Trying to understand payload

Francesca Knowles wrote:

GalWithDawgs wrote:
Lets say I have loaded the truck so my payload is 1580. 1000 of that is because of the hitch and some of the trailer contents. That would mean I would have 580 pounds of me, the dogs and lipstick distributed evenly over two axles or four tires, right? So my gaw on the front axle might be 270 but my rear axle would be 1270. Right?

Depends on your hitch... now it's time to go to the following really helpful RV.net link and read all about weight distribution hitch systems.

The one thing you need to know going in is that these systems do NOT raise your payload capacity. But they do affect how the load is carried by the axles.

Oh boy. In 2004 I bought a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 and it came with these two big metal rod type things and seems to me one end of those rods attached to the back end of the truck and the other two near the trailer hitch. Those were anti sway things, right?