Weight Dist not doing job

[jonzer12]

Originally Posted by 007matman

I've said it before but I'll say it again.. you want the vehicle at what you would consider your optimal ride height prior to hooking up your trailer. You DO NOT want to use the air bags to get at your optimal ride height with the trailer connected (and no weight on the WD system).

Doing so negates the value of having the WD system engaged and you'll have a heck of a time dialing things in to get any pressure on the bars.

Unhook the trailer, get things at the height you think is optimal/level, make your measurements and adjust your hitch to fit properly. After you have everything connected and you see both the front and rear settle approximately the same amount, then use the air bags to bring the rear up slightly (if needed).

With a proper dialed in WD hitch you shouldn't need the air bags at all. They really should just be used to level it out if cargo capacity (example: People) makes the rear sag a bit.

That's my two cents worth. This is the only way you're going to be able to shift the proper weight up front.

Sorry but while your first statement is correct your instructions are incorrect. The WD hitch is used to distribute the tongue weight between the steer and drive axles. Air bags in no way change the tongue weight the hitch is working with. The air bags accomplish 2 things, firm up the rear suspension and allow you to restore ride height. Changing the spring rate of your suspension in no way subtracts from the tongue weight of your trailer. You should set your air pressure with your trailer on with no WD bars first, then adjust your WD hitch to distribute the tongue weight.


I have quite a bit of towing experience with a variety of hitches. Airbags have allowed me to dial things in that much better and firming up the rear suspension has improved both ride and control with no effect on WD. I scaled my rig and airbags in no way prevented me from adjusting my front axle bias as needed.
At the end of the day air bags are no different than swapping in a leaf pack with a much higher spring rate. They are just adjustable allowing to go back to a softer suspension when not towing.


The reason all hitch documentation tell you adjust your airbags first is so you can set the trailer level via the hitch once the ride height of the tow vehicle has been established. You do not want to add air after the fact as you suggest.

[RobinDella]

Originally Posted by stantyszka

How much pressure do you have in the bags? I used to have a tendency to over inflate (60-70 psi) but have learned I really only need 25-30 psi.

The Air Lift 1000 air bags only have a max of 35psi. In this case I have them inflated at 25psi

[RobinDella]

Originally Posted by jonzer12

Sorry but while your first statement is correct your instructions are incorrect. The WD hitch is used to distribute the tongue weight between the steer and drive axles. Air bags in no way change the tongue weight the hitch is working with. The air bags accomplish 2 things, firm up the rear suspension and allow you to restore ride height. Changing the spring rate of your suspension in no way subtracts from the tongue weight of your trailer. You should set your air pressure with your trailer on with no WD bars first, then adjust your WD hitch to distribute the tongue weight.


I have quite a bit of towing experience with a variety of hitches. Airbags have allowed me to dial things in that much better and firming up the rear suspension has improved both ride and control with no effect on WD. I scaled my rig and airbags in no way prevented me from adjusting my front axle bias as needed.
At the end of the day air bags are no different than swapping in a leaf pack with a much higher spring rate. They are just adjustable allowing to go back to a softer suspension when not towing.


The reason all hitch documentation tell you adjust your airbags first is so you can set the trailer level via the hitch once the ride height of the tow vehicle has been established. You do not want to add air after the fact as you suggest.

OK as I had said something about deflating them first, I did not. I was thinking out loud if you will. Sodo think the numbers I've posted with the scale tics and the Front end measurements are good? Am I 'overthinking' this?

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by RobinDella

OK as I had said something about deflating them first, I did not. I was thinking out loud if you will. Sodo think the numbers I've posted with the scale tics and the Front end measurements are good? Am I 'overthinking' this?

I would say you’re good and possibly a little over adjusted depending on what your owners manual says in terms of how much height to add back with the WDH. If anything you have enough or too much weight going to the front, but definitely not too little.

[RobinDella]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

It looks to me like the WDH is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, what makes you think otherwise?

The WDH should be getting the front axle weight close(er) to the unhitched weight than the hitched but without WD bars weight. Your height measurements also show this is happening. If the WDH were NOT doing its job then the height of the front would be the same as the hitched WITHOUT WD height.

The CAT scales also show the WDH is doing its job, the steer axle is only 40# less than the empty weight. Generally speaking, you couldn't do much better. The question then becomes, does GM want 100% of the height returned or some other amount? That will be in your owner's manual. For my Canyon they want all the height returned. For some other trucks they want 50% returned, which would mean they want you to only return half of that 0.75" difference back to the front axle and if that is the case then you have OVER adjusted the WDH and you need to REDUCE the number of washers, not add.

Definitely DO NOT add any more washers or move the L brackets up any more or you will definitely be overadjusted and unsafe.

Thanks after 'talking' with everyone here I'm fairly satisfied with set up. I think I was just overthinking it. I will weigh one more time with WD disengaged just to see the weight dif. That should settle it for me once and for all. Thanks to all of you for your input.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by jonzer12

Sorry but while your first statement is correct your instructions are incorrect. The WD hitch is used to distribute the tongue weight between the steer and drive axles. Air bags in no way change the tongue weight the hitch is working with. The air bags accomplish 2 things, firm up the rear suspension and allow you to restore ride height. Changing the spring rate of your suspension in no way subtracts from the tongue weight of your trailer. You should set your air pressure with your trailer on with no WD bars first, then adjust your WD hitch to distribute the tongue weight.


I have quite a bit of towing experience with a variety of hitches. Airbags have allowed me to dial things in that much better and firming up the rear suspension has improved both ride and control with no effect on WD. I scaled my rig and airbags in no way prevented me from adjusting my front axle bias as needed.
At the end of the day air bags are no different than swapping in a leaf pack with a much higher spring rate. They are just adjustable allowing to go back to a softer suspension when not towing.


The reason all hitch documentation tell you adjust your airbags first is so you can set the trailer level via the hitch once the ride height of the tow vehicle has been established. You do not want to add air after the fact as you suggest.

No, they don't.. but they can change the height of the hitch and the dynamic of the WD system.

I'll stand on my previous comment that a properly dialed in WD system won't require air bags.

The goal (as stated by the installation manual) is to drop both the front and the rear approximately the same. If the rear is over-inflated you're going to throw things off.