Steering wheel angle while towing

[astraelraen]

Just picked up a 2007 Nash 27E. Noticed on the drive home the same steering wheel "problem" I had with a prior trailer.

Wondering if anyone has ever seen this? It seems like with the trailer hooked up steering input is really "dull." Maybe it is by design by Ford.

Maybe its my weight distribution? Maybe theres not enough weight on the front wheels? I haven't weighed it, but there is no visual sag in the rear or rise in the front.

These are all pictures of driving in a straight line. The angle of the steering wheel was necessary to make the truck go in a straight line. Doesn't seem like it should be normal? But it ONLY happens with a trailer hooked up. I can unhook the trailer and immediately the truck has no steering "issues."

[Wes_Tausend]

goducks10 wrote:
You need to have the bars parallel with the tongue. Lower the L brackets and make the necessary washer adjustments to set the trucks front. Also lube and torque the sockets on the WD head. I had a similar situation with my EQ exiting an off ramp once. As I turned right off the exit the steering wheel was cocked to the left to compensate for the turn. Next turn was left and now the wheel was cocked to the right. What was happening was the sockets were dry and not allowing the bars to return to the normal position.

By having the bars tilted up like you have you're not getting a full surface contact with the bar and the L bracket. You're only on the edge of the L bracket. I was told by EQ that one L bracket hole is equal to one washer. So if your setup is good then remove 2 washers when you lower the L brackets. Or one washer of you only drop the L bracket one hole.

I detect a little mix-up here. If you lower the L-brackets to square the friction contact surface parallel to the TT frame, add, not remove, about one washer, or so, per hole. This will maintain bar spring load tension, but likely result in less noise when the bars slide across the L-brackets during a turn, as explained in section Under or Over Adjustment (on the beginning of page 19, the owners manual pdf). It can get a little confusing sometimes...

I note that you mentioned earlier that the hitch is sometimes noisy. Equal-i-zer provides a jacket ($20.35 nylon sleeve) that delivers a quieter contact like petroleum lube, but is far less messy.

Your premium Equal-i-zer WD hitch is designed a bit different than the original "bent" round bar WD hitches, differing by mounting the Equal-i-zer bars in dry 90 degree cast steel sockets. This sharp angle design allows the bars to be very close to the trailer frame and affords greater ground clearance than bent bar types, which must leave room for a gradual curved spring section to insert them into the bottom of the hitch head. Both types give equal performance otherwise. The Equal-i-zer cast socket hinge assemblies are somewhat sealed, and lubed separately which helps contain the grease.

So comparing spacing pictures with the bent bar hitch of MitchF150 is not the same. Again, the hitches work exactly the same otherwise, and be aware that your hitch cost over twice as much as most bent bar hitches... but you do not have to put up with the removal of greasy bent bars during parking, nor reduced ground clearance during operation. Bent bars are greased directly on the bent spring end and are terribly messy to store. When I use them, I plastic-bag the grungy ends during camp storage, as well as bag the greasy hitch ball that both types share.

I note that the pdf owners manual states that the front truck axle may be left slightly higher than the truck level before hitching. There have been widely ranging recommendations that the front be forced lower, and equal to the rear axle drop, all the way to this pdf recommendation that it is ok the allow the front to rise slightly during loading. My own preference is to attempt to keep the front axle level where it was when unloaded and allow the rear axle to sag where it may within reason (it may need spring help). This is also generally the latest overall "general set-up" view and does allow for sufficient steering traction as well as keeping normal front wheel alignment intact under towing conditions.

Off-hand, I would say you already have a very good idea of what you are doing.

The slight observed off-center steering is a very peculiar predicament, though as you say, not critical. My curiousity is not unlike yours, whatever causes it.

Wes
...

[MitchF150]

Well, if that's the spacing that was designed into it, it's not enough IMO... I've seen lots of Equalizer setups and none of them look like that... 😉 Many moons ago, my Dad used to use them and it was a different head altogether, but there was spacing between the bars and they were parallel to the ground.

Looking at the videos on their web site, they have at least 4+" of clearance between the bars and the frame.

So, I didn't think that those Rise Balls "weren't" WD rated, so that would be an important thing to determine first!

I just think the way it's currently running and if he's already got 6 washers to tilt the head back, he's not going to get much more??

Anyway OP, these guys know more about that brand of hitch than I do, so don't take what I suggested as the thing to do! 🙂

Mitch

[AH64ID]

I wouldn't put a big rise ball, like a 2", on it just yet. That's a bandaid, IMHO.

The equalizers setup different than other WDH.

Yes your L brackets are too tall, so add 1 or 2 washers and drop 1 or 2 holes. That will get you a lot closer to paralleling the frame. I would start off trying 1 washer, if you don't want 8, and 2 holes. Then add the "bracket jacket" and that will give you about 1/3 of a hole back and get you close to paralleling the frame.

Then hit a scale (the one in Horseshoe Bend is free and always turned on, as are most state run scales when closed) and see what your tongue weight is, and how much weight you are transferring. There is a lot of tension on those bars, as indicated by the bend, you may be able to do what I mentioned and still be good in the transfer department. If you need a little more look for a 1" rise ball, you will gain a little more tension but not be too tall.

If you still aren't getting the weight transferred that you want/need then a 12K setup might be better. Maybe I can make you a deal on mine, as I want to step up to a 14K setup and I am in Kuna.

