Lowline Angus

I bought a 27' TT and the only driving I've done is home that one time. I just put a WD hitch on the truck and trailer and set it up like the instructions said. It took me quite a few hours but it's with in specs. I took it out for a spin and it feels like it bounces more now then it did on the way home. I did notice one place it seemed to lean more than I liked as well but I had not been on the road before with the TT.

Am I just being paranoid? There is that great paragraph in the set up book about it being more dangerous to have it set up wrong then not to have it at all. What is it suppose to feel like with the WD hitch attached?

DrewTK

What's your tongue weight as a percentage of the trailer's total weight?

Lowline Angus

I don't have any way close to me to check that. Road to fender well height empty is 39 inches. without tension bars, 37.25 inches. with tension bars 38 inches. front is 1/4 lower with the bars on then no load at all. Trailer is level.

brulaz

Actually Ford says to reduce the front lift by only 50% in the newer models. You've got it over 100%. Maybe back off the bars a bit so the front rises slightly. Try to get it between 50 and 100% front lift reduction.

The rear is supposed to sag a bit under load. That's how the truck is designed to carry load.

Not sure if that will help with bounce, but if you overload the front you can cause under-steer IIRC.

EricJ

Good Info: http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm
Realize he sells tongue scales.

The best way is to find a CAT scale near you to weigh the trailer and use a tongue scale.

Twisty

"Actually Ford says to reduce the front lift by only 50% in the newer models. You've got it over 100%. Maybe back off the bars a bit so the front rises slightly. Try to get it between 50 and 100% front lift reduction.

"The rear is supposed to sag a bit under load. That's how the truck is designed to carry load."
Read the manual!
"Not sure if that will help with bounce, but if you overload the front you can cause under-steer IIRC."
You want understeer. It will help to prevent jack knifing.

93Cobra#2771

iTrader: (2)

You have way too much weight transferring. As said above, you need a 50% difference.

With as much weight as you have transferring, you will be much more likely to jacknife in an emergency situation.

Plus you will have a ton of bounce.

Set the front at 50% and let the back hit were it hits.

Lowline Angus

Okay so without the trailer hooked up ground to front wheel well is 36 1/4 inch. Without the bars he measurement is 37 1/4 and when I put the bars on its 36 inches. So it's only taking the front down 1/4 of an inch. That's too much? The book says the same or slightly higher but doesn't say what slightly is. With the back without a trailer it measures 39 inches. Without bars 37 1/4 inches and with the bars 38 inches. Again the book says it should be between the two numbers and closer to the unhooked number. I'm currently 1/4 inch closer to the no bar number.

If it helps, this is an e2 hitch from Fastway.

Again thank you all for your help!

brulaz

Sounds like you have an older model? Ford (and others) changed their recommendations a while ago (my 2011 has the new version) based on some studies by the SAE and trailer groups. It's now the 50% reduction. With some hitch manufacturers saying 50 to 100%. Here's a link about that: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...4.cfm#26670734

So you've got 1" lift. i would start with Ford's recommendation and reduce that to 1/2" and go for a test drive. After all, you did say it drove better without a WDH when you first got it. So loosening the bars/chains may just help.

brulaz

You're right. My bad. If you overload the front, you cause over-steer.
A link: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...4.cfm#26769094