jp360cj

CAT scales measure measure front axle, rear axle, and trailer axle separately. Weigh the truck with the trailer. Add the front and rear axles for the truck. Weigh the truck by itself. Subtract this from the truck weight with trailer hooked up. This is your tongue weight. Subtract gross weight of truck only from gross weight of truck/trailer combo to get trailer weight.

And this should be done with trailer loaded as you will normally pull it.

Bodnar

what can i do to reduce it? besides lighten load?

11screw50

The angle of the hitch head will add or reduce tension on the bars, this can change the amount of weight shifted off the rear axle.

So if you've got 4 washers, try adding a 5th to tilt the head more.

smokeywren

Disagree. The tightness of the spring bars determines the amount of weight shifted off the rear axle of the tow vehicle (TV). The angle of the hitch head will determine where the weight removed from the rear axle is distributed.


Ideal setup will have the spring bars tight enough to leave 50% to 60% of total tongue weight on the rear axle, and with the angle of the hitch head set so that 20% to 25% of tongue weight is distributed to the trailer axles and another 20 to 25% distributed to the front axle of the TV. So with 800 pounds tongue weight, 400 to 480 pounds would be on the rear axle, 160 to 200 pounds on the front axle, and 160 to 200 pounds on the trailer axles.


If you don't have roughly 20% to 25% of tongue weight distributed to the front axle, you need to adjust the angle of the ball to the coupler. Or if you don't have 20% to 25% of tongue weight distributed to the trailer axles, you need to adjust the angle of the ball to the coupler.

Bodnar

so how exactly would i know what weight is getting distributed where? sorry, just seems a bit complicated

11screw50

Disagree if you want, better yet, go post your theory on rv.net and see what they think.

Equalizer even says to add washers to increase the weight transfer and remove washers to decrease weight transfer. See pages 19-20 in the linked pdf.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/pdf/eq...anual_0111.pdf

The amount of weight transferred to the front axle and trailer axles is set by the distance of each from the pivot point (rear axle), tilting the head does nothing to change the ratio that goes to each of those (non rear) axles. If tilting the head transfers less weight to the front, it also transfers less weight to the trailer. If it transfers more weight to the front, it also transfers more weight to the trailer.

77Ranger460

I recently adjusted mine based on fender measures unhooked and hooked. I ended up having to add a couple of washers. In the end, my truck is about 1 1/2" lower in the rear and 3/4" higher in the front. My trailer sits dead level with no cargo in the truck bed.

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled it 200 miles at interstate speeds. It did great.

smokeywren

Load the TV and trailer with all the people and stuff that will be in it when towing. Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale. Fill up with gas. Then weigh the rig on CAT scale two times. First pass on the scale, have the spring bars tightened to where you think they should be. Second pass on the scale, disconnect the spring bars. Then notice the change in the weight on the axles of the rig.


Example from when I was first setting up a small TT:


First pass = spring bars tight
Front axle 3280
rear axle 3520
trailer axles 3620
GCW 10,420

Second pass = spring bars removed
F =3040
R = 3880
T = 3480
GTW = 10,400

Difference
F = 240 pounds distributed to front axle
R = 360 pounds removed from rear axle, leaving only 190 pounds on the rear axle
T = 140 pounds distributed to trailer axles

Notice the 20 pounds difference in GTW. That's caused by scale error due to rounding of the weights on the three pads of the scale. Ignore such a small rounding error.


Next you must know wet and loaded tongue weight so you can compute percentage of tongue weight distribution. Either use a tongue weight scale, or make another pass across the scale with the truck but without the trailer. If you use the CAT scale, on the scale ticket with the trailer but without the spring bars tight, add the weight on the front and rear axles to get gross truck weight (GTW). Use the scale ticket for the truck without the trailer to get GTW. The difference in GTW is tongue weight.


Based on the above scale ticket without the spring bars tight, GTW was 6920. GTW of the truck without the trailer was 6350. So tongue weight was 570.


Difference
F = 240 = 42% of TW = too much
R = 570 minus 360 = 190 pounds remaining on the rear axle = 33% = not enough
T = 140 pounds distributed to trailer axles = 24.5% = just right


Analysis:
Too much weight removed from the rear axle, so lossen the spring bars some.


To much weight distributed to the front axle so adjust the angle of the hitch some.


The goal of 20% to 25% distributed to the trailer axles was met.


First I would ease off on the spring bar tightness, then weigh it again. Continue adjusting the spring bar tightness and weighing the rig until you have 50% to 60% of tongue weight remaining on the rear axle of the tow vehicle.


After you have the spring bars adjusted, next is to adjust the angle of the ball to the coupler until you have 20% to 25% of tongue weight going to both the front and trailer axles.


Yeah, if you're not a good estimator, it can require several passes over the Cat scale to get the rig dialed in.

P'd Off

Only because I dont think there are enough posts on towing AND I heard there was a prize for stupidest questions....

2016 F-150 XL, 5.0, towing package (not the heavy duty), 3.31 gearing. Only mods are leveling shims up front. Has a 7050# GVWR package-huh? Trailer weighs 7746# as it is....

Trailer 2015 Zinger-Crossroads-trailer info....
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fuddmiester/media/Dat%20F150/IMG_5689_zps0cmst5rq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Fuddmiester/Dat%20F150/IMG_5689_zps0cmst5rq.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5689_zps0cmst5rq.jpg"/></a>

Trailer tire info...
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fuddmiester/media/Dat%20F150/IMG_5690_zpsdrxd8s18.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Fuddmiester/Dat%20F150/IMG_5690_zpsdrxd8s18.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5690_zpsdrxd8s18.jpg"/></a>

hitch info... (2" drop, should I have a straight bar?)
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fuddmiester/media/Dat%20F150/IMG_5691_zpstb1d4uwj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Fuddmiester/Dat%20F150/IMG_5691_zpstb1d4uwj.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5691_zpstb1d4uwj.jpg"/></a>

sticker on inside of door...
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fuddmiester/media/Dat%20F150/IMG_5693_zpsjzqw4zpr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Fuddmiester/Dat%20F150/IMG_5693_zpsjzqw4zpr.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5693_zpsjzqw4zpr.jpg"/></a>

Window sticker.....
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fuddmiester/media/Dat%20F150/IMG_5694_zpspdg859fn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Fuddmiester/Dat%20F150/IMG_5694_zpspdg859fn.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5694_zpspdg859fn.jpg"/></a>

Truck sits nose high with the trailer on.... I do NOT have a weight distribution bar on her, BUT there is a factory "sway control"? on the truck. From what I could muster up in the owners manual I'm good for -+12,000lbs.

Crunching numbers was never my strong point, and I at least know I'm off to the camper the store for a weight distribution set up. HELP oh F-150 gurus.....

Ricktwuhk

What does the Payload sticker on your truck say? I can guarantee you that after calculations you will see you have a big problem - trailer is too big and heavy.

The "sway control" built into your truck is SOFTWARE that senses sway and applies braking to one or more wheels to limit sway if it occurs.