Originally Posted by redford

Does anyone know roughly how much weight is placed on the front axle when you use a WD hitch? I'm guessing roughly 15% of the tongue weight, but I have no factual data.

Originally Posted by SDcrewzer

There are many variables that would go into this calculation.

Example.

I also found this graphic and dicussion, but the tongue weight is extreme (IMHO) and some key vehicle specs (wheelbase and rear overhang) are way different than those of our trucks, so it would need to be revised for our applications.

One thing to note is that a weight-carrying hitch reduces weight on the front axle, as the rear axle is a fulcrum. For example, if the truck's wheelbase is 160", the rear overhang (rear axle to hitch ball) is 40", and the dead-weight trailer tongue weight is 1,200 lbs., then the load on the rear axle is 1,200 lbs. x (160 + 40) / 160 = +1,5000 lbs., and the corresponding load on the front axle is 1200 - 1,500 = -300 lbs. The weight carried by the truck is +1,500 + -300 = +1,200 lbs.

A properly adjusted WDH will transfer some of the tongue weight back onto the trailer axles, which in turn will lighten the total load on the truck's axles. However, while the WDH transfers some of the load to the truck's front axle, this is after the front axle load was lightened when the trailer was first hooked up and before the spring bars were set.

For example, if you drop a 1,200 lbs. tongue weight on to the truck, the front axle load is changed by -300 lbs. If you were to then hook up the spring bars and transfer 200 lbs. back to the front axle, then the net change on the front axle load would be -300 lbs. + 200 lbs. = -100 lbs.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer