Weight distributing hitch question
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 2
From: Tri-Cities, TN
Weight distributing hitch question
I have never had to use a weight distributing hitch, so this may be a dumb question, but will a weight distributing hitch correct for not enough tongue weight as well as too much? I have a motorcycle carrier on the rear of my TT (just a 250, don't worry) and it has enough leverage that I'm low on my tongue weight. I can ballast the front of the trailer enough to compensate and still be well below my trailer GVW, but I would rather keep the weight to a minimum. It's only a 17' single axle trailer with a 4500 GVW, so less is more.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,525
Likes: 3
The only purpose of a weight distributing hitch is to move some tongue weight to the front axle of the tow vehicle. High tongue weight may overload the rear axle of the tow vehicle. The weight distributing hitch takes some of the weight off the rear and transfers it to the front.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,752
Likes: 5
From: Stillwater, OK
nope... WD hitches only work in one direction.
If it's the chain type, and you have too little tongue weight, the chains will slack.
If it's the bar type, you'll put stress on the cotter pins holding the keepers in.
If it's a cam type, your bars will come off of your cams...
Regardless of type, you will have critically under-damped wobble.
If it's the chain type, and you have too little tongue weight, the chains will slack.
If it's the bar type, you'll put stress on the cotter pins holding the keepers in.
If it's a cam type, your bars will come off of your cams...
Regardless of type, you will have critically under-damped wobble.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 2
From: Tri-Cities, TN
Thanks for the input, that's what I thought. I'll just have to add some weight forward and maybe add some sway control. I can get it to 10% TW, but I'd like to be closer to 15% and I don't think I'll be able to get there, so I'll feel better with something to dampen sway. 2400 miles is too long to be worried about sway.
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