Forum Discussion
Campin_LI
Jan 31, 2014Explorer
Yes. Because the airbags will raise the back of the truck, you will need more downward tilt (away from the truck) on the WDH to get the same or similar weight distributed to the front.
But, if you tilt the head downward (away from the truck), you may cause too much weight to be distributed to the front of the truck.
Most WDH's only have a few useful adjustments to transfer weight to give acceptable weight distribution. For example, on your setup without airbags, you may have 5 washers in the head. If you go to 4 washers you are not getting enough weight transfer so you are for argument sake "at the low end" of the 5 washer setting. Now you add airbags and adjust your WDH with 6 washers because the angle of your truck changed. For argument sake, say now you are transferring to much weight to the front axle. You have two choices:
1) Let some air out of the bags until you have the correct amount of weight transferred to the front axle. This occurs because you are letting the back end of the truck sag a little more (not level anymore) or
2) Take the washer back out. For argument sake, you will be at the "high end" of the 5 washer setting.
All in all, it becomes a trial and error type issue. You have to realize that the airbags are not transferring any weight. They are only holding what is there at a different height. For you, the goal is to have a level truck, so you need the WDH to transfer the same or similar weight to the front axle. The angle the truck makes with the road affects the setting of the WDH.
If I was trying to do this, I would start at the 1/2 way point and see what happens. If your sag is 2 inches, use the airbags to raise the truck 1 inch. Apply WDH and see how much the front lowers, then take it from there. Your goal is to get the front fender height back to where it was before you hooked up, but not lower.
On edit: If you have a WDH like a Reese without dual cam, you could accomplish trial and error easier by taking up or letting down a chain link, but in the end, you should adjust the tilt. On many hitches, 1 chain link is about equal to 1 washer but there are all types of WDH's so that may not hold true for all of them.
But, if you tilt the head downward (away from the truck), you may cause too much weight to be distributed to the front of the truck.
Most WDH's only have a few useful adjustments to transfer weight to give acceptable weight distribution. For example, on your setup without airbags, you may have 5 washers in the head. If you go to 4 washers you are not getting enough weight transfer so you are for argument sake "at the low end" of the 5 washer setting. Now you add airbags and adjust your WDH with 6 washers because the angle of your truck changed. For argument sake, say now you are transferring to much weight to the front axle. You have two choices:
1) Let some air out of the bags until you have the correct amount of weight transferred to the front axle. This occurs because you are letting the back end of the truck sag a little more (not level anymore) or
2) Take the washer back out. For argument sake, you will be at the "high end" of the 5 washer setting.
All in all, it becomes a trial and error type issue. You have to realize that the airbags are not transferring any weight. They are only holding what is there at a different height. For you, the goal is to have a level truck, so you need the WDH to transfer the same or similar weight to the front axle. The angle the truck makes with the road affects the setting of the WDH.
If I was trying to do this, I would start at the 1/2 way point and see what happens. If your sag is 2 inches, use the airbags to raise the truck 1 inch. Apply WDH and see how much the front lowers, then take it from there. Your goal is to get the front fender height back to where it was before you hooked up, but not lower.
On edit: If you have a WDH like a Reese without dual cam, you could accomplish trial and error easier by taking up or letting down a chain link, but in the end, you should adjust the tilt. On many hitches, 1 chain link is about equal to 1 washer but there are all types of WDH's so that may not hold true for all of them.
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