boom50cal

Throwing 3/5-6 drop on my 06 FX4.
5.4, 3.55's, tow package, 7700lb payload and all that junk. I know the limits of the truck, not asking for advice on towing, I'm a class A cdl driver and gross up to 80,000lb every day hauling rock and heavy equipment. And please do not criticize my choice of lowering a 4x4 pickup, I pay the payments so...

Truck will be sitting on 24x10's with a load rating of 2200lb per wheel(x4 is 8800lb so over payload, tires are 2500lb rated).

Main thing I tow is my 18ft open deck car hauler, 7k-lb tandem axles. Generally has two 4 wheelers and a side by side, or a Mustang/med size car. Heaviest thing is now going to be a turbo'ed Vortec Max ext cab Silverado(4200-4500lbs) Trailer Sits perfectly behind my stock height truck. With a 2 inch drop in the rear(removing factory blocks), I just turned my 2 inch drop hitch over, which gave me about 1.5 inches of lift of the ball. So still set pretty even.

Back of the truck is coming down 3-4 more inches, will be on bags too fyi, so would I be safe getting a 6 inch drop hitch and just turning it over? Do any of you guys do the same thing?

Thanks

JJM

I don't have this problem, but if I did, I'd be flipping a drop hitch to get the right ball height. They can be used like that with no ill-effect.

smokeywren

Trying to get by cheap can cost you a fortune. All the towing experts, including Ford, say for any hitch weight more than 500 pounds you need either a weight-distributing or fifth-wheel hitch. So stop trying to figure out how to tow that trailer with only a weight-carrying (WC) shank/ball mount and move up to a good weight-distributing (WD) hitch with adjustable shank. (The shank is the part that slides into the receiver hitch on the back of the truck.) The ball mount bolts onto the shank. An adjustable shank allows the ball mount to be bolted onto the shank to result in from a few inches to several inches drop or rise of the ball compared to the receiver. But pay attention to details. Some adjustable shanks can be used only in the drop position. The good ones can be used in eiter the drop or rise position. You need rise, not drop.


All the better weight-distributing hitches include an adjustable shank. And if the standard adjustable shank doesn't have enough rise to result in a level floor in the trailer, then pay the big bucks and buy an adjustable shank with more lift. Yes. they make them.


For example, here's my Reese Strait-Line WD hitch with adjustable shank rated for hitch weight of up to 1,200 pounds:
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...e/RP66084.html

Here's replacement adjustable shank with 6.5" rise. That should be about right for your lowered tow vehicle.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...e/RP54980.html


If 6.5" is not enough, then they're available with more rise - 8", 10" up to 13" max rise. Here's one with up to 13" rize. It's an Equal-I-Zer shank, but it should bolt right onto the head of a Strait-Line hitch.
http://www.hitchsource.com/equalizer...g-p-27419.html


Or you could just buy an Equal-I-Zer WD hitch and then you'd know the Equal-I-Zer adjustable shank with up to 10" or 13" rise would bolt on.

acadianbob

I'm sure you have all of the answers . . . being a commercial driver and all . . . and apparently not interested in what anyone else has to say anyway.

boom50cal

Exactly the reply I was looking for. I don't mind spending the money for quality products, since this half ton sees trailer duty quite a bit... Especially with race season up and going now. Little 5.4 just gets the job done so well, and the truck rides like a dream while loaded.
Thanks wren.

Thanks for the useless reply. Didn't contribute one bit to the topic, when wren got me the exact answer I needed. +1 to you sir.

smokeywren

Not true for all drop hitches. Some can be used in the drop position only. Pay attention to the fine print when you buy a hitch you expect to use in the rise position. For example, the following link is to a Curt adjustable shank that says "Not designed to be used in the rise position*.


http://www.curtmfg.com/part/17124

JJM

That one is for weight-distribution. Didn't know that was what we were talking about. I was talking about regular drop hitches.