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Rear Squat Towing Solutions

Overlander22

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Waiting on a 2dr BL for towing an off-road trailer. Only concern is possible rear squat. I will be just at or under towing capacity but from what I've been reading rear squat may be an issue. Starting this thread to track aftermarket suspension options as they arise.
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BroncoSarge

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The tow hitch weight is 350lbs I think. Gotta balance the load.
 

1970AMCAMX

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If you are within the towing capacity, squat should not be a problem unless your trailer is not loaded correctly and has excessive tongue weight. If you are right at the limit, you might consider using a weight distributing hitch.

There should not be a need for heavier springs, the only way I would consider that is if you are towing the trailer the majority of the time and drive it very little without the trailer.
 

cmcbronco

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Old man emu is probably your best bet if you plan on hauling a lot. Heard good things about their suspension setups.
 

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GForceG

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Tow capacity is mostly irrelevant. Payload is your limiting factor. Read the inside door of your truck and get the exact payload for your configuration. Payload is the weight your truck can carry with a full fuel tank. Everything you can put in a truck is the payload (that includes you, passengers, pets, gear). Your 2 door payload capacity is going to be around 1100 lbs. So lets say you and your passenger together weighs 400 lbs. and another 100 lbs for gear, etc. that means your remaining payload is 600lbs. Your tongue weight can't exceed 600lbs. If your trailer weighs 2500lbs and your tongue weight is 700lbs, then you are over loading your rig. However, if your trailer weighs 3500 lbs and the tongue weight is 350lbs, you are in great shape.
 
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Overlander22

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Tow capacity is mostly irrelevant. Payload is your limiting factor. Read the inside door of your truck and get the exact payload for your configuration. Payload is the weight your truck can carry with a full fuel tank. Everything you can put in a truck is the payload (that includes you, passengers, pets, gear). Your 2 door payload capacity is going to be around 1100 lbs. So lets say you and your passenger together weighs 400 lbs. and another 100 lbs for gear, etc. that means your remaining payload is 600lbs. Your tongue weight can't exceed 600lbs. If your trailer weighs 2500lbs and your tongue weight is 700lbs, then you are over loading your rig. However, if your trailer weighs 3500 lbs and the tongue weight is 350lbs, you are in great shape.
This makes sense and I should be well within payload limits as I will 90% of the time be traveling solo. Will also make sure the trailer is level and reapportion added weight over axle as much as possible.
 

Lakelife36

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Tow capacity is mostly irrelevant. Payload is your limiting factor. Read the inside door of your truck and get the exact payload for your configuration. Payload is the weight your truck can carry with a full fuel tank. Everything you can put in a truck is the payload (that includes you, passengers, pets, gear). Your 2 door payload capacity is going to be around 1100 lbs. So lets say you and your passenger together weighs 400 lbs. and another 100 lbs for gear, etc. that means your remaining payload is 600lbs. Your tongue weight can't exceed 600lbs. If your trailer weighs 2500lbs and your tongue weight is 700lbs, then you are over loading your rig. However, if your trailer weighs 3500 lbs and the tongue weight is 350lbs, you are in great shape.
Your payload (it's more suitable to think about it in terms of GVWR) is only one of the many things that you are not supposed to exceed. Tongue weight is another, so no you can't simply put 600lbs of tongue weight on that truck and it be fine because you're still under GVWR. Max tongue weight is defaulted to 10% of tow capacity, so in most Broncos that's 350lbs, which is laughably low. I'd bet you dollars to donuts that there are a lot of people with higher tongue weight than that driving around - especially because trailers are often closer to 12% tongue weight than 10% - but the 600lbs given in that example really seems to be too high for a Class II hitch reciever.
 

rtazz17

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Agreed,you need to stay close to that 10% of gvwr (3500) or the tail will start wagging the dog and then you will be in trouble. If your squating the rear that bad its time to get a real tow vehicle.
 

