Air bags and Equalizer????

I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck.

If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.

I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way).
Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.

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lawnspecialties wrote:
I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck.

If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.

Nope....not a good idea to really bend over these big "water turn-out bumps" with equalizer bars in place. Way too much stress.

boogie_4wheel wrote:
I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way).
Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.

yeah.....you are commenting on exactly my question.

so off-road....you're saying just disconnect and drive slow and I'm fine...right.

of course, I see that you have a 2500.....hmmmm

Without question, you can use air bags and a WDH combined. I do, and have for many years and various TV's.

The WDH should be doing all the work/leveling while the air bags are at their min PSI. If not, the WDH is not set up correctly OR the WDH bars are under rated for your actual tongue weight.

Once the WDH is set right, add PSI to the bags at 5-10 psi increments. They might raise the rear slightly, but so what? The bags DO NOT transfer weight, the lift is only VISUAL.

The benefit of bags with the WDH is realized most with 1/2 tons and SUV's with soft sprung rear ends, as the bags add spring rate primary, not lift.

Again, rear end lift via the bags is visual. Leveling must be done via the WDH. But the bags do in fact add spring rate to the rear end, which I find more comfortable.

boogie_4wheel wrote:
I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way).
Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.

Why in the world would you do this?

Leave the bars on until you are disconnected from the trailer.

Rough terrain? Ok. And?

There is practically no reason to disconnect WDH bars while connected to the TV.

RinconVTR wrote:


Why in the world would you do this?

Leave the bars on until you are disconnected from the trailer.

Rough terrain? Ok. And?

There is practically no reason to disconnect WDH bars while connected to the TV.

If I'm headed into the woods or desert and cross a washout, as the rear axle drops into the low spot, the hitch bars can become overloaded and bend. This is a condition that is a little more excessive than a steep gas station entry.

Jnoflane2, Welcome back. The pup & trail bikes sounds like my kind of weekend. And like you love my Ecodiesel. I have a small transporter business and use my ED. We deliver a variety of TTs & THs for 3 manufacturers and routinely boats & cargo trailers and or with motorcycles & snowmobiles in the bed as backhauls.

Naturally I use a no sway WDH. After that I bought air bags to help support & control the suspension in part for gravel driveway wash outs & such when heavily loaded. Because as you know the spring rate is set soft for ride. I decided to try this per a conversation with a designer/manufacturer of a small axle to frame air bag company. I had used in coil bags before in full frame coil suspension cars with reasonable results. So I decided to invest a little money & try it out. Frankly they have far exceeded my expectation. No more wallowing through that stuff. And the ride is not harsh or bouncy just firmer smoother & more controlled.

My advice after getting to know this truck ie not a HD & not a half ton leaf spring truck is to get axle to frame bags. Heavily loaded & some trial & error on the scales and they will compliment your WDH on the road. Before rough terrain I would relieve the bars. Just 12 or 15 psi will likely support the load & dampen the suspension. Have not used them with the Equalizer but with my hitch I get a little more weight transfer than the hitch alone. I know this is opposite of what some expect.

And I know you didn't ask but I've had great luck with my GDE tune as well. The software driven turbo brake provides a lot of safety & confidence when your trailer & load is pushing you down a grade. It saves brakes as well especially with the factory trailer brake controller. I replaced my original brakes at 293,000. Anyway you can read about it on their site if you choose.

http://www.totalloadcontrolsuspensions.com/

https://timbergroveenterprises.com/

RinconVTR wrote:
.... Once the WDH is set right, add PSI to the bags at 5-10 psi increments. They might raise the rear slightly, but so what? The bags DO NOT transfer weight, the lift is only VISUAL.

The benefit of bags with the WDH is realized most with 1/2 tons and SUV's with soft sprung rear ends, as the bags add spring rate primary, not lift.

Again, rear end lift via the bags is visual. Leveling must be done via the WDH. But the bags do in fact add spring rate to the rear end, which I find more comfortable.

Nice set-up.

But with all due respect, this is incorrect. If you start pumping up air bags after you've set your WDH up, it will immediately start transferring weight back to the rear of the truck. Its just physics.

Is what you're doing wrong? I would say not really. Its his truck and I say do whatever makes you happy here.

The majority of WD hitches out there aren't set up correctly anyway and truck hitches can carry more tongue weight these days.

If the OP wants to do what he's thinking, really wants to remove the bars as suggested, then I'd suggest upgrading the hitch so his tongue weight doesn't exceed the capacity of the hitch without a WDH. Then he can use WD for the highways and if he removes the bars on the back roads, the hitch should handle it without leaving him stranded with a busted receiver miles off the road.

Just my .02.

lawnspecialties wrote:


If you start pumping up air bags after you've set your WDH up, it will immediately start transferring weight back to the rear of the truck. Its just physics.

Yes, it is just physics.

Air bags will never transfer any weight like the WDH does. Ever.

If you're thinking adding air upsets the WDH setup, that's not correct either. The bags do not affect the WDH weight transfer when they are not used excessively. Which is why I set up my WDH first and add only enough air to increase spring rate with ride height changing only a fraction of an inch. I run only 10-15psi in my generic Firestone bags.

I have tried, tested, and proven (via scale and actual travel) all the above. It's not guess work or theory.