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06-16-2014, 09:52 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 13
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Weight Distribution bars: Tighter on one side?
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!
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06-16-2014, 01:41 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Posts: 614
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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.
__________________
Bob and sometimes - Nina - a Staffordshire Terrier/a SPOILED pit and her kitty Spaz
2006 Dodge SLT 2500 4x4 Cummins Quad Cab w/AT and 3.73
2007 Salem Sport LE 26FBSRV (TH) w/ my Victory Motorcycle in it or a EZ GO Shuttle cart.
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06-16-2014, 01:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Island Heights, NJ
Posts: 233
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I always use jack (now power) to raise tt and tow truck up high. Bars go on easy!
__________________
Bob
15 Vegas with a red toad
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06-16-2014, 09:55 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: HillBilly country, Smokey Mtns
Posts: 4,171
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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.
__________________
Grumpy ole man with over 60 years towing experience. Now my heaviest trailer is a 7'x16' 5,000-pound flatbed utility trailer, my tow vehicle is a 2019 F-150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost SuperCab with Max Tow (1,904 pounds payload capacity).
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06-17-2014, 07:12 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 224
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is it always the same side that is tighter? what if you switch the order that you hitch up?
__________________
2020 Forest River Salem 26 DBUD
2001 Ford F-250 7.3
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06-17-2014, 10:59 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 13
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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.
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06-18-2014, 05:27 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 224
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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.
__________________
2020 Forest River Salem 26 DBUD
2001 Ford F-250 7.3
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06-18-2014, 09:29 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,194
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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
__________________
Brian
2016 RAM 3500 6.7L DRW
2018 Chaparral 360IBL, Andersen Ultimate II hitch
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