Equilizer 4 Point Setup
The DW and I picked up our new baby today - a Wildwood 29QBSS. A huge improvement from our Z-1. The dealership did the hitch adjustment but the sway arms aren't level to the frame of the trailer. Th...
Forum Discussion
The spring bars should be parallel (or nearly so) with the trailer's tongue. One spacer in the head is approximatly equal to one hole in the L bracket. You may need to adjust the head tilt to get the bars tensioned and level. The trailer and tow vehicle was set up at the dealers without all your camping stuff in both. The hitch should be set up loaded and ready for camping. Some dealers know how to set up the hitch properly; some don't.
If it binds and you cannot get it to release use the tongue jack to raise the tongue enough to get the pressure off the L brackets, remove the spring bars, lower the tongue to a more neutral position, then the tongue should release. If not, then very carefully move the tow vehicle back and forth about a half inch until it releases. You should feel it release. It has always worked for me.
The best way to adjust the spring bar tension is to take the tow vehicle and trailer to the scales and return to the front axle only that amount specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Otherwise everything you do is just an guesstimate. Some manufacturer's specify only adding back half the weight taken off by the tongue so be sure to not overtension the bars. That info should be in your owners manual or the towing guide.
Do yourself a favor, always take your tools with you. The hitch is a maintenance item and some bolts need to be regurarly retightened, buy a couple of half inch nuts and bolts and put one in each top hole of the L bracket to keep them from falling out on the road as they also tend to loosen up. And stay on top of all the grease places especially on both the top and bottom of where the bars move (pivot)in the hitch head. It is a friction wear point that is under a lot of tension. The hitch will make embarassing popping and creaking noises at slow speeds and mostly when backing into a campsite. That is annoying, but normal. Lastly, be sure you have the correct torque on the pivot bolts as they also tend to loosen up with use. You will need a torque wrench to stay within the specs for that.
If it binds and you cannot get it to release use the tongue jack to raise the tongue enough to get the pressure off the L brackets, remove the spring bars, lower the tongue to a more neutral position, then the tongue should release. If not, then very carefully move the tow vehicle back and forth about a half inch until it releases. You should feel it release. It has always worked for me.
The best way to adjust the spring bar tension is to take the tow vehicle and trailer to the scales and return to the front axle only that amount specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Otherwise everything you do is just an guesstimate. Some manufacturer's specify only adding back half the weight taken off by the tongue so be sure to not overtension the bars. That info should be in your owners manual or the towing guide.
Do yourself a favor, always take your tools with you. The hitch is a maintenance item and some bolts need to be regurarly retightened, buy a couple of half inch nuts and bolts and put one in each top hole of the L bracket to keep them from falling out on the road as they also tend to loosen up. And stay on top of all the grease places especially on both the top and bottom of where the bars move (pivot)in the hitch head. It is a friction wear point that is under a lot of tension. The hitch will make embarassing popping and creaking noises at slow speeds and mostly when backing into a campsite. That is annoying, but normal. Lastly, be sure you have the correct torque on the pivot bolts as they also tend to loosen up with use. You will need a torque wrench to stay within the specs for that.
