WDH Setup

[L.C.Gray]

Leaving out mid week on a short trip. This will be first hook since trading trucks this summer. I failed to get a good measurement of the hitch on the old truck to compare to the new one, so I didn't really even have a starting point. When I bought my first TT it really didn't need a WDH, but it came with one and I just used it as was. When I bought the newer bigger TT I took all my WDH gear to the dealer with me and let their service folks set it up for me.

I'm really kinda flying blind here, just going on logic to try to set it up myself. Starting from scratch I set the trailer level and measured the coupler height. I then adjusted the ball up 3 inches on the new truck to be about an inch higher than the coupler height, figuring there would be some squat. I hooked up, and hooked the bars in the same link I'd been using on the previous truck.

With this set up, the trailer (30 ft) is 1" lower in front than in back. The truck is 3/4" higher in front and 3/4" lower in the rear than where it sits unladen. My spring bars are sitting parallel to the trailer tongue. Standing back, to the eye everything looks level.

Am I about where I need to be?

[2500HD]

Sounds dead on to me. You may need do some fine adjustments putting a bit more weight on the truck and letting the trailer nose down an inch more.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by L.C.Gray

Am I about where I need to be?

If you want to fine-tune it, here's how:

Your goal is 20 to 25 percent of the gross tongue weight distributed back to the trailer tires. Another 20 to 25 percent of the gross tongue weight distributed to the front axle of the tow vehicle (TV). That leaves 50 to 60 percent of the gross tongue weight on the rear axle of the TV.

If you have less than 50 percent or more than 60 percent of the gross tongue weight on the rear axle of the TV after the spring bars are tightened, then adjust the tension on the spring bars until you have the desired weight distribution off the rear axle.

To adjust the amount of weight distributed to the trailer axles and the front axle of the TV, you change the angle of the ball mount to the trailer tongue.

Getting it fine tuned may require several trips across the CAT scale.

First, you must know your wet and loaded tongue weight. Best is a tongue weight scale.

If you don't have access to a tongue weight scale, then two passes across the CAT scale will give you what you need. The weight of the wet and loaded TV without the trailer subtracted from the weight on the two pickup axles with the trailer but without the spring bars attached will give you tongue weight.

You need the axle weights of the combined rig without the spring bars attached as well as the axle weights of the combined rig with the spring bars attached. The difference in those axle weights will tell you the amount of weight distributed by the WD hitch.

If you need an example of how to compute the percentages, holler back.

When you get done and the percentages are about right, the floor of the trailer should be level front to rear with the spring bars tightened. If the trailer is not level, then adjust the ball mount to raise or lower the trailer tongue to have a level trailer. Then double-check your percentages of weight distribution again.