Weight distributing hitch question

[move on]

Originally Posted by Mdb from BC

Opposite. Nose heavy is good. Tongue weight is good. All the cargo behind the rear axle(s) is bad.

Too much tongue weight is bad. It can cause your rig to jackknife in a sharp turn. Don't go over 15%. It is best to load your trailer with most weight concentrated directly over the axles while still maintaining a tongue weight of 10%.

[NevadaNick]

The basics of towing

[Mdb from BC]

Originally Posted by NevadaNick

The basics of towing

Agreed. Too much tongue weight is less worse than too little. But everything within reason.

[CharlesinGA]

Is the nut welded on the underside? Ball welded out of view on the top side. Only weld I see is covered in blue paint. I see rust stains coming from under the ball around the base of it, but no weld..........

Not that it matters truthfully, but sure would like to see what you are seeing.

The trailer needs to be level to slightly down when fully loaded and hitched. Measure the front fenders to the ground, however much it rises when you drop the trailer on it, take at least half that much out with the weight bars. If the back end still squats, so be it, you may need Timbrens or air bags or something to help but don't use the hitch to raise the back end, instead use it to push the front end back down.

Find a CAT scale, cost $12. Fill the gas tank, fully loaded for a trip. Release the bars, pull on the scale, get three weights, front axle, rear axle, trailer axles. (Plus gross combined weight.)

Pull off and drop the trailer. Come back and weigh again, get two weights, front and rear axles, (and gross weight)

Take combined weight of truck and trailer, subtract the weight of the truck alone (second weigh) from the combined weight. The result is the total weight of the trailer. Take this total trailer weight and subtract the trailer axle weight (first weigh) from it, this result is your tongue weight.

Take the total weight of the trailer and multiply by .10 (10%), Take the total trailer weight and multiply by .15 (15%), does the calculated tongue weight you arrived at fall in this range? hopefully mid way.

Charles

[Ldubs]

OK, I'm sticking my neck out here. Whether the ball is welded on or not, it seems what is needed is a bigger drop, meaning one of these of the proper size. I'm pretty sure they make one that would give the desired result.

Am I all wet?

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by Ldubs

OK, I'm sticking my neck out here. Whether the ball is welded on or not, it seems what is needed is a bigger drop, meaning one of these of the proper size. I'm pretty sure they make one that would give the desired result.

Am I all wet?

No, you are correct. I think I also mentioned using a different shank. You just have to figure out about how much drop or rise you need.

I only asked about the ball because for some reason the discussion went that way, but the ball does look pretty "rough". I bought a used hitch with a ball that looked like that and removed it and threw it in the scrap bin, put a new one on. Current hitch, bought used, the hitch had only towed twice the seller told me, and the ball was LOOSE, I mean it was real loose, so I made sure it was not worn in the threads and retorqued it, hence the pic I posted above.

Charles

[Honestron]

I'll try to get a better picture and post it today. If I'm wrong about the weld, I'll own up to it.
As far as the condition of the ball, should it look pristine and unused for it's entire life? I've only pulled with this set up about 3 or 4 times, max. I will not throw it in the scrap bin because it's been used a few times.
Should the ball and/or coupler be greased? I thought that was a ground connection between the truck and trailer. Again, I could be wrong

[NevadaNick]

I grease mine, if you don't turn much then it probably doesn't matter. I have seen a few that the ball was pretty galled from no lube. The trailer should be grounded through the plug.

[CamperLifer]

Can someone please demonstrate by means of a video link or some kind of proof that having more than 15% tongue weight will cause a likelihood of jackknifing please ? If not, please do not post something you do not know to be true.

[move on]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

Can someone please demonstrate by means of a video link or some kind of proof that having more than 15% tongue weight will cause a likelihood of jackknifing please ? If not, please do not post something you do not know to be true.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?...q=81&skin=2021

Stay safe.

[Cumminsfan]

Originally Posted by move on

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?...q=81&skin=2021

Stay safe.

That link is for towing without a WDH. Of course the more weight you drop on the rear of the station wagon it will make the front of the station wagon raise up and take weight off the front tires.
Thats why we have WDH today so you can return weight back to the front of the tow vehicle.
And who tows with a 1966 station wagon anyways?

[move on]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

That link is for towing without a WDH. Of course the more weight you drop on the rear of the station wagon it will make the front of the station wagon raise up and take weight off the front tires.

Thats why we have WDH today so you can return weight back to the front of the tow vehicle.

And who tows with a 1966 station wagon anyways?

Actually it does point out the evils of weight distribution hitches. The principles established in that study are still valid today.

[Cumminsfan]

Originally Posted by move on

Actually it does point out the evils of weight distribution hitches. The principles established in that study are still valid today.

No they're not.

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

Can someone please demonstrate by means of a video link or some kind of proof that having more than 15% tongue weight will cause a likelihood of jackknifing please ? If not, please do not post something you do not know to be true.

I had not heard of the jackknife issue before I read it on these forums. My understanding has always been too much tongue weight could cause control/overloading problems.