hfrez wrote:
I have a Reese Straight Line Weight Distribution Hitch product number 66072 rated for #600. My new trailer requires #900 tongue weight.
Can I Just buy the Trunnion Spring bar rated for #1200 and replace the #600 ones?
Thanks ,
Harold
I see your past this now and have the 1,200# WD bars. The Reese HP trunnion bar hitch head, pn 58167, has been revised several times over the years. Reese use to top out at 1,200# in WD mode back in the early 2,000 time frame. Then came heavier trailers and they offered the 1,700# WD bars, then the 1,500# WD bars and they still fit the same 58167 hitch head. They also started adding rating stickers on the side of the head. Like this
Here is the latest all cast steel HD trunnion bar head, 58167 at Etrailer as a stand alone part. Etrailer Reese 58167
The next issue was the hitch shank. The ratings on them changed and the 2" square shank topped out at 1,500#, if you wanted to use the 1,700# bars you have to upgrade to a 2 1/2" shank/receiver. On the 2 1/2" shank, the shank tapers down at the hitch head to fit into the 2" hitch head.
As to the WD bar sizes, the 600# and 800# WD bar look the same as the bar outer size and the trunnion lug head is the same, but the steel temper is different.
The 1,200, 1,500 and the 1,700 WD bar have the same trunnion head, bar size, but the temper of the steel is different.
That 58167 head fits all the newer 600 to 1,700# WD bars. Just heads up incase you get an old Reese WD bar, they use to years back, pre year 2,000 at least have smaller OD lugs on the trunnion bars. While they will fit the new 58167, do not mix a new larger trunnion lug WD bar with an older smaller trunnion lug WD bar. They do not lock up un the hitch head the same.
See here, the 800# bar next to a 1,200# wd bar. The 800# bar on the bottom
As ktmrfs stated, when you go to the 1,200# and up WD bar, the snap up brackets have had issues of bending open in turns in some cases. The issue also has occurred in less frequency on some of the older 1,000# WD bars when they use to offer that size WD bar. You have a few options in this case, if you are on the old style snap up's, bolt them to the frame. Use grade 5 or higher hardware. You can buy the newer reinforced snap up that have welded on gussets on the sides. Like this one, for $72 each. Reese snap up brackets at E trailer
These Reese Trunnion bar head instructions talks about the bolting on the older style WD brackets, page 5 Reese Trunnion bar hitch instructions
As FYI, before those new heavy duty snap up brackets came out, I was already converted to the 1,700# WD hitch system back in 2007 due the 1,600# loaded tongue weight of our current camper in my sig. Back then, the only option we had was bolting on the snap up. I bolted them on and I am still using them after putting on over 35K miles on the trailer later. In my case, I have a channel iron frame and I can use nuts and bolts and not self taping screws. You can see the round heads of the carriage bolts I used in the lower part of the snap up.
If you are running 1,200# and up WD bars, you really want to deal with the snap ups, bolt them on or get the new HD snap ups.
Hope this helps
John
