New Tires and Towing Adjustments

[strat56]

Originally Posted by MtnGuy

Were the weigh-ins done with the same cargo and passengers in the same positions ?? If so, that looks like a pretty good setup. You have almost all of the weight replaced back to the front axle, and that is what a WDH should do. .

My wife wasn't with me for the truck only weigh in but fuel and cargo were the same. I added me wifes weight and split my wife's weight 50% front and 50% back axles for the truck only weights.

[strat56]

Originally Posted by lbrjet

Your tongue weight is probably closer to 1200 lbs. Approx 20% gets shifted to the trailer axles and you are ignoring that. Do not shift more weight to the front axle. Read the owners manual for your truck and see what it says on setting up a WDH.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

Owners manual says " Refer to trailer manufacturer’s recommendation"

2013-gmc-sierra-denali-owners-manual.pdf

Page 9-70

[strat56]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Will repeat, measure front wheel opening with truck unhitched, hitch up and adjust the bars to get the front wheel opening back to what it was when unhitched.

I'm pretty sure I did that and the front was about 1/2" higher after the trailer was hooked up but I'll check it again and figure out how to get a little more weight on the front end.

[strat56]

Blue Ox has recommended that I go from connecting the spring bars to the trailer using the 9th link to the 10th link to put more weight on the front axle of the truck. I won't be camping again until spring but I might try hooking up this weekend and going to the 10th link to see if it keeps the height of the front end the same after hooking up.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by strat56

My wife wasn't with me for the truck only weigh in but fuel and cargo were the same. I added me wifes weight and split my wife's weight 50% front and 50% back axles for the truck only weights.

Many extended cab pickups have the front seat occupants sitting more towards the front wheels, adding more weight to the front axle than rear If you added your wife's weight back into the unloaded truck weights then the weights should be really close at 50/50%.

Originally Posted by lbrjet

Your tongue weight is probably closer to 1200 lbs. Approx 20% gets shifted to the trailer axles and you are ignoring that. Do not shift more weight to the front axle. Read the owners manual for your truck and see what it says on setting up a WDH.

Excellent point. My setup has about a 25% shift to the trailer axles. Weighing a combo without the spring bars in place would give an accurate tongue weight.

Jack could try 1 less chain length (If OK with Blue Ox per the instructions) used between the spring bars and rotating latch next time to the CAT scales. I would be a little reluctant to do that without weighing the unit, as it could overload the front axle. The F250 manual should have instructions of how much weight to transfer to the front axle. I remember some older 3/4 tons stated to never distribute more weight than the unloaded front axle weight, but don't know if that holds true for the newer trucks.

[strat56]

Originally Posted by MtnGuy

Jack could try 1 less chain length (If OK with Blue Ox per the instructions) used between the spring bars and rotating latch next time to the CAT scales. I would be a little reluctant to do that without weighing the unit, as it could overload the front axle. The F250 manual should have instructions of how much weight to transfer to the front axle. I remember some older 3/4 tons stated to never distribute more weight than the unloaded front axle weight, but don't know if that holds true for the newer trucks.

Thanks, I'll try one more and one less to see which one works to get the height of the front back to where it was before I hooked up.

[The Big Toe]

Originally Posted by strat56

Thanks, I'll try one more and one less to see which one works to get the height of the front back to where it was before I hooked up.

I was talking my buddy, who owns a repair shop, the other day about the fact that my F150 didn't come with a Factory Rear Sway Bar. And how cheap Ford was to not put one on. And how I didn't want to spend the bucks to put one on, not to mention the inevitable skinned knuckles and wrench throwing blue streaks that will ensue.

He remarked that he's seen a lot of trucks without them, including some 2500 Chevys.

I don't know. Worth a look.

If you don't have one, it would be near the top of my list to get one.

Just my $.02



P.S. I didn't read the whole thread. If someone else, or you, brought this up please accept a heart-felt 'oopsie'

[whatsupchuck]

Towed my new rig (same as strat56) and had almost same problem. Several things added to my experience, but, I want the extra available tension as opposed to not enough back bone there when I need it.

Dealer service manager just called and has ordered heavier bars. Thank you Ron Hoover, Donna, Texas. This will be a straight exchange to the heavier set. Moving links will likely settle this out and getting our "stuff" back inside will settle the rig down also.

Strat56 and others pointed me to this hitch and I do not miss the noisy Reese Straight Line at all.

My Cat Scale ticket said my front axle actually lost 60 pounds from empty scale ticket with same fuel etc. I have had as much as 240 pounds on the front. OldCoot has the easy test of a tape measure. I came home sitting higher in the nose. Not good when in the rain at freeway speeds.