Gdetrailer wrote:
Terryallan wrote:
A properly setup WDH will prevent sway by returning steering control to the steering axle.
Wrong.
Front engine vehicles are heavily weight "BIASed" on the FRONT AXLES (front heavy), pickup trucks are much heavier BIASED on the front axle, 4x4 are heavier and diesel 4x4 even heavier.
Not unusual for a 4x4 gas engine truck to be 1,500 lbs heavier or more on the front axle than rear axle. Typically a unloaded truck can have 60%-70% of it's empty weight on the front axle!
Losing a couple of pounds from the front axle does nothing to induce sway and "restoring" that lost weight through WD will not help prevent sway or stop sway from happening.
SUVs tend to have less front axle weight but they often have more weight limitations on axles and available cargo weight
Terryallan wrote:
A trailer with a properly adjusted WDH will not sway.
Wrong. Absolutely wrong assumption.
Correctly adjusted WD with integrated sway control does nothing to help if your TRAILER load is incorrect.
I think you have this backwards.
You should have stated that a correctly and properly loaded TRAILER will tend to not sway and adding WD with sway control can HELP to a certain extent to reduce chances of sway.
Terryallan wrote:
With out the WDH the steering on the truck is too free, and will induce sway.
Wrong.
obviously you have never driven a pickup truck with a heavy load like a TC or a couple of tons (4,000 lbs) of gravel in the bed.. I have, the truck steers fine with such loads, obviously the steering does not need as much "boost" from the power steering but that condition isn't what causes sway. If a pickup that can handle say 2,000 lbs in the bed can't handle a measly 800 lbs of tongue weight then there is something seriously wrong with your truck or your truck selection.
Terryallan wrote:
Just as loading the truck with sand or gravel all behind the rear axle makes it hard to control the truck. the tongue weight does the same thing.
Wrong.
Read my opening comment several times and perhaps you will see where your assumption is wrong.
The further back the weigh goes behind the rear axle the more of a cantilever you have. 400 lbs on the hitch could be considered same or similar as 800 lbs of gravel or sand in the box if placed over the axle.
Terryallan wrote:
And having the 5th wheel on a 18 wheeler slide too far back will also cause the tractor to move around.
Truth. You don't have to believe me. But experience towing all those vehicles tells me different.
Wrong.
5th wheels for RVs by their nature typically have 20%-25% of the trailer weight on the pin, moving the pin back isn't going to make much if any difference in sway.
Semi tractors 5th wheels are a different beast, can have even higher pin weights and the tractor has a fairly short wheel base but once again, you totally ignore that the front of that tractor has the bulk of the weight of the engine and transmission and cab sitting on top of the front axle.. You would have to cantilever the 5th wheel hitch way past the frame of the tractor to "lose steering control".
Terryallan wrote:
Just hook up with a 800lb tongue weight, and go down the road, and see how well the truck drives. Then hook up the WDH. See if you can tell any difference. The WDh makes all the difference.
Wrong.
Reread my opening comment above several more times.
By the way, quite a few yrs ago the big three all dropped the 100% weight restoration recommendation, now they recommend 50%..
Don't get me wrong, under SOME certain combinations WD will be needed to prevent overload of the rear axles but telling people that having a properly adjusted WD will prevent sway is totally wrong and misleading people into a false sense of security which can result in a tragic ending.
Only a properly loaded trailer can be stable, that is why the general recommendation is 10%-15% TW for bumper pull.. 10% as an absolute minimum and for the best stability 15% or even a bit higher if your hitch can handle it.
The key is making sure you have as close to 15% of the trailer weight on the tongue as you can, then if you don't feel that is enough, then add in a "properly adjusted" WD..
But do not ever solely depend on WD to save your bacon, if you do good chance it will be swamped at the worst possible time and your bacon gets burned.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on most every thing you said. Unloading the front axle WILL induce sway. No question. That is what the WDH fixes. I do agree about the tongue weight.
