Re: [A/S] Door frame vs. bridge seams

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,

One of your comments makes me curious and may be the basis of your question.
You said that your new Ford puller is taller than your previous Dodge.  That
fact should not be relevant to the question of which link to attach to the
flip-over brackets.

The hitch ball of your hitch receiver, when installed in the hitch receiver,
should be approximately 19 1/2" to 20" from the pavement regardless of tow
vehicle height.   This measurement is dictated by the height of the inside
top of the trailer ball socket when the trailer is perfectly level
horizontally.  The figure varies slightly between years and models of A/S
trailers and may be listed in your owner's manual or in the factory
brochures for the year of your trailer.

Another way of saying the same thing is the top of the hitch ball and the
inside of the hitch ball socket should be the same height before the two are
coupled.  When the trailer tongue weight  is dropped on the tow vehicle, the
tow vehicle will sag slightly when the tongue weight is dropped on it.  Then
the trunnion or spring bars (equalizer bars) are used to return the tow
vehicle's rear end to its original height.  Pullers with softer rear springs
will remain somewhat lower than their static position, heavy duty 3/4 or one
ton truck pullers will sag very little when loaded.

Your hitch head should either be adjusted if it is an adjustable head or cut
and rewelded if the head is welded to the draw bar.  Many good welding
shops, preferably those that are familiar with equalizer hitches, can cut
and reset the hitch head for approximately $50 depending on the cost of
living where you live.

I hope this clarifies your situation.

Harvey