- are wider tires worse for towing than keeping close to the stock size? I'm thinking about bad weather and how a wider tire will handle sudden downpours we always seem to get here in FL. I don't go offroad much, either, so popular 35" and 37" upgrades won't work for me.
- speaking of tires, any good luck with Nitto Duras v/s the LTX A/S?
- I hate the way the pin always slams around in the box on rough roads or when taking off from a stop. Other than shelling out big dollars for a Fifth Airborne or equivalent is there a lower cost solution? I'm running a Reese 15k Pro.
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[thomasmnile]

I know yours is a 4x4, and I guess others posting about a front "track bar" are talking about the front sway bar. That said, checking your front sway bar bushings and links is a good idea. Just had to have links and bushings done on my '05 3500 2WD at 66800 miles. Biggest difference I noticed is the creaking, groaning, and screeching racket in the front suspension is gone, and the front end doesn't dip like it did with hard cornering left or right, or with abrupt movement of the wheel in either direction.

A B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch would cure a lot of your pinbox/towing ills, but it would also require purchase of the B&W Turnover Ball hitch to use it. Together, that would set you back about $1200 or more. A MorRyde pinbox might be helpful and less money. Check tweetys.com, they have some of the best prices on the Web for hitches and pinboxes, and frequently offer free shipping.

[ScottG]

Track bar bushings are a common wear item. If you do it yourself they're cheap and easy.

[wcjeep]

Do you bounce on/off the overload springs? I prefer Torklift Stable Loads over airbags. X3 on adding a steering brace. The brace stops the steering box from flexing frame. If your control arm bushings are done consider polyurethane. I prefer sidewall on my tires. Wider tires would not be an advantage on standing water in the road way. I added my rear sway bar before I bought the TC. Can't say if it made a difference.

[ib516]

Track bar bushings come to my mind, could also be worn tie rod ends, ball joints...The steering box brace might also be a good idea. Track bar bushings are $20 for the pair and fairly easy to replace, and the steering box brace (search dss) is about $150 -$200.

[skipnchar]

Might pay you to take a look at your HITCH before replacing the truck. Really is no reason the truck would change in that few a miles. Make sure your spring bars are properly sized and properly adjusted (assuming you're towing a conventional trailer, not a 5th wheel).

[boogie_4wheel]

Thuren track bar, steering box brace (manufacturer of your choice), Duratrac ball joints (do not use Moogs, they are knurled and once you go Moog, your screwed) if you end up needing new BJs. Does your truck have the 2008.5 steering upgrade?

[donn0128]

Air pin box vastly improves the trailer/truck connection. New shocks. But sadly your best solution is to swap for a dually

[ScottG]

the bear II wrote:
How about adding a steering stabilizer. It helped on my 4X4 chevy with big tires.

Do you lube your hitch plate. I find that after I lube it the clunking on take off goes away.

This was the first thing I thought of. It made a huge reduction to the amount of steering corrections required on my Dodge.

[The_Texan]

We went from stock 17" wheels & tires on our GM to 20" factory upgrade wheels & tires on this one and I am much happier with the ease of driving. Handling in the rain has not shown a noticeable difference, but driving in snow has been a different cat....LOL, you won't have that problem in Florida. If I had known how much better the drive and ride were, I would have gone this route a long time ago.

[the_bear_II]

How about adding a steering stabilizer. It helped on my 4X4 chevy with big tires.

Do you lube your hitch plate. I find that after I lube it the clunking on take off goes away.