Weight Dist Hitch Setup

Jerallen wrote:
If you hook up as APT suggests ( and many of us do) you will find that snapping the brackets up is quite easy. The trailer tongue jack does the lifting and makes snapping up much, much easier. You will easily be able to go up several links which will restore more weight ot your front axle.
I run 4 links under tension- my bars are parallel to the tailer frame when snapped up- and I cannot snap them up at all without using the tongue jack- and I am a fairly BIG gut also.

That's what I do but I can barely get it to snap. If that is ok then I am fine with that setup. I am just concerned I may be putting undue force on the hitch.

If you hook up as APT suggests ( and many of us do) you will find that snapping the brackets up is quite easy. The trailer tongue jack does the lifting and makes snapping up much, much easier. You will easily be able to go up several links which will restore more weight ot your front axle.
I run 4 links under tension- my bars are parallel to the tailer frame when snapped up- and I cannot snap them up at all without using the tongue jack- and I am a fairly BIG gut also.

I have 1200 lb bars. Tongue weight should be around 900 lbs.

What poundage are your bars rated for?

How many links do you have under tension?

Are you using the procedure APT mentioned?

When snapped up are your bars parallel to the TT frame?

I am measuring with the axle scale at my companies distribution center so I know the weights are pretty close (+/- 10 lbs) I follow the same procedure. I am using about an 18" cheater bar / pipe that came with the hitch.

Truck empty:
Front: 3450
Rear: 3350

Trailer worst case load before adjusting chains:
Front: 3370
Rear: 4530

Trailer: 6330

Trailer normal load after adjusting chains:
Front: 3600
Rear: 4390

Trailer: 6120

You are measuring with a scale? Are you using a cheater bar/pipe for the snap-up brackets or just by hand?

Myself and many people follow this procedure when attaching TT to TV:
Lower tongue on ball
Latch tongue on ball
Raise tongue to about unhitched ball height
Apply WD bars/snap up
Lower tongue

Raising the tongue up after connected means far less pressure on the WD bars and snap-up brackets. Sometimes I snap them up by hand, but usually still use a pipe/extension for leverage.