Community Forums

rednielsen · 06-16-2014, 09:52 AM

Need some help from the crowd! I've noticed in the past few hitch-ups one bar or the other on my WD is harder hitch than the other. The last time we went out, i moved the truck and trailer to a more level surface, and then added on the WD bars. But still the right side was significantly tighter than the left.

Each side is on the same link (#2), the tow vehicle and trailer were straight, both seemed to be level. I cranked up the tongue while attached to tow vehicle to release some tension. Any suggestions before I haul this to my RV mechanic?

Thanks in advance!

NFlcamper · 06-16-2014, 01:41 PM

The second one is the hardest if you just lower the hitch on the ball - the head of the WDH tilts ever so slightly to the first side and the tension on that side increases the second side to snap up.
Try locking the hitch on the ball and use the Jack to raise the truck about 3 " then snap up the WDH. Makes it a little easier.

tooltrdr · 06-16-2014, 01:46 PM

I always use jack (now power) to raise tt and tow truck up high. Bars go on easy!

SmokeyWren · 06-16-2014, 09:55 PM

To answer your basic question, no you do not want to tighten one spring bar more than the other. Lock the coupler onto the ball. Then use the tongue jack to raise the tongue and the back end of the tow vehicle a few inches. Then assuming your WD hitch uses chain lengths to adjust the tension on the spring bars, attach the chains to the snap-up brackets, then snap up the brackets with both chains using the same link, and they should both be relatively easy to snap up - probably with your fingers. Then lower the tongue until the tongue jack is free, and you should be hooked up with both spring bars adjusted the same.

Goneracin · 06-17-2014, 07:12 AM

is it always the same side that is tighter? what if you switch the order that you hitch up?

rednielsen · 06-17-2014, 10:59 PM

To clarify, I follow all the procedures you all have stated: Level ground, hook the tongue to the ball and lock it, raise the tongue jack to raise the truck up, then add the bars to the hitch, hook up the chains and lift to lock. But sometimes the right is harder to lift than the left or vice versa. And harder by a lot, like maybe one side will be really tough and the other fairly easy.

Is this typical or should they be even pressure when lifting the bars to lock into place?

I think I will measure the height of the ball without the trailer hooked to it, and make sure I crank a few inches past that when I raise with the tongue jack and see if that helps. I may not be lifting it high enough.

Thanks for all the feedback and if you have any more suggestions, I am listening.

Goneracin · 06-18-2014, 05:27 AM

Just to be sure... Make sure all bolts on the hitch system are torqued to the proper spec. Maybe the head on the hitch is tilting a bit. Also, just for the sake of argument, try moving down one link on the chains on each side, putting less weight on the hitch. see if it is still tighter on one side than the other.

Who originally set up the hitch? You might be putting too much load on the bars. well, more than you need to.

Im just trying to guess at things here to help diagnose it.

chaps2018 · 06-18-2014, 09:29 AM

I have experienced this as well.

First--one dynamic that was not mentioned was if the vehicle is not in the same straight line as the trailer then one side will be tighter.

That said, I have experienced this phenomena. I assume it is caused by either

1) my truck is not level (top of tail gate compared to seams in the trailer aluminum skin)

2)the trailer is heavier on one side (I have not checked this a scale)

So in my experiment I switched bars side to side thinking one bar was 'stretched out'. Initially the bars seemed 'back to normal'. However after a few more tows, the original side that was 'loose' seemed to be 'loose' again