Long Travel BS Thread

What ram do you plan on using? I set it at as close to stock centerline as i could.

 

I thought I'd share this here since plenty of folks tow their truck. I almost had a blowout this past weekend and my best guess is because these are bias ply tires. After doing some reading I learned that radial tires are much better for long stretches of highway driving whereas bias ply is better for bumpy gravel-type roads.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1607-bias-versus-radial-trailer-tires/

 

Probably the same PSC you have. Just gathering my thoughts for now. I know it’s coming. That part doesn’t intimidate me like the orbital valve and all that. I won’t waste your time asking about anything in depth since I’m not ready to do it. Just getting the big picture plans for now.

 

Dang, do you know what PSI you were running? How long on the highway?

 

What tire size are those, they look skinny.

 

60, exactly where they should have been. I'm anal about checking my pressure before every trip and making sure they're where they need to be because I know that's the killer of trailer tires. This had happened after approximately 6 hours of highway driving.

 

Yeah they’re pretty skinny- 37x12”

 

Those may as well be prius tires.

 

Trailer tires are generally made to lower standards than truck tires. Goodyear does make their ENDURANCE ST225 /75 R15 117N E1 BSW and I believe its made in USA
https://www.discounttiredirect.com/buy-tires/goodyear-endurance/p/32624

I have Carlisle Radial HD on my trailer, and despite being made in CCP land, they seem good quality
https://www.discounttiredirect.com/buy-tires/carlisle-radial-trail-hd

I was considering switching to 16" wheels and running 225/75-16 LT Truck tires which should be more durable than most trailer tires

 

I ended up ordering four of these Kenda tires. I know of a few people running Kenda on their trucks so I'm hoping these are made to a decent standard. If they end up sucking then I like your plan of running some truck tires. I'm hoping with a better tire, a higher load rating (E vs D) and a higher speed rating that these will be up to the task. Time will tell.

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM10303.html

 

They’re basically Prius donut spares.

 

Well the 3.0x9 mounts are way bigger than the 2.5x10 mounts and itll effect how you fabricate the center section. Also the mounting width of the brackets are way different. Ive done both and will say they both have thier issues and ways you can work around them. Neither is a perfect fit and youll have to choose which option you will want to fabricate for.


My 3.0 ram has a 1/4in plate on top of the 12g factory metal, i cut out the top section and plated everything back in.

 

Nice, that doesn’t look too intimidating now that I can visualize it. What are the trade offs of using the 3.0x9” vs the 2.5x10” or vice versa?

 

3.0 is more powerful than the 2.5
The 3.0 fit a little better with the factory diff mounts. I used the passenger side diff mount as the forward ram mount hole(this also offset the ram 1/8-1/4 inch to the driver side and internal ram stops need to be corrected). With the 2.5 i had to run the mounts inward a little more that placed it under the oil pan, i ended up putting a hole into the oil pan because of motor mount flex. The 3.0 mounts are spaced farther apart and i have alot more room now.
The 3.0 mounts are so larger it needs to be shaved down to clear the diff and im still forward of stock, this effects ackerman. The 2.5 should be able to fit close to stock position, but you run into issues with the diff mounts or oil pan clearance.
The 2.5 end to end is barely the right length, i had to screw the heims into the ram instead of having the clevis on the ram. The 3.0 is shorter and i had to add spacers behind the clevis (which is screwed into the ram).

 

If you’re moved forward with pivots or LT in my case, would it be alright to move the ram forward, too? Shooting for stock geometry is probably best I’m assuming.

 

Yes, a LT kit is the best way to help correct the geometry. The pivot kit was really nice for the added caster, the return to center is much better with it.
I was able to get 5 degrees caster with high caster uppers before, with the pivot kit added i should be in the 8-10 range. Most solid axle guys tend to target 8 with full hydro

 

Food for thought, cutting the crossmember out entirely is easier and stronger. 1/4" 2x4 was perfect.

 

Bro ur ruining the oem heritage feel

 

I wish i couldve done something that easy. But that wouldnt fit and keep the proper geometry, it would either be too high of a ram location or too low of diff mounts. A 1x4 ish might fit well if you recessed the ram mounts into it. But building it from scrap and cardboard templates wasnt too hard. Just a pain to weld up there.

 

I started out with that approach in mind, but it ended up being perfect for a tundra rack. Lots of ways to skin this cat .