Dumb question. But remember, this is my first truck and still have driven less than a few thousand miles.

My car is relatively sporty with aftermarket suspension and upper end tires. It sits somewhat low so I don’t really have any concerns of rollover unless I hit something.

The truck is high for me. If I take a turn too quick, will the truck always just lose traction first with the back end swinging out and maybe even the front end joining in? Or is there risk of rollover even if I don’t hit anything?

Alls I know is my 2004 Tacoma is tall and narrow and fast turns and curves sure feel a lot more dicey than in my previous truck, an F150. Curves at too much speed feel like potential rollovers to me.

That’s how I feel sometimes as I get more comfortable with the truck and forget I’m driving the truck and not the car. And end up with a slight scare.

But then I’m amazed at a video of somebody drifting an LX in Saudi or someplace. Even doing a 360 on pavement.

IIRC you have some kind of 4x4 Toyota??? Somewhat better road manners on such maneuvers than 'truck' such as old box body on frame pick up of 30sx thru more recent decades.

How much taller is the frame & bodywork than your actual 'car' by comparison?

I've had at least one truck/van/pickup in my daily driver fleet the last 50 years & never came close to rolling one. Some had pretty outrageous lean it gave chance to change my mind about what steering demand I had put into it.

I think most of us adapt pretty well to the changes our precious vehicles impose on our driving style.

It's about 50/50, the truck is beginning to lose traction about the time it is trying to go turtle in very extreme maneuver like a swerve/evasive steering at speeds 40 or greater.

Best to take it slow and work your experience and skill and learning the characteristics of the truck's ability and the edge.

I have had my F150 supercrew for 8 years and 180k.
Before I drove an Envoy for nearly the same amount of time/distance, and it took about a year of getting used to the trucks difference.

A few times it did get the back end loose, but usually at lower speeds and wet conditions.

It has never gotten to a point of feeling like it would roll over, but I have never been in a situation extreme enough to sense that "edge".

I have taken curves at pretty high speeds on occasion, typically an on or off ramp that tightens up very quickly and unexpected.

By comparison, I built a pro-touring car. 1964 Skylark that is pretty low and has all tube control arms, all adjustable links and heavy stabilization suspension, and my truck is not that far different in how it handles from the car.

That's my experiences.

My 18 Silverado is very stable, thanks to auto 4WD and traction / stability control.
These systems are better than I am.

Yup, I have an LX570 that clears about 10” sitting on 285/60/20. My car will scrape curb if I park too close. I’ve hit the sidewalk many times opening my door.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I have taken curves at pretty high speeds on occasion, typically an on or off ramp that tightens up very quickly and unexpected.

Yup. This is usually where I forget and get surprised.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
A few times it did get the back end loose, but usually at lower speeds and wet conditions.

I've had nothing but 2 pickup trucks for about the last 20 years, and both have scared me in the rain. I hydroplaned the F150 on the highway and did a full 360, getting hit in the process but with no injury or major damage. Nothing so dramatic in the Tacoma, but I have had the back end come around some on turns in the rain a couple of times.

Hence, I dislike driving in the rain. Anytime much of it is in the forecast, I make sure my tires are properly inflated, the gas tank is full, and I usually also carry and extra 150-200 lbs of weight in the bed. I also buy new tires before the tread gets really low in the back.

I started riding motorcycles before I drove cars, and preferred them as my primary mode everyday, rain or shine and even in the snow for 15 years, and I think that helped me be very mindful of "being in touch" with the road when wet. (I crank my asshole up to my pucker factor 6) I have never had your experience and certainly would not want that.

My driving when wet, especially curves and turns is night and day to dry conditions, so, yes I am 100% with you on that.

But the supercrew is weighted more like a car than a single cab style truck, and a truck with a longer wheelbase.

And most of my driving is highway, and in the south east where is is generally flat, not too aggressive curves and gentle up and down "hills".

As all things, I am sure things vary for folks with difference trucks and the other variables in type roads and driving conditions.

I bet it's more stable than you give it credit for. I've driven 4x4 trucks for the last 20 yrs or so.

