Help needed with traction concerns

My son has a 2005 crew cab short bed TRD 2 wheel drive truck.. The problem we have is anytime it rains the truck drives like it's on ice. I thought it was was his driving but I drove it around the neighborhood and it literally slid out of control if you touched the gas. It is actually terrifying it so bad. Tires are good and we put 300 lbs of bag sand in the back to help. This helped significantly but this is not a long term option for him. He needs the truck to haul his lawn equipment around if he get's caught in the rain without the weight I'm scared he could get in a accident. If anyone can help us or confirm this type of problem I would greatly appreciate the input.

 

New tires or 4x4.

 

Get different tires. Those are crap

 

Just because the tires have plenty of tread, doesn't really mean they are "good". Never heard of rain being that slick when driving? What kind of tires?

 

Poor quality tires, consider lowing the air pressure below 30psi.

 

I agree. The tires are most likely the issue. Do some research and try to find some that are really good in the rain. My original factory equipped bridgestone's were horrible and I switch to toyo at2 and those were much better.

 

Does it have an electric rear differential lock? If so, make sure it's not engaged all the time.

 

umm,, learn how to drive.. My truck didn't even do that on snow with 60k on the original bridgestones that were 6 years old.. Nor does my manual trans Supercharged chevy shortwide with 500+ at the tires.. no vehicle does, unless you want it too, and are using way too much throttle.. Its like hes just flooring it and then saying "i don't know whats wrong". And no I'm not bein a jerk.. but,, seriously.. He needs to learn how to drive.

 

1st thing to do is check the air pressure, and make sure they are not uber over inflated.

2nd thing is to check the manuf. date on the sidewall. Like this. https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/how-to-determine-the-age-of-your-tires

If they are over 4-5 years old, the compound is hardened causing the rubber to no longer have grip. BTW, these same tires will be a huge problem trying to make a panic stop in the dry, or driving a corner too hard. Zippity do da.

They may have tread, but I'm betting the compound has aged out beyond serviceable life.

You should consider your annual miles driven, and multiply by 4 years, and that's all the tread wear warranty you need. Cause the tires need replacement by then based on rubber hardening anyway. If you are buying performance tires, make that 2 years.

 

If not used to driving a truck, it will tend to slide more in the rain than a car because, as you noted, the rear wheels do poorly with no ballast. He will need to take it easy on turns; when accelerating; and when driving on steep hills. As noted above, check for proper tire air pressure. Don't go by psi rating on the tire - that is for max pressure; use recommended pressure noted on door jam. It's usually 28-34 psi for most passenger cars/trucks.

 

@tcBob

 

The TRD Sport has a limited slip rear differential. The diff fluid needs a friction modifier added to enable the clutch in the diff to release. If the limited slip is engaging when it shouldn't, you will definitely notice it on turns when the road surface is slippery. This will behave much like the e-locker as described above. If the Truck is TRD Off-road, you should check that the e-locker is not engaged. If it is TRD Sport, you could change the rear diff fluid, and ensure that you use a diff oil that is intended for a limited slip diff, also add the friction modifier.

There is a good walk through with pictures if you want to change the fluid yourself. It is not hard to believe that a mechanic might have overlooked the friction modifier.

Not sure that this is the issue, hope you find the source of the problem. Good luck!

 

He's asked any "help" titled threads that aren't for emergency need or stranded vehicles that he be tagged so he can change the thread title to something suiting the content of the post.

Lest people who really need assistance of the forum for vehicle recovery or the like be glossed over by people thinking "help, emergency!" is just another thread about tire size and what lift to buy.

 

Couldn't agree with you more. I used to post in threads like this asking OP to change it, but they never did, so I stopped trying. Good to know that the bob will take care of it

 

Thanks for the help. The tires were made in 2011 and are Kelly tires so that could be part of the issue. he keeps the pressure between 30-35 usually so I will get him to double check that part as well. I never thought about the differential fluid that darn good advice.

 

It's definitely the tires. Check out discounttiredirect.com for new ones. I always recommend that place because it's the cheapest I've been able to find them.

 

It's the tires.

If you are a Costco member, they regularly have barn burner sales on Mich or Bridgestone, including free installation, road hazard warranty, etc etc. On a 2wd sport used for lawn service work, a good street tire is all that is needed.

Onlinetires.com and Tirerack.com are other good places to shop in addition to what @EatSleepTacos suggeste. Never know when you'll hit a sale.

 

Has to be tires and/or driving habits. I have a '10 single cab 2WD and live in MA. I drive mine every day even in snow..look up the winter we had 2 year ago.

 

How often would you say that have these sales? I'm a costco member, and am looking to get a new set for my car in the upcoming weeks.