Towing is one of the most commonly overlooked uses of a truck/SUV that results in thousands of accidents every year. While most truck owners are very aware of the “towing capacity” of their truck, they really don’t understand what that means. Having been on the counter for 6 years, I’ve heard almost every misconception there is: larger tires don’t mean you can increase your payload capacity; a taller truck doesn’t mean you can buy a bigger trailer and those 22” wheels definitely do not mean you can pull more weight. While there are aftermarket modifications that can restore a lifted or lowered truck’s ability to tow, a vehicle manufacturer’s tow rating should NEVER BE EXCEEDED. There is absolutely no reason to put yourself and every other driver on the road at risk. Weigh-Safe has a great article about the 5 most common towing mistakes if you’d like to read more: https://www.weigh-safe.com/towing-safety/5-of-the-most-common-towing-mistakes/ With that said, let’s take a look at what happens when you lift, level or lower your tow rig and the additional accessories needed.

Detroit’s engineers spend thousands and thousands of hours running the calculations and tests needed to determine a truck’s payload and towing capacities. When crunching these numbers, manufacturers look at a combination of factors, including starting (torque), stopping (brakes/tow vehicle mass) and weight distribution (stance). Because of the focus on weight distribution, a stock truck is typically designed to come from the factory with the rear end sitting high. This is done to force the weight on top of the steering components so when a payload is added and the rear squats, the front end does not become too light. When this happens, there is a reduction in steering response. The issue becomes much more apparent when towing. Watch this short clip to show what happens when the weight is not properly distributed on a trailer. Imagine what would happen if you didn't have responsive steering. Continue reading.
 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
 

Easter Jeep Safari was last month, did you see all of the concept builds? Click the image to read Motortrend's coverage of all the builds. Our favorite is the Magneto 2.0!
 

NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT!

 

MAXTRAC A to Z
 

Most customers that are looking to lift or lower their vehicles are not going to do the install themselves. Being an installer requires experience and technical know-how that most driveway tinkerers just don’t possess. When it comes to designing lift- and lowering-kits, even more advanced suspension knowledge is required to safely drive a modified vehicle down the highway at 75 MPH. This is the level of knowledge that MaxTrac adds into the design of every kit.

Prior to working at MaxTrac, JJ owned his own fabrication business and specialized in one-off builds. His hand-built, rock bouncing 4Runner sits in the MaxTrac parking lot every day as a reminder of his capabilities. However, fabrication and bolt-on manufacturing are two entirely different animals and luckily for us, JJ has done both. With his extensive fabrication background, JJ is able to look at all areas of a vehicle and how he can brace suspension components using existing frame locations. Due to his years of installing other manufacturers’ kits, he knows what pitfalls can cause an installer to throw his/her prybar halfway across the shop (it’s okay, we’ve all been there).

Before a kit is ever released, JJ goes through the entire install process and looks for two things: keep reading
 

THE BIG SHOW



 

"Weeeeeeeelllllll…. Well, it’s the BIG SHOW!!” No, we’re not talking about the 7-foot tall, 400-pound monster known for choke-slamming his opponents into oblivion; we’re talking about the Keystone BIG Show! One of the largest wholesale distributors in the aftermarket industry, Keystone puts on an annual event every year called the BIG Show. The show is Keystone’s way of bringing together all of their customers and brands under one roof and is usually the kick-off to the long summer ahead for manufacturers. It’s a great way for those in the industry to start the show season and get ready for the road ending in Las Vegas in November. It’s only May, but before we know it, we’ll be talking SEMA!
 

This year’s show celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the company and MaxTrac was there to witness the festivities. GM Eric Jolly, made the brave and daring trek driving all the way from Anaheim, CA to Gaylord, TX in the MaxTrac 2021 Ford F150 single cab…. For those that don’t know, Eric and the previously mentioned WWE star could be mistaken for brothers, both on size and appearance. When asked how the 3000-mile round trip was in a truck that small, Eric replied “That has got to be the most comfortable riding single cab I’ve ever been in! Ford has definitely done some amazing things with the space. I kept thinking I had some jump seats behind me (like a 97-03 extended cab) with how big the cab is!”. Click here to read Keystone’s recap of the show.
 

"We'll see how smart you are when that step 9 comes"