If you haven't had the tires howling in a tight turn, you aren't even close to danger zone if your tires are inflated properly. Yes they tilt and lean.
Compared to a car, some handle like drunken beasts. No biggie.
I bet your SUV rides and handles way better than my truck and my truck has been pushed to some pretty extreme limits. (some intentional - some not)

I think you can trust your body and how it feels as to whether you are on the edge of losing control.

My idea stems from an article I read about road rage and how people's identity extend to assimilate the mass of their vehicle and think it's a part of them.

I moved from a somewhat sporty car (Lexus GS350) to an SUV (Lexus RX350). In the beginning, I did feel the height difference and by habit, I switched from driving in the leftmost lane to the next lane over and doing less maneuvering to get around cars.

Going around curves in the beginning, I could feel my sphincter muscles tighten up to create a vacuum to hold me better to my seat. But over time, I've learned to drive to its characteristics with confidence just by feel.

When I infrequently drive the GS350, I feel very low and close to the ground.

I went from a low sedan to a full frame SUV. The first month of driving, I was very aware of the body roll and always puckered a bit on tight turns.
It took a bit, but I got comfortable (but not complacent) with the way my SUV handled, and I stayed well within its limits. I found that the tires made a big difference whether you would break traction or roll, and learned to feel the difference.

The flip side of all this (pardon the pun), is that whenever I get into my old car (which now belongs to the kid), it feels like a damned go cart and I'm worried that I'm going to get run over by all these trucks and SUVs out there!

I've been driving Ford Expeditions since 2000. The chance of a roll over is possible, but probably not as likely as you think. There definitely is more body lean than a car. I take turns slower and am a little more cautious than when I used to drive sports cars.

Been driving high "center gravity" vehicles since I was young. When the back end breaks loose (over-steers), its a good thing (sort of), you can drive out of that and the vehicle wont flip or go on its side. When you are cornering and the tires are still grabbing, but you are getting that "here we go" feeling, well, that is when you are going on your roof.

The worse scenario is when the back end goes loose but then grabs (or gets traction) again during the slide, then for sure you are going to end up on the side or roof. Its all physics, higher the center of gravity, less stable.

Had an old bob-tail Bronco in HS; had that on 2 wheels a few times. Not fun. Also drove an C40 Chevy Tow Truck, super short wheel base, that thing wanted to flip going straight! Oddly, I also had a 94 Tahoe/2 door, that truck always gave me an odd feeling in a hard turn, (like it wouldn't take much to roll) more so than my 2007 Yukon.

They are still likely to skid before they flip, but trucks are more likely to do both than a car, generally speaking.

Mr Sigmonkey, I've always asserted growing up riding dirt bikes and racing in motocross was the best driving school I could have ever attended. Knowing how to feel a slide is most helpful.

I can say this with 100% authority:

It is possible to sideways drift a Ram 2500 quad cab LWB at 70 MPH in a successful attempt to avoid a developing collision.

It is also possible to sit on the side of the road shaking like a leaf for about 30 minutes.

I think a combination of new pavement, LWB, and Michelin LTX's saved my ass. Fantastic tires with extremely predictable behavior.

Simply put higher center of gravity=higher risk for rollover. Changing driving habits to meet the changing vehicle dynamics.

You guys just need Ford AdvanceTrac! It'll keep you going nice and straight...right into the ditch, or another vehicle, or a tree, or....

As has been said, higher center of gravity = higher risk of roll. But, once one realizes this and drives accordingly (with good tires) it's not really an issue. Yes, the ass end will tend to slide out as well because there is far less weight back there, but it's just a matter of practice and knowing how your truck is going to behave in any given situation. Taking your foot off the gas and steering into the slide will correct it promptly 99.9% of the time.

We have a 2015 F150 SuperCrew and it rides much like a car. Way smoother ride and handling than my 08 Lexus GX470 and much better stability in corners. Trucks are lighter in the back so you do need to realize any emergency handling is going to be affected by less traction. You can weigh down a bed with sand bags to make it more suitable for winter. As also mentioned, they have a higher center of gravity. That means fast and sharp turns need to be taken carefully! Another consideration is the difference in braking distance. You're trying to slow vehicle almost two times as heavy as your car. That's the one I feel the most in traffic. People pull in front, cut you off and think you can stop as fast as an Accord.