looking for some advice on my flat towing setup

[fuelfox4949]

today I did a test run with my pickup truck flat towing my jeep and it did not go to well to say the least.
my setup is a 2019 ford f150 2.7 ecoboost Super cab 4x4 rated to tow 8000k.
my 2021 Wrangler JL Rubicon has 2.5 inch lift on 37s and weighs 5000k on the dot per Cat scale, I have a blue ox 7500 pound towbar, rvi2 brake system attached to Smittybilt xrc front bumper towbar is completely level when hooked up.

going down the highway today the jeep was swaying back and forth and a few times it got to the point the truck hit the brakes due to the sway. I tried different speeds 75, 70, 65, 60 and there was still way to much sway for my liking and gripping the wheel tight. the road was mixed but alot of it was brand new perfect flat concrete or asphalt. I originally thought that the jeeps tires were falling into the tracks on the road but even on flat it was swaying all over.

My biggest thought is the truck is to light and the jeep is pulling the back end back and forth to easily and I should save the flat towing for when I get a RV in a couple years.

I drive the jeep to work each day on the same highway and it does not pull or sway all over or have death wobble it actually tracks pretty straight.
I'm looking for advice on maybe anything I did wrong and overlooked?

I am a truck driver that hauls double 28' trailers down the road so I have plenty of towing and driving experience but the flat towing is new to me.

I could not get a trailer to haul the jeep due to storage however now I am considering a 7k aluminum trailer to haul the jeep, just wondering if it will do the same swaying but at least I can use the trailer brakes to straighten it out if there is a little sway here and there.
I have pulled this jeep with a 2200 pound u haul trailer 3 hours back to home but I was on county roads and the fastest I got up to was 65 mph. also my truck pulled it like nothing was back there and it was smooth.

thoughts? advice?

thanks.

Sponsored

 

[LukeDagny]

I'm thinking whatever is causing your Jeep to sway back and forth with your truck up won't change when you get a RV.

I've flat towed my Jeep LJ (TJ Unlimited) thousands of miles behind my RV with a Blue OX tow bar. I switch the rear camera on at all times while towing. My LJ never swayed, including some times above the legal speed limit.

I've set my JLUR for flat towing, but haven't actually tested it out. You have me worried.

Have you checked alignment on your Jeep after your lift kit installation? Toe in you can check and adjust in your garage.

 

[fuelfox4949]

Yes, I have my alignment done often. Castor 6.5 degrees, toe in set .20 degrees in.
Tires balanced with beads.
Like I said it tracks straight when I'm driving it on the highway to work.
I thought it would be easy towing this way so I was shocked and ticked this morning when I had to turn back home due to it being unsafe.

 

[LukeDagny]

I just wanted to add my only experience similar to yours, where the towed item started to sway. Years ago, I had a tandem axle enclosed trailer. I eyeballed the hitch height, and things were level. Any speed over 65 MPH, the trailer would revolt.

I finally checked with the manufacturer, and the specified hitch height was 2" higher than what I was running. My set up had the axles loaded unequally.

Flat towing is not the same at a tandem axle towing. In my mind, flat towing is similar to your towing double trailers. Axle weighting is independent to hitch height.

 

[LukeDagny]

We have Blue Ox tow bars. Blue Ox has great customer service. Maybe if you call them, and share what you find out

I thought it would be easy towing this way so I was shocked and ticked this morning when I had to turn back home due to it being unsafe.

I know its frustrating, but thanks for not becoming some random You Tube video of what happens when people choose poorly.

IMO, Jeep Wranglers are the most popular toads. I'm sure your not the first to flat tow with 37" tires. I'm hoping your solution is going to be something simple.

The second most popular flat tow vehicle is a Honda Fit, and that's not an option

 

[fuelfox4949]

I was heading up north for the night and had no weight in the box of my truck.
The girlfriend and I in the cab with a large cooler.
Wondering if I had all my off road gear and tools in the box if it would have helped keep the back planted better.
I ran my air bags with 10 psi then used them to 30 psi and it did not seem to help.
I was going to flat tow to moab in a few weeks.
Now tomorrow I'm going to double check front end of my jeep and rotate tires but I'm always working and making sure the jeep runs like a top cause I wheel alot, so front end parts are usually cleaned and regressed and retorqued after a weekend wheeling trip.

 

[MikeyD]

I just went thru the same experience as you. just flat towed jeep behind class c motor home and the motor home was all over the road and constantly counter steering motor home to correct it. I also am a truck driver for 38 years and this experience was uncomfortable my neck muscles were shot for two days from being so tense. What I found out was I needed to put a rear track bar on the motor home. I have not towed again with it yet but have driven the motor home and it seems to have helped. The way I think it has helped is even while driving just the motor home by itself I always had to counter steer it especially when passing a semi. watch this video

 

[MikeyD]

Also I unhooked the jeep from the motor home on the way back from our trip and had the wife drive it the rest of the way home to figure out if it was the jeep or the motor home causing the problem. The motor home always had that rear end floating causing me to counter steer and with the jeep hooked up it just intensified it. The term they use for it is the tail wagging the dog. watch all super steer videos and testimonials seems people with brand new motor homes off the lot have the same problem and are scared to drive them. https://supersteerparts.com/

 

[fuelfox4949]

Very interesting, I did want to put a rear sway bar in my f150 because it does not come with 1 from the factory.

Dodge and Toyota have a rear sway bar in there pick up trucks.

It's 500 or so for a heliwig sway bar but that may be I big help keeping the tail from wiggling.
I may invest in that, I don't believe there is a rear track bar for my 2019 f150.

 

[LukeDagny]

It's 500 or so for a heliwig sway bar but that may be I big help keeping the tail from wiggling.

Shop around. I just installed a HD Hellwig front sway bar on my motorhome, and I paid $400. Check Amazon.

 

[fuelfox4949]

I ordered a hellwig sway bar for my f150. I always wanted to install one since people say it's the best upgrade to there truck.
Checked over the front end of my jeep today and did a driveway alignment, I'll go for a test run tonight to see how it tracks but like I said I drive it to work on the highway and it's been fine.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a Winnabego View Class C RV that I flat tow my 22 JLR 2dr w/315s. Before I started towing, I installed a Hellwig rear sway bar on the RV. Made a world of difference in the RV handling.

I use a Blue Ox Ascent tow bar that ties directly into the Jeep frame ends via clevis fittings on my RockHard4x4 Patriot bumper.

Also installed an RoadMaster Exact Center steering stabilizer to replace the weak OEM SS. You may want to give RoadMaster a call for recommendations as they are available with different load ratings. They have pretty good customer support in figuring what is best set up.

https://www.roadmasterinc.com/steering-solutions/exact-center/

 

[fuelfox4949]

I looked at that exact center setup and it had good reviews but I ended up going with a fox thru shaft steering stabilizer that steer smart recommended when I put there drag link and tie rod on.

 

[Al G]

I don't know what might be causing the swaying but I doubt it's the towing vehicle. JLs are towed all the time with no issues. I've towed my JLU a few thousand miles and don't even know it's there.

Do you have a 2 or 4 door?

 

[fuelfox4949]

I don't know what might be causing the swaying but I doubt it's the towing vehicle. JLs are towed all the time with no issues. I've towed my JLU a few thousand miles and don't even know it's there.

Do you have a 2 or 4 door?

2 door

Sponsored