Need help on Round bar WDH

[sdsferraro]

Heading out our first longer trip this weekend. I tried to readjust or WDH but not sure if I am right. I believe it was a Curt 1200/12000 setup. I leveled trailer and adjusted trailer ball. Ball is about 1/2" higher than trailer at level. Rear of truck dropped about 2" and front is about 1/4" higher when hooked up. I have the chains at 5 links. I don't think the will go any shorter. When pulling, I think it is the chains that are popping,... I think. I also have 2 friction sway bars hooked up. I will try loosening sway bars but don't think it is then making noise... Maybe.

With the 2 " drop on back axle and 1/4" riser in the front, is that OK??? Is there something else I should adjust.

My truck is 2015 RAM 1500 Big Horn single cab with long bed. TT is Wildwood 27Rkss.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

[youroo]

Tilt the head,this will give more bar clearance so you can clear the A-frame! Put more on the chains,this should help bring the truck front Down. Put Air Bags in your rear coil springs also! Youroo!! Don't loosen your Sway Bars!

[sdsferraro]

Originally Posted by youroo

Tilt the head,this will give more bar clearance so you can clear the A-frame! Put more on the chains,this should help bring the truck front Down. Put Air Bags in your rear coil springs also! Youroo!! Don't loosen your Sway Bars!

I was spending too much money, so I was cheap. I forgot to add that I had installed Air Lift 1000 bags. Keep about 35 psi. I put it in after I had trick hooked up.

[raspivey]

The chains will make a little noise. I'd try tilting the head backwards a little more and keeping five links. I'm estimating your TW at about 1000 lbs., so what you've got should be fine. If you can get the front down a little and the rear to about a 1" squat, you should be about right. Also try moving the head up to about 1 - 1.5" higher than coupler height. 1/2" is just a little short for 1000 lbs on a 1/2 ton.

[Tom48]

[QUOTE=raspivey;1177311]The chains will make a little noise. I'd try tilting the head backwards a little more and keeping five links. I'm estimating your TW at about 1000 lbs., so what you've got should be fine. If you can get the front down a little and the rear to about a 1" squat, you should be about right. Also try moving the head up to about 1 - 1.5" higher than coupler height. 1/2" is just a little short for 1000 lbs on a 1/2 ton.[/QUOte

Also lube the ball and my new Curt has zerks to lube the bars, but if no zerk pull the bars off and lube them before you put them back in. Also tilting the ball away from the truck --- big bolts to remove and re-torque the add a washer or two to that pin and you will angle the bars downward requiring more lift to bring them back up level. And yes they do make some noise. Of course bigger truck lightens the load on the hitch bars.

[tfdoug]

I also have a Wildwood 27rkss TT and pull with a Ram 1500, only my ram is the Eco Diesel now. We first pull it with a hemi and the Chains as you described sounds correct. If you have anti sway bars as I do (2) and have them tighten down when pulling, as u should, they will pop and creak but that is normal as they work on friction. This is all assuming you are 5 links from the loose end of the chain and not the fixed end. We use this same setting on both trucks as there is only 1/4" different in height on the trucks as measured from road surface to the top of receiver.

We also have the lift-eze 1000 airbags, and run them at 25 pounds.

[tfdoug]

Our trailer weight in at a little over 7000 pounds dry.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by tfdoug

Our trailer weight in at a little over 7000 pounds dry.

7000 lbs uvw can be 10000 lb loaded and even 7000 with a half ton REQUIRES the help of a WDH. Not meaning the 1500 is TOO small just reminding that it will have to work harder than a bigger truck.

On the chains I think 5 from the bar up to the pin is the recommended minimum to leave in between. On our chains that mean three links hanging free. Pulled up more than that CAN do damage and WILL contribute to more noise

[tfdoug]

This trailer weights 6600 lbs empty on scale and as I have it loaded 7000 lbs dry. As far as the minimum or max links all the instruction that came with my WDH do not mention anything in regards to that just to keep the bar within a certain angle with the trailer frame.
To equalize the load on my truck now and earlier I had to go to my present setup. We have no noise from the chains during towing only the sway bars poping during turns.

Thanks for your comments

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by tfdoug

This trailer weights 6600 lbs empty on scale and as I have it loaded 7000 lbs dry. As far as the minimum or max links all the instruction that came with my WDH do not mention anything in regards to that just to keep the bar within a certain angle with the trailer frame.
To equalize the load on my truck now and earlier I had to go to my present setup. We have no noise from the chains during towing only the sway bars poping during turns.

Thanks for your comments

If the type of hitch you use, and a picture of your rig hooked up would help, is the type called Round Bar WDH or the original patent holder, I think was EzLift, then they are all nearly identical and all should be tongue almost perfectly level and the bars parallel to the A frame bars. For most installations that means about five links from the bar up to the hanger and usually not more than Three links hanging loose from the hook.

E Trailer sells about 20 variations of that hitch and there are instructions with about every one of them. Here is about what mine looks like on the E Trailer Site. https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...rt/C17062.html.

I can tell you from experience when I started out towing a 9000 lb TH behind a too light Van with Too light tires and a too light WDH that things are far better and far less noisy when the set up is correct, even when other things are pushed to the limit.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by raspivey

The chains will make a little noise. I'd try tilting the head backwards a little more and keeping five links. I'm estimating your TW at about 1000 lbs., so what you've got should be fine. If you can get the front down a little and the rear to about a 1" squat, you should be about right. Also try moving the head up to about 1 - 1.5" higher than coupler height. 1/2" is just a little short for 1000 lbs on a 1/2 ton.

I have noticed that several Members have said "Noisy Chains",I have Never heard "Chains in a WDH" make noise,even a Anderson! Youroo!!

[raspivey]

I wouldn't say really noisy, but I've had mine bind slightly in a hard turn and pop a little for lack of a better word.