MitchF150 wrote:
I know this isn't an Equal-I-Zer brand hitch, but I'm just showing it to point out that your ball needs to be 'higher' so there is more space between the coupler and where your bars go into the head.

The spacing he has is as designed by "Equal-i-zer", and is how they are supposed to be setup. You can add a little, as a 1" rise ball is really only 5/8" taller, but a 2" is too much for that setup and if needed something else is wrong.

[Hybridhunter]

MitchF150 wrote:
The trailer is pretty low (only has 2 steps). The tongue is about 18" to the top when hitched up.

What I'm talking about a "2 inch rise ball" is this.



You would replace this with your current ball.

Since it's taller, you will have to lower your hitch head. Since your stinger is 'inverted', you'll have to turn it over and adjust the head accordingly to match up to the new balls extra height, but keep the trailer at the same level.

This will give you the additional space between your bars and the frame.

Mitch

Don't use a riser ball unless it is rated for use on a WDH. The torsional stress will likely destroy it.

[astraelraen]

MitchF150 wrote:
The trailer is pretty low (only has 2 steps). The tongue is about 18" to the top when hitched up.

What I'm talking about a "2 inch rise ball" is this.

You would replace this with your current ball.

Since it's taller, you will have to lower your hitch head. Since your stinger is 'inverted', you'll have to turn it over and adjust the head accordingly to match up to the new balls extra height, but keep the trailer at the same level.

This will give you the additional space between your bars and the frame.

Mitch

Holy******I feel like an idiot. For whatever reason this just clicked in my head 🙂

[MitchF150]

The trailer is pretty low (only has 2 steps). The tongue is about 18" to the top when hitched up.

What I'm talking about a "2 inch rise ball" is this.



You would replace this with your current ball.

Since it's taller, you will have to lower your hitch head. Since your stinger is 'inverted', you'll have to turn it over and adjust the head accordingly to match up to the new balls extra height, but keep the trailer at the same level.

This will give you the additional space between your bars and the frame.

Mitch

[astraelraen]

MitchF150 wrote:
I know this isn't an Equal-I-Zer brand hitch, but I'm just showing it to point out that your ball needs to be 'higher' so there is more space between the coupler and where your bars go into the head.

You have a 'trunion' design and mine is a standard round bar, but notice how much space I have between the coupler and where my bars are.

In your picture your hitch ball seems really low, is your truck lifted or is your trailer pretty low to the ground? This Nash has pretty high ground clearance, higher than my prior trailer.

As it sits now the truck is nearly 50/50, with a slight rise in the front. The trailer is almost exactly 50/50 with the same height front and rear.

If I raise the ball up one inch won't it cause the trailer to sit higher in the front? I don't want the front of the trailer pointed up higher than the rear?

Or could there be enough weight on the tongue to offset the raised hitch ball height?

I am appreciative for all the help.

[MitchF150]

I know this isn't an Equal-I-Zer brand hitch, but I'm just showing it to point out that your ball needs to be 'higher' so there is more space between the coupler and where your bars go into the head.

You have a 'trunion' design and mine is a standard round bar, but notice how much space I have between the coupler and where my bars are.

If you get a 2" rise ball that will effectively raise your coupler, giving you more space between the bars. Combine that with tilting the head a tad more and lowering the L brackets I think you'll be a lot better off than you are now..

You'll need to reverse your stinger too if you use a 2" rise ball..

Mitch

[AH64ID]

A rise ball will also help increase tension.

[astraelraen]

I emailed Progress Manufacturing to ask about the spacers type/etc.

He said they would really recommend 7 washers maximum. He said if you have to use more than that then something is probably wrong with the setup. I sent him the picture of the hitch/bar angle. He asked me to recheck ball height to coupler height. He suspects the ball may be too low.

I watched the RV guy measure when he hooked it up, I'm not sure ball height is the problem, but now I've got more things to check!

[TurnThePage]

astraelraen wrote:
Can you use any old washer you find at the hardware store? I only have the 6 it came with.

For testing your sure could. I'm sure you have quality level choices at the hardware store.

[AH64ID]

astraelraen wrote:
Can you use any old washer you find at the hardware store? I only have the 6 it came with.

If you call equalizer they will give you the dimensions, they can be locally procured.

[mkirsch]

astraelraen wrote:
The picture angle/hitch angle I think distorts it a little. I don't think the bars are bent.

Nobody said they were.

Maybe "flexed" would be a more appropriate term. The bars will flex some as they near their maximum capacity.

Yours do not appear to be flexed, so they are likely not near their capacity.

I agree with the others, get the bars parallel to the trailer frame.

[astraelraen]

Can you use any old washer you find at the hardware store? I only have the 6 it came with.

[kvangil]

goducks10 wrote:
You need to have the bars parallel with the tongue. Lower the L brackets and make the necessary washer adjustments to set the trucks front. Also lube and torque the sockets on the WD head. I had a similar situation with my EQ exiting an off ramp once. As I turned right off the exit the steering wheel was cocked to the left to compensate for the turn. Next turn was left and now the wheel was cocked to the right. What was happening was the sockets were dry and not allowing the bars to return to the normal position.

By having the bars tilted up like you have you're not getting a full surface contact with the bar and the L bracket. You're only on the edge of the L bracket. I was told by EQ that one L bracket hole is equal to one washer. So if your setup is good then remove 2 washers when you lower the L brackets. Or one washer of you only drop the L bracket one hole.

X2. This is the best overall advice so far. 🙂