Pickup truck squatting when loaded - headlight aim

The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

Our newest two Tundra's at work have a dial on the dash to adjust headlight aim. Yes, power headlight adjustment.

My wife's 2011 Jeep had auto leveling headlights. When you started the Jeep the headlights would go up and down then center. I believe it had them for off road driving because the Jeep's suspension would auto level when you loaded it.

Teamfour wrote:
The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

X2

wirenutz wrote:

Teamfour wrote:
The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

X2

No adjestment on a fiver! Just a strong truck.

wirenutz wrote:

Teamfour wrote:
The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

X2

X3

You would think in the headlong race for more gizmos and gadgets (sorry "product content") pickup truck OEM's would be all over this... it being useful and all.

Our old irrelevant 06 Dodge not ram 3500 has auto leveling headlights that stay in alignment from no load to 5000lbs in the bed.

Teamfour wrote:
The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

A trailer's tongue weight will lift a certain amount of weight off the front axle and put it on the rear axle. A properly set up WDH will return 50-100% of that weight lifted off the front back onto the front axle. But that still leaves most of the tongue weight on the rear axle. (a small portion goes to the trailer axle)

That remaining weight on the rear axle will cause some sag, unless you use air bags or some other suspension aid.

If you completely remove ALL rear end sag with your WDH to "eliminate the squat", you are likely putting too much weight back onto the front axle and potentially causing problems because of too much "oversteer".

rhagfo wrote:

wirenutz wrote:

Teamfour wrote:
The other option is to properly set up the hitch to eliminate the squat.

X2

No adjestment on a fiver! Just a strong truck.

Proper truck for RV being towed will make the truck sit "level" as yours does in your pic. Some think this is "squat" and add bags to get the rig to ride as it does empty then they complain of a rough ride.

In your ride height the headlights are fine. My 98 towing 32.5' Avion Platinun sat just as yours does at 20.5K.

If the truck sags at the rear then it needs more leaf springs or new leaf springs to carry the load. My truck as a double leaf set of Supersprings and it is level when the bed is empty and level when I have a 3700 lb. load on the rear of the truck.

It is not just that the headlights are pointing too high and blinding oncoming drivers, but that the weight distribution will be off and not enough weight will be on the front wheels and that affects road handling and braking.

wintersun wrote:
If the truck sags at the rear then it needs more leaf springs or new leaf springs to carry the load. My truck as a double leaf set of Supersprings and it is level when the bed is empty and level when I have a 3700 lb. load on the rear of the truck.

It is not just that the headlights are pointing too high and blinding oncoming drivers, but that the weight distribution will be off and not enough weight will be on the front wheels and that affects road handling and braking.

I don't believe Supersprings or other rear suspension aids will do much to redistribute the load.

If the load is a fiver with all the pin weight right on top of the rear axle, there should not be much change in front wheel weight. If it's a bumper-pull you can lift a lot off the front wheels and should be using a WDH to put 50-100% of it back. Just stiffening the rear suspension will not help much.