Mainerunr

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Tow capacity is mostly irrelevant. Payload is your limiting factor. Read the inside door of your truck and get the exact payload for your configuration. Payload is the weight your truck can carry with a full fuel tank. Everything you can put in a truck is the payload (that includes you, passengers, pets, gear). Your 2 door payload capacity is going to be around 1100 lbs. So lets say you and your passenger together weighs 400 lbs. and another 100 lbs for gear, etc. that means your remaining payload is 600lbs. Your tongue weight can't exceed 600lbs. If your trailer weighs 2500lbs and your tongue weight is 700lbs, then you are over loading your rig. However, if your trailer weighs 3500 lbs and the tongue weight is 350lbs, you are in great shape.
Well, tow limit is a little relevant. You need to look at it...AND GVWR AND GCWR.

In this case, you are limited to 350lb tongue weight and 3500lb trailer weight. You would not want the tongue weight less for a 3500lb trailer and it should not be more (well, unless you want to exceed the tongue weight limit). Gross combined vehicle weight is something like 8840 with with a 3500lb trailer, your tow vehicle can't weigh more than 5340...(and I think this is a huge problem, people look at 3500lb and just make that without realizing that while their trailer is under the limit and their TV is under the limit, combined, they are not.). (BD, BL and WT all have lower tow ratings too...)

I run into this with my F150. I could never hit the tow rating because I'd be over GCWR (while still well below payload). 1818lb payload, 9100lb tow rating but only a 14,400lb GCWR. Truck weighed 5182 new with all fluids and a tank of gas...so even with nothing added, I'd have to weigh under 118lb to make it work (and the WDH takes up most of that).
 

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GForceG

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I guess my point is that the limiting factor is almost always payload and tongue weight.
 

Lakelife36

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Well, tow limit is a little relevant. You need to look at it...AND GVWR AND GCWR.

In this case, you are limited to 350lb tongue weight and 3500lb trailer weight. You would not want the tongue weight less for a 3500lb trailer and it should not be more (well, unless you want to exceed the tongue weight limit). Gross combined vehicle weight is something like 8840 with with a 3500lb trailer, your tow vehicle can't weigh more than 5340...(and I think this is a huge problem, people look at 3500lb and just make that without realizing that while their trailer is under the limit and their TV is under the limit, combined, they are not.). (BD, BL and WT all have lower tow ratings too...)

I run into this with my F150. I could never hit the tow rating because I'd be over GCWR (while still well below payload). 1818lb payload, 9100lb tow rating but only a 14,400lb GCWR. Truck weighed 5182 new with all fluids and a tank of gas...so even with nothing added, I'd have to weigh under 118lb to make it work (and the WDH takes up most of that).
By SAE J2807, tow cap should be GCWR - curb weight - 300lbs, and that's on the "test" vehicle. Pickups in general have a GCWR for every trim, body style, and powerteain combination, but if your truck is well appointed then it will have a higher curb weight than the "test" vehicle and therefore will have less than that already measly 300lbs of payload allowed at tow cap.

I guess my point is that the limiting factor is almost always payload and tongue weight.
On lower trim Broncos the GCWR far exceeds tow cap + curb weight + 300lbs, so the towed weight generally does not govern GCWR but is still its own limiting factor. You can actually put in quite a bit of payload before hitting GCWR even at 3500lbs towed weight. On the higher trims however, GCWR is close to or even under curb weight + tow cap + 300lbs, and you will exceed it quite quickly if you're not careful. The silly low max tongue weight on that garbage Class II hitch likely limits many people in many situations.

Payload being limiting is a function of both GVWR and GCWR, and how much you are towing. It is not only a function of GVWR. You have to satisfy both if you're playing by the book.
 

GoTigersGoBronco

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I’ve seen three 4-door Broncos with trailers in the 3,000-5,000lb range. They looked to be loaded correctly with weight forward. I did not notice any significant squat. They load is noticeable but not ridiculous.
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