Originally Posted by forddude05

That's a hitch that has spring bars attached to it and the trailer tongue to remove some weight from the tow vehicle and back onto the axles of the trailer. Some people say it can reduce sway, but all it really does is allow you to haul a bigger or heavier trailer with your truck. For example - a 2008 F-150 (Super Cab, 8' Bed, 4x4, 5.4L and 4.10:1 gears) is advertised as being able to tow 9300 lbs. What is missing from the equation is that number is achieved with the weight distributing hitch. Otherwise, the tow rating drops dramatically - into I believe the 5500 lb. range. It's no different than any other half ton from the past - it's only good to tow about 6000 lbs dry.

I run into this all the time at work... people will come in with their brand new half ton and expect to tow a midsize backhoe off the lot. They just don't realize that they need to have the proper equipment to tow that amount of weight. Another example - you don't need a Kenworth to tow a fullsize 580 Case Backhoe, it can be done with a regular 16000 lb trailer using only an F-350 and a weight distributing hitch. Science is amazing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is.... if you don't have a weight distributing hitch, don't overload your truck by making it squat to the bumpstops - having it loaded in the bed and having a full load in the trailer. Don't ask your truck to do more than it's capable of without the right equipment. It will save a lot of wear and tear on the truck, and save you a lot of money and aggrevation in the long run. If you plan on towing heavy loads a lot, invest a little bit of money in a weight distributing hitch - it will make life a lot easier.