Re: [A/S] hitches...cars,,.trucks

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Recently there have been a number of posts on hitches - specifically
eliminating the weight equalizing hitch when towing with a heavy duty pickup
(or other truck).

Granted, it takes a little more effort to hook up the springbars, and
pickups tend to be light in the rear, BUT --- What is so bad about
transferring some of the hitch weight to the front wheels of the tow
vehicle?

Note that a trailer places it's hitch weight on the tow vehicle's hitch ball
well AFT of the pickup's axle, so it tends to REDUCE the weight on the front
end.  This is very different from an equal weight load in the bed of the
pickup (which has a center of gravity a lot further forward), which puts
some of the load on the front suspension.

Therefore, it seems to me, that a weight equalizing hitch is a good idea,
even for a pickup truck tow vehicle.  Since the pickup's rear springs are
stiffer (relative to the front springs) than on a car or van, you won't need
as much weight transfer (via the equalizer spring bars) to keep the tow
vehicle level.  Nevertheless, a little extra weight on the front end should
provide better stability and steering behavior (rather than less weight than
normal on the front end, without the equalizer hitch spring bars)..

Oliver Filippi