Trailer Weight Distribution Question

[MrJimi]

Same thing for me, with different implements on my tractor I have to vary exactly where I place it on the trailer and it only takes just several inches either way to make a big difference. I watch the squat of the truck as I'm loading to get it close, then a good indicator is to look at distance between the body to axle bumpers under the truck - you need a few inches clearance minimum for suspension travel. Mine has a good 3" or 4" clearance when loaded. My trailers run nice and level at proper tongue weight - my dump has an adjustable coupler and I use a 6" rise ball mount to have my equip. trailer level with the tractor on it, it's a fixed coupler.

LOL, I cheated, I bought a set of air shocks and I just love them.
Makes my little baby truck haul the loads that the big boys do, I bought a set of pallet forks with attachment plate and when they loaded them on the rear of my little S-10, it did not go down very much for ? 500 pounds behind the axle
and it worked great.
Jim

 

[Rara Avis]

LOL, I cheated, I bought a set of air shocks and I just love them.
Makes my little baby truck haul the loads that the big boys do, I bought a set of pallet forks with attachment plate and when they loaded them on the rear of my little S-10, it did not go down very much for ? 500 pounds behind the axle
and it worked great.
Jim

Well you can't cheat Mother Nature or a Semi-Floating Axle with Too Much Weight...

S-pickups
GM 7.5-in. (SF) GM 7.25-in. (ICA)

The 'semi-floating' axle is one where onto the axle shaft is 'pressed' a bearing -- and that axle itself has studs for the mounting of the wheel on that end -- and splines to go into the 'spider gears' of the differential carrier on the other. In this form, the axle bears the weight of the vehicle via the bearing which is located in the axle 'housing' close to the flange which holds the wheel.

When hauling large loads, this is what you want...

A 'full floating' axle is one in which the hub (onto which the wheel is bolted) is supported by bearings; and the axle shafts are then connected (in our case pushed from the outside towards the differential carrier (aka 'pig' or 'chunk' or 'gearset'). No actual weight is borne by the axle shafts -- which are merely used to transmit torque from the 'rear end' gears to the 'wheel-end'.

 

[rdam]

In my experience if you need load distribution hitches you dont have enough truck. I hauled 14,000 on my receiver and never had problems went right down the road no sway. Though I dont play went it comes to towing I own a Ford dually.

You're missing the point of weight distribution hitches. The point is not to make the load "level". The point is to re-distribute the weight so that more of it is pushing down on the steering axle, where 80% of your braking is.

Doesn't matter if it's an f-250, 350, 450 etc. If you hang 5,000 pounds off the back bumper...that makes the front end light. If the front end is light, the truck won't steer or brake properly. The gooseneck or 5th wheel eliminates (mostly) the problem, because no leverage is gained with the weight over the axle...as opposed to hanging off the bumper.

 

[firemanpat2910]

I have ran into this many times. A one ton is not a one ton. I have a 2006 F-350 4x4 Powerstroke and the GVWR is 11,400# . My neighbor has a 2007 GM 3500HD 4x4with the Diesel and Allison. His GVWR is 9,900#. Thats 1,500# difference. He used to use my 2004 F-250 4x4 Powerstroke to pull his trailer from time to time, its rated at around 10,500#, and it handles the weight much better than his new GM. I never realized there to be that much difference but there is. Lesson is look at what spring package it has before buying. All my truck are extend cab short beds so they will fit in the garage. His truck is a 4 door long bed bus. Anyway we went to get firewood last week and mine did not squat a bit, his on the other hand was sagging good. Granted he has a slightly bigger bed but we had about the same load in the trucks.

Chris

couldnt agree more. My crew cab short bed has a 10,000 lb gvwr and a sticker that says max cargo 2400lbs