Load Equalizing Hitches?

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I know there's an adjustment for the ball angle but my question is which way it should be adjusted and what is the ideal adjustment position and how is it determined? )</font>

Gary, now that's a question that I don't remember the answer for, but Dave's right. In 1975, I bought a little 18' travel trailer that weighed about 4400# and the dealer installed an Eaz-Lift hitch on my '70 Olds 88 sedan to tow it. Everything looked good, but when I started down the road, there was a very pronounced surging feel, as if the brakes were grabbing and releasing. The RV dealer couldn't figure it out, but sent me to a place in Dallas that specialized in trailer hitches. When I told the guy there what the problem was, he took one look at it and said, "Raise the ball one inch and add one washer to the tilt adjustment." And he was right; that's all it took to pull smoothly.

 

[Egon]

Changing the angle of the ball also changes the angle of the leveling bars as they tie into the same piece as the ball which in turn bolts onto the receiver slide in. Between the receiver slide in and the bar piece there are some washers to change the angle. This allows you to set up with the proper tension and bars parallel to trailer frame.

Egon

 

[Bird]

Everything you said is true, Egon, but neither I nor that RV dealer in '75 thought changing that angle that small amount would make such a difference.

 

[Egon]

Bird:

It could depend a lot on tongue weight and towing vehicle spring rate.

I don't change the angle but I will change the chain length by a link depending on the load and how it is placed.

Remember the add with the Toranado towing a trailer with the rear wheels off the ground?

Egon

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Remember the add with the Toranado towing a trailer with the rear wheels off the ground? )</font>

Actually with the rear wheels completely off the vehicle. And yes, I can understand changing one link on the chain if the weight distribution changes. And I've no doubt that some things were more critical when we towed with ordinary passenger sedans. It's a rare sight to see a sedan with a load distributing hitch platform anymore, but used to be very common.

 

[Jackrabbit_Slim]

So, I know it's been said before, but TBN really is a wealth of information. Studied all the replies to my query, mounted and adjusted the hitch, and I'm up and running. Really well, I might add. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The only small glitch is a barely noticeable "bobbing" at about 62 mph. Above and below that, she's a pup. And nice and stable to boot.

Discovered that I actually had to have the ball set "back" in order to get it level when I put the bars on. And, as mentioned, a little fiddling with the washers to get the load transferred properly onto the truck frame.

Thanks again. Most appreciated.

Slim

 

[Bird]

Glad to hear you got it, Slim.

 

[dieseldoc]

slim,i forgot to tell you i also installed a set of AIR-LIFT air bags,first hook up your equalizer bars then inflate the air bags until the truck ride is level...even with the equalizer hitch i couldn't get my truck to ride level,my tractor,trailer and 1 or 2 implements was over 7000lbs,those air bags are wonderful..push a button,they inflate,push another they deflate.....

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> "The only small glitch is a barely noticeable "bobbing" at about 62 mph." </font>

You might want to experiment with the placement of your load on your trailer. Move it forward a foot and see if that solves this glitch or makes it worse, etc., to get a better placement for hauling.

 

[Joe1]

Slim:

When purchasing the equalizer hitch system, make sure the spring bars are rated for the unsprung weight on the ball. Bars rated too low will not provide the help needed and bars rated too high will give a stiff, rough ride. Bird, as always was 100% on his assessment.