I just installed my load equalizer spring bars for the first time. I learned a few lessons along the way. First, install them prior to loading the trailer. I didn't, and by the time I looked at the coupling, my truck's suspension was screaming in pain. I got out the trusty jack and lifted them into palce, and fastened the chains. Just wondering though, just how much distance should there be between the bars and the ground when everything is in sync? The trailer looks to be level, and it definately has transferred weight to the front of the truck and lifted the rear end a lot.

I tried the preferred method of jacking the trailer/truck up using the trailer's lift jack, but the bars were still digging in the ground. So the hydraulic jack was dispatched and made short work of it. Just hate to think I will need to drag that brute around anytime I want to hitch/unhitch the trailer.

Any tips anyone can offer? Is there a quick and dirty method of measuring the tongue weight with these things?

 

I use a WD hitch with my 7x14 trailer.

Tip one: The rear of your truck should drop 1/8" per 100# of touge weight.
Tip two: Keep alittle weight on the touge jack during hooking up the chains.
Tip three: The spring bars need at lease 6 links free to work correctly during turns.
Tip four: Lube the WD hitch moving parts every tow.
Tip five: Get the height on the front fender before hooking up to the trailer ... after connecting the bars recheck the height it shouldn't be higher, maybe 1/8" to 1/4" lower ... but no higher.

 

Well, weve got an electric tounge jack on the front of our 33ft TT and have always lifted the back of the truck up a bit to install everything. Makes for easy work...

 

I should have told you that I wasn't on a level surface either, and because I waited until I had put a LOT of weight up towards the front of the trailer before I took time to look at the hitch, I think it definitely made it harder to hook. I had the jack extended all the way up after connecting to the truck ball, but the bars were still digging into the ground. That is when I reached for the jack. The salesman told me that I would need to do this anyway, as it was normal for v-nose trailers.

Another thing is that because it is a v-nose, the normal brackets will not work on the frame. This requires tabs to be welded on the side of the frame. This also means that you can't just snap the bar into place as they are normally designed to be levered into place. It is on or off with this setup. So I think I am going to be cursed with using the jack method to put weight on the bars and get them into place.

I am currently using 5 links in my chains, and the bars do have a slight bow in them. They sit about 5 to 6 inches off the ground. I did lubricate the pivot points too. It did manage to raise the rear about 4 inches. Is this about normal of a lift? It isn't quite the same stance as an unloaded truck, but it is near normal now. The front has come down about a half inch as best I can see. I am just worried that I may have put too much stress in the bars....

I do not plan to drive any long distance with it loaded right now. I have to move it out of the driveway to make way for the POD's people to come and get their POD. Then I'll back it back in and park it until the house sells. I won't be leaving it hooked in the mean time. Still haven't taken it out on the road to see if it helps the sway condition I had previously. I can add sway control if it continues to be a problem. Should now more by next week.

 

I connect to my trailer in the driveway which is not level either. I do not put the bars on until I get to the road where the truck and trailer are mostly level. Then I use the trailer jack to lift the rear end of the truck up a little, hook the bars on, and then lower the jack. Then I just step back and see if everything looks level. Trailer is already fully loaded. This is how the instructions with my hitch said to do it.

When I back the trailer up the driveway, I always take the bars off due to the angle of the grade.

 

I started by leveling my trailer then taking a measurement, then i set my ball accordingly. I use the trailer jack to raise the back of my truck then set the bars so both trailer and truck are level. The important thing is how the rig handles on the road. Once it is set take note of how many links you have dangling, I have three and set it there every time.

 

The main thing I found with WD hitches is if you have to much lift on the rear (the rear should drop 1/8" per 100# of touge weight) ... in hard braking the rear of the truck could come of the ground and you would lose control of the tow. As for sway control ... i've installed it on my new trailer (never installed one before ... but got a deal on one so i installed it), but it tows just as nice without it.

 

Hey Thanks guys... I am not sure exactly how much weight I have loaded into the trailer by this time. We had a storage Pod in our driveway expecting to sell our home quickly, and now we are getting rid of it and putting the stuff we were storing in it into the trailer. Most of the boxes of books, various odds and ends etc went up front.

With the bars in place, I think the truck still has about 2 inches of drop in the rear, and the front is down now too. I know I raised it at least 3 inches, maybe 4 from where it was. I also know that if I ever attempt this much weight again, I'll need to adjust the ball position on my shank. I believe that when I get to level ground with it, I expect to have a slight down angle on the tongue. Which I think is supposed to be close to level. It is OK for now, as I am just moving it a couple miles and back.. but when I get serious about towing on a regular basis, I am going to have to play with it.

The trailer is going to be used in a business, and although I have a 3000+ lb cushion, I only expect to be putting about 1200 lbs inside, and 600 to 800 of that will be in the front in a couple of compartments. So what ever I do today will probably change when things get to be normal again.

I'll know today how it feels, as I will be moving it to a storage lot for a couple of days.

Thanks again.

Dragginbutt