Proper way to hook up weight distribution hitch

The heavy-duty variety of weight distribution hitches, meanwhile, can deal with much more significant ball loads. Weight distribution hitches do require some maintenance to keep them fettled. The key thing to do is to grease the spring bars with a general lubricating grease where they attach to the ball head. The four-bar WDH is almost identical to the two-bar unit.

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If you purchase the four-bar unit it can also be used as a two-bar version, so you can manage a greater range of loads. The main differences are that the A-frame brackets accommodate two bars per side, and the cast head has four holes instead of two. A weight distribution hitch may have a positive impact on the reduction of the cause of common sway by increasing the down force applied to the front axle and hence the traction of your tow vehicle, but its operation is entirely different to that of Electronic Stability Control.

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Travel How To Products Reviews. Caravan 25 April Either refer to the compliance plate fixed to the van, or better still certainly if the van is packed with gear measure the ball load of the caravan. Also know the overall weight that the tow vehicle is permitted to haul and the capacity of the towbar — all loads must be within these figures.

Back up your tow vehicle and determine if the towball is at an appropriate height for the caravan. Remove the towball, place the cast iron head on the tongue and tighten the ball.

Fit the WDH rod upwards into the hole in the cast iron head. A circlip or R clip fits into a groove near the top of the rod. Repeat steps 4 and 5 on the other side. Reach near the far end of the rod and lift it into the support bracket on the A-frame. There are lifting accessories available if it is too hard to lift unassisted. Then select the WDH that will accommodate that weight range.

For an accurate assessment, weigh the van laden. Some off-road vans have a high chassis while some road vans are comparatively low. Back up close, but do not connect yet. The bolts in the receiver hitch can be undone and the ball height selected from the series of holes in the assembly. The large hexagonal washer is a cam that adjusts the angle of the ball mount.

What I find with my combinations is that the front end will almost always start to plow first, but if you overcorrect which is the tendency then the back end will come around. If you just let it drift a little, it pretty smoothly continues around the ramp drifting a slight bit off line. In the SAE test they kept breaking the back end loose, which is to be expected since their hitch set up was unloading the inside rear tire and overloading the outside rear.

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This combination of events led them to recommend a strange way of adjusting a weight distribution hitch. Instead of setting the hitch to push the tow vehicle down the same amount front and rear they use another method. Measure the height of the front of the tow vehicle. Drop the trailer on the ball without torsion bars. This results in a considerable unloading of the steering axle. If you set your combination up this way it will be quite unstable at highway speeds especially when there is truck turbulence or crosswinds.

In theory, it would have a little more traction decelerating into low speed sharp turns. I have never seen an accident that was at all serious on a low speed sharp turn but there have been plenty due to loss of control at highway speed. I tried setting up some combinations with their method and none of them were what I would consider stable at highway speeds. In fact, most of the trailers a year that we fix for people come in close to the SAE spec, usually due to a combination of weak receivers and improperly set ball mounts.

Before writing this column I wanted some more track testing just to check again that there was not something I was missing. I felt I should use a pick up as that is what the SAE used mostly in their testing.

We tested it to the industry spec where the truck is pushed down evenly and to the suggested SAE spec. Two differences from the SAE testing were that our ball was as close to the bumper as possible and we strengthened the stock hitch receiver. In their test the back axle lost traction with the industry specification.

At the sixth cone the Airstream drifts sideways on all six tires which is no easy feat.

In theory if the back tires were to break loose on the truck this is where it should happen when the trailer is sliding sideways, but the truck stayed planted and slid very little if at all. When we tried the same speed with the SAE spec we made it to the second cone and had to give up the run due to lack of control. On the track there is a nice declining radius turn where we expected the SAE spec truck to do better, but there was no speed difference to speak of, on both settings the front tires started to plow before the back wheels broke loose.

Next we tried a steady state turn that took us down and then up a lip of asphalt as well as over several bumps with less sticky pavement.

RAISING THE BAR

The SAE setting bounced more and felt less planted, but again we could not measure any appreciable difference in speed. I think that most drivers would find it much easier with the industry spec. I have the greatest respect for the SAE. What the auto industry has accomplished is nothing short of amazing, and the technologies reach far beyond the car industry.

I think in this case the SAE has tried to take on something that should not be their job. Then whose job is it? I believe it should be the RV dealer. But since many RV dealers are afraid to get involved over fear of lawsuits etc. Set it up to both specs and try it each way and you can decide for yourself if the industry spec of the last 50 years is right or if the SAE spec works better for you.

In the end, getting the right combination and making sure it is configured properly is often up to you. Of course never compromise your hitch set up!

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