Bar for snap up brackets
I lost the bar I use to pull up the chains to hook on the snap up brackets. Does anyone know where I can find a good bar/metal tube that has a curved end?
Thanks for any and all replies.
Thanks for any and all replies.
Forum Discussion
wnjj wrote:
You wrote two important sentences:Bob's method will not provide enough tension.Huntindog wrote:
There are several issues..
But the main one is this: On a properly tensioned WD, it is impossible for the hitch to come off of the ball. Even if it is unlatched.
Try it and see. Hitch up normally. Then release the latch. then try to raise the tongue off the ball with the PJ. It cannot be done.
Bob states just the opposite.
This can only work if the bars are wayyyy too loose. Which means they are not doing anything, so it is not working.
Forgetting for the moment the extra 3 inches above, start with the hitch just touching the ball but not bearing down any weight. Then if you connect the chains and lower the hitch, the chains will get tighter and you won't be able lift it off the ball provided your truck sags some when hitched. That's based upon the fact that the ends of the bars drop more than the brackets on the trailer do when you lower the hitch/ball. This creates tension in the chains and weight on the hitch, not unlike the increase in tension when you drive through a gully and the front of your truck pitches up.
The only consideration is whether that's enough tension or not. I don't know if it is.
Think of it this way:
If you connect the hitch to the ball and then crank up the truck and trailer together before installing the chains, it depends upon whether the ball ends up at or above the original unladen height when you connect the chains. When using the jack with them coupled, the first bunch of lifting is simply unloading the trucks's suspension again. If all you do is unload the suspension, that's no different than connecting the chains before you load it.
On the other hand, if you indeed have to jack the ball above where it was before you started in order to install the chains then Bob's method will not provide enough tension.
The only consideration is whether that's enough tension or not. I don't know if it is.Huntindog wrote:
There are several issues..
But the main one is this: On a properly tensioned WD, it is impossible for the hitch to come off of the ball. Even if it is unlatched.
Try it and see. Hitch up normally. Then release the latch. then try to raise the tongue off the ball with the PJ. It cannot be done.
Bob states just the opposite.
This can only work if the bars are wayyyy too loose. Which means they are not doing anything, so it is not working.
Forgetting for the moment the extra 3 inches above, start with the hitch just touching the ball but not bearing down any weight. Then if you connect the chains and lower the hitch, the chains will get tighter and you won't be able lift it off the ball provided your truck sags some when hitched. That's based upon the fact that the ends of the bars drop more than the brackets on the trailer do when you lower the hitch/ball. This creates tension in the chains and weight on the hitch, not unlike the increase in tension when you drive through a gully and the front of your truck pitches up.
The only consideration is whether that's enough tension or not. I don't know if it is.
Think of it this way:
If you connect the hitch to the ball and then crank up the truck and trailer together before installing the chains, it depends upon whether the ball ends up at or above the original unladen height when you connect the chains. When using the jack with them coupled, the first bunch of lifting is simply unloading the trucks's suspension again. If all you do is unload the suspension, that's no different than connecting the chains before you load it.
On the other hand, if you indeed have to jack the ball above where it was before you started in order to install the chains then Bob's method will not provide enough tension.- Ok, thanks guys.
Boon Docker wrote:
Not sure why a person would want to go through the effort to raise the truck and trailer when it takes 2 seconds to use the lift handle.
When you get into the 1400 and 1500lb bars that can be quite a chore, if not impossible, without raising the truck and trailer together to form an inverted V to make it easy to hook up the chains. The higher you raise the coupler, the closer the ends of the WD bars are to the A frame or snap-up brackets and therefor a looser chain to hook up.
BarneyBoon Docker wrote:
A real good reason is safety. Quite a few people have had that bar slip from their hands. It usually hits the kneecap.:E
Not sure why a person would want to go through the effort to raise the truck and trailer when it takes 2 seconds to use the lift handle.
With a power jack, it is effortless and SAFE.
And anyone can do it. Strength, age, arthritis..
No obstacle at all.- Not sure why a person would want to go through the effort to raise the truck and trailer when it takes 2 seconds to use the lift handle.
Huntindog wrote:
wanderingbob wrote:
Actually I just happened to be hitching up today.
Try it !
You say if ya hitch properly that the that the tongue will not lift of the ball , what world do you drive in . Lets say one thousand pound bars and a two thousand pound hitch jack . Insted of bad mouthing , try it .
Boy we got off topic , it is like talking politics . AND I HAVE DONE IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES !
After I did, I released the coupler latch, and raised the tongue with the PJ. It DID NOT come off the ball. It picked up the rear of my truck, just as I figured it would. The WD bars DID NOT loosen up, they got tighter. I lifted it quite a bit, then quit. I realized that ALL of that pressure was going on the bars and brackets with no help from the coupler. It could quite possibly damage the brackets.
Back when Ron G was contributing here, I seem to recall a post he made where his calculation showed the vertical force exerted between the ball and coupler with my WD engaged was on the order of 1700 pounds or so. In other words, the two are being squeezed together very tightly.
I think I too will stick to the old fashioned way of coupling it together first, then lifting with the tongue jack. About 28 to 30 turns on my hand crank tongue jack. I like the simple reliability of a hand crank tongue jack.
Just added a set of 1000 pound bars for the blue ox for the days I'm towing the horse trailer. Will need another trip to the CAT scales to get the setting right. Lighter bars for the TT, heavier for the horsie trailer.- I also do the "couple the trailer to truck & then lift both with the jack" method. It seems that I've thought about hooking up the bars first, but apparently when I'm standing there, I either realize why it won't work (work well?) or I keep forgetting to try it. :)
Either way, it's only 15 turns or so of the jack handle to raise it enough to get the bars on. (No power jack here).
CC wanderingbob wrote:
Actually I just happened to be hitching up today.
Try it !
You say if ya hitch properly that the that the tongue will not lift of the ball , what world do you drive in . Lets say one thousand pound bars and a two thousand pound hitch jack . Insted of bad mouthing , try it .
Boy we got off topic , it is like talking politics . AND I HAVE DONE IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES !
After I did, I released the coupler latch, and raised the tongue with the PJ. It DID NOT come off the ball. It picked up the rear of my truck, just as I figured it would. The WD bars DID NOT loosen up, they got tighter. I lifted it quite a bit, then quit. I realized that ALL of that pressure was going on the bars and brackets with no help from the coupler. It could quite possibly damage the brackets.wanderingbob wrote:
Try it !
You say if ya hitch properly that the that the tongue will not lift of the ball , what world do you drive in . Lets say one thousand pound bars and a two thousand pound hitch jack . Insted of bad mouthing , try it .
Boy we got off topic , it is like talking politics . AND I HAVE DONE IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES !
I drive in the same world as Huntindog and LarryJM. :B
When you tension the WD bars this increases the force on the ball from the coupler. It would be quite difficult to unlatch and raise the tongue with the WD bars attached and tensioned.
My question is WHY? Why not do it the normal way and raise the truck and trailer together with the jack, hook up the chains in the proper link, and then lower the tongue back down which tensions the chains?
Reverse procedure for unhooking.
Barney
