SOFT RIDE AND TOWING CAPACITY DON’T ALWAYS GO HAND IN HAND
Dear Car Talk:
I bought a barely-used 2009 Nissan Frontier Pro4X Crew Cab in 2010. It was the best money I ever spent. It now has 77K miles, and I plan to keep it until I can’t drive anymore.
My question: Is there anything I can do to make the ride softer, yet still keep the towing capacity at a little over 6,000 pounds?
— Roger
I used to drive a pickup truck, Carl, and I also used to smoke a pipe. And I can sympathize with you, because I bit the stem off a few pipe stems going over bumps in that thing. Unfortunately, there’s not a heck of a lot you can do.
In order to have a towing capacity of some 6,000 pounds, the truck has to have heavy-duty springs. And those springs are what give your truck that Conestoga wagon ride that you’ve come to know and not really love. If you want to spend $60,000 for a pickup, you can get both a soft ride and towing capacity. But at the 2009 Frontier’s price point, it’s one or the other.
The only possible area for improvement is your tires. First, make sure they’re not overinflated. Overinflated tires will definitely add more bounce to the ride, and that’s the last thing you want. Don’t underinflate them either but go to the low end of the recommended pressure range, especially when you’re not towing anything.
And when it’s time for new tires, shop with comfort in mind. Because so many “off road” vehicles never go further off road than the Wendy’s parking lot, tire makers have started making off-road tires that are really on-road tires.
They call them — are you ready for this, Carl? — On/Off Road All-Terrain tires. But they function like on-road tires, recognizing that for most people, off-road ability is more fashion than function. These hybrid tires are designed for people who buy an off-road truck because it looks cool, and then realize they hate every minute of driving it because it rides like an off-road truck.
So you might look at something like the Continental Terrain Contact A/T, for instance, which gets a pretty good rating for comfort, along with everything else. And that won’t reduce your towing capacity, as long as the tires carry the ratings your truck requires. But don’t expect a miracle, Carl. Less off-road-y tires will help, but you’ll still want to wear that mouth guard when driving.
Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.