How good are UHaul receiver hitches and their instalation

[HillStreet]

I have had U-Haul frame hitches installed on my last 2 Tacomas and both were excess of $240 in just the past 5 years. Good hitch, good price. Does your price include the electrical harness purchase and install? That makes a difference.

 

[diesel lover]

I just looked at my old records and I paid U-Haul $210.97, including tax and labor and a ball mount and ball, to install a 5,000# frame mounted hitch on my Ford Ranger on August 21, 2006 (yep, more than 7 years ago). It's actually a Draw-Tite 78165 product.

Well your right I didn't even add the installation.
159 for the hitch
30 for installation
5$ for lifetime warranty
X1.07 for tax

209$

Does not seem bad for a lifetime warranty. The only problem I have is u haul installing the hitch. I would just have to give it a good look over before anything else. Then again I'm someone that doesn't like other people working on my vehicles haha.

I need a better hitch for moving again and hauling my 3500 pound tractor.

Can someone please explain to me a weight distributing hitch? Wouldn't that have to add weight further to the front of the frame?

http://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Trailer-hitches/764073
There's a hitch that has a max weight of 6000 pounds and a weight distribution of 10,000 pounds. Can someone explain what this means?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Well your right I didn't even add the installation.
159 for the hitch
30 for installation
5$ for lifetime warranty
X1.07 for tax

209$

Does not seem bad for a lifetime warranty. The only problem I have is u haul installing the hitch. I would just have to give it a good look over before anything else. Then again I'm someone that doesn't like other people working on my vehicles haha.

I need a better hitch for moving again and hauling my 3500 pound tractor.

Can someone please explain to me a weight distributing hitch? Wouldn't that have to add weight further to the front of the frame?

http://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Trailer-hitches/764073
There's a hitch that has a max weight of 6000 pounds and a weight distribution of 10,000 pounds. Can someone explain what this means?

WD is a system that removes some of the tongue weight off the rear axle and places it on the front axle of the tow vehicle. It uses a special $200 hitch insert that incorporates torsion bars.

Long story short it's a waste of money for your truck. You do not have the capacity to take advantage of its capacity. The standard class 3 hitch you are looking at is more than enough for your truck.

Installing a hitch on a F150 is simple. Drop the spare and bolt it up. Only special tool is a torque wrench. I have done dozens of them.

Chris

 

[diesel lover]

Yes diamond pilot you are more than right. I never knew that WD hitches transferred weight to the front using torsion bars. My truck is only designed to tow up to 4,800 so that's all good. I need to replace my leaf springs as they are getting week. They are only a 2+ 1 design as in two leaf springs and one main leaf. That's it all it came from the factory with.

By rebuilding my leaf springs I can make them stronger and allow more weight to be kept onto the front end of the truck. The more you squat the rear of a vehicle the more weight you remove from the front end.

Thanks guys

 

[jejeosborne]

By rebuilding my leaf springs I can make them stronger and allow more weight to be kept onto the front end of the truck. The more you squat the rear of a vehicle the more weight you remove from the front end.

Thanks guys

Improving your springs or adding air bags will not alter the amount of weight that is kept on the front axle. Fulcrum is still in the same place.

 

[MikePA]

I need to replace my leaf springs as they are getting week. They are only a 2+ 1 design as in two leaf springs and one main leaf. That's it all it came from the factory with.

How do you know they are getting weak?

 

[phiferpharm]

I've had U-Haul hitches on several vehicles to tow my boats, and never had a problem. They were installed at different dealers and the installs were consistent and neatly done.

 

[diesel lover]

How do you know they are getting weak?

I know my springs are getting weak because they are starting to squat easy under small loads. They will be okay for now but I will be redoing them when I can. I need to beef them up to haul a 3500 pound farm tractor.

And yes you guys are right the fulcrum point does not change on a vehicle but having strong suspension can and will help with vehicle handling when hauling heavy loads.

 

[Bird]

Improving your springs or adding air bags will not alter the amount of weight that is kept on the front axle. Fulcrum is still in the same place.

Basically, that's true. However, as one end on a fulcrum goes down, the other end goes up. So preventing the back end of a pickup from sagging also prevents decreasing the weight on the front axle. So diesel lover was exactly right. I used to have a 1981 F250 Ford and a couple of times I hauled a load of gravel. Now the truck's suspension was strong enough that the truck did not appear to have the back end sagging, but you could most definitely tell by the steering and handling that the front end was too light.

 

[jejeosborne]

Basically, that's true. However, as one end on a fulcrum goes down, the other end goes up. So preventing the back end of a pickup from sagging also prevents decreasing the weight on the front axle. So diesel lover was exactly right. I used to have a 1981 F250 Ford and a couple of times I hauled a load of gravel. Now the truck's suspension was strong enough that the truck did not appear to have the back end sagging, but you could most definitely tell by the steering and handling that the front end was too light.

I am basically right and diesel lover is exactly right? I am confused. Please explain how a stout rear suspension prevents the unloading of the front suspension. I may be missing something but it seams like unless you move the fulcrum, no change will be realized in the front.

I agree the steering and handling will be affected by the sagging rear but that is mainly caused by the rear of the vehicle wallowing around is my perception.