# Wd Hitch Set-Up With Air Bags



## Currey

This weekend will be my first trip since I installed air bags on my TV (2005 F250). I was wondering how others would recommend setting up the WD hitch in conjunction with the air bags. I've read where you should drop the hitch down a hole, hook up the TT and WD bars, and level the TV back to factory ride height with the air bags. I think this is supposed to keep the WD setup and the air bags from "fighting" each other - if that makes any sense. I could be way off. Please let me know your thoughts on this! I'd like to hook up to the trailer sometime this week and get it set up prior to leaving on Friday morning. Thanks for the help!


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## Dave_at_Equal-i-zer_Hitch

Currey,

Air up your air bags first. Get them as close to what you think you want to tow with as you can. This will make the baseline for setting up your hitch and weight distribution as accurate as possible.

Set the hitch head height correctly based on the set up instructions for your brand. If you're using an Equal-i-zer hitch, or a Fastway e2 hitch, the top of the hitch ball should be at the same height as the top of the coupler; with the trailer parallel to the ground and both vehicles loaded as closely as possible to what you're going to have in them for your trip.

Then, set up the weight distribution correctly. According to the "Trailer Owner's Handbook" by the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers, this should be at least halfway back to baseline weight on the front axle. For example, if you weigh the front axle of your tow vehicle before coupling the trailer, and it weighs 2,000 lbs., then couple the trailer without weight distribution and the new weight is 1,600 lbs., when you have your weight distribution engaged, you should be back to at least 1,800 lbs., and the closer to 2,000 the better.

Use the measurement method if you don't have ready access to a scale. Measure to a line on the front fender, then couple up and measure to the same line, then measure a third time with the weight distribution engaged. As in my example above with the weights, suppose you start at 40" from ground to line. The second measurement is then 42" (less weight makes it go up). Your target for good weight distribution would be at least back to 41", and the closer to 40" the better.

If you set everything up, and then ADD air to the rear-axle air bags, you will DECREASE the amount of weight distribution given by the hitch. If you REMOVE air, you will INCREASE the amount of weight distribution. This is because what you're effectively doing is changing what would have been the base line height / weight to begin with.

If you must adjust the inflation of the air bags, adjust the weight distribution accordingly by changing the number of links you're using, or the height of the frame brackets.

Take the time to do it right. You will be safer and have a more comfortable trip.

Good luck!


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## Currey

Wow, that's a lot to digest! So, currently (pre air bags) the trailer was level, but my truck was squatting considerably. I'm afraid if i simply leave the hitch as is, when air up the bags to level the truck out, then I'll lose the weight distribution provided by the bars. This is why I thought about lowering the hitch a hole to "make up" for the lost weight distribution. Never thought about moving the brackets - does it matter which one I move? I may be more confused now than i was before!


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## Currey

how would i know how much air to put in the bags to "pre load" them prior to coupling the trailer?


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## Currey

ob277rl said:


> Currey what hitch are you using. Was your truck level when you got it or did you do something to make it level. Does your truck have a towing package or a max tow package. To be of more focused on how to help you we need to know as much about your setup as possible. Good Luck.
> 
> Robert


 i'm using the equal-i-zer setup. The TT set level when I set the hitch up per the instructions, but the truck sagged a little. My truck is a 2005 F250 FX4 6.0 diesel. I've put Bilstein shocks on all 4 corners and now the Air Lift 5000 bags on the rear.


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## Currey




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## Jeff_D

Like you, I have a 2005 F250 but with a V10. It is perfectly acceptable for the rear of your truck to drop under load. If you put 900-1200 lbs. on the hitch there is no avoiding it. The latest Equal-i-zer owner's manual does not even address the height of the rear end of the truck. The only height measurement is taken at the front wheel well. The goal is to use weight distribution to get the coupled measurement half way back to uncoupled measurement. (Even that is not set in stone. Ford now recommends no more than 25% of the way back for my 2016 F150.) If you meet that criteria and your trailer is level, you are good to go.

From everything I have read, with the exception of forum posts, airbags actually work to counter the intent of a weight distribution hitch. They only shift a very minimal amount of weight from the rear to the front. They mostly level out the body of the truck. That being said, there is no shortage of folk who swear by airbags and would not tow a significant load without them.

I'm no expert but after a ton of reading, I decided against airbags. My truck came equipped with the upper overloads (camper package) so I installed Torklift Stable Loads to engage them sooner.


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## Currey

Jeff_D said:


> Like you, I have a 2005 F250 but with a V10. It is perfectly acceptable for the rear of your truck to drop under load. If you put 900-1200 lbs. on the hitch there is no avoiding it. The latest Equal-i-zer owner's manual does not even address the height of the rear end of the truck. The only height measurement is taken at the front wheel well. The goal is to use weight distribution to get the coupled measurement half way back to uncoupled measurement. (Even that is not set in stone. Ford now recommends no more than 25% of the way back for my 2016 F150.) If you meet that criteria and your trailer is level, you are good to go.
> 
> From everything I have read, with the exception of forum posts, airbags actually work to counter the intent of a weight distribution hitch. They only shift a very minimal amount of weight from the rear to the front. They mostly level out the body of the truck. That being said, there is no shortage of folk who swear by airbags and would not tow a significant load without them.
> 
> I'm no expert but after a ton of reading, I decided against airbags. My truck came equipped with the upper overloads (camper package) so I installed Torklift Stable Loads to engage them sooner.


Thanks for your input! I'm going more after ride quality and truck leveling than anything. But first and foremost, i'm going to go with weight distribution - from my hitch setup. After lots of discussion with another forum member today, i'm going to preload my airbags, set my hitch, then test drive - lather, rinse, repeat till desired ride is obtained.


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## RFalcon

Our truck was air bagged because we were carrying about - 4000 lb load in the bed of the truck with our truck camper. It tightened up the suspension so there was less body movement. It did not increase the cargo capacity of the vehicle, which was 5000 pounds. It minimized the effects of the suspension, which created a safer ride by diminishing a shifting center of gravity. Thursday, the dealer will install a four point WD on my truck, as we're getting a travel trailer. He advised me to choose the pressure I was going to use in the airbags, and stick with it, as he was going to adjust the WD system accordingly. The tongue weight of the 240usr (650 pound tongue weight) isn't going to budge that one ton suspension, even without the airbags, so I think WD is unnecessary for my use; but he's tossing it n free, and it will provide sway control, so I'll go for it. He's going to have to use a drop hitch to level the camper, and the rear of the truck will still be high. Lol I'll set the bags at 40psi, as the manufacturer suggests that's the minimum pressure to use.


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## Dave_at_Equal-i-zer_Hitch

RFalcon said:


> The tongue weight of the 240usr (650 pound tongue weight) isn't going to budge that one ton suspension, even without the airbags, so I think WD is unnecessary for my use; but he's tossing it n free, and it will provide sway control, so I'll go for it.


The real issue is not that the rear suspension sags when you add the tongue weight of the trailer. The issue is that you are counter-balancing the weight on the front axle of your tow vehicle. Yes, in this case, you have a very stiff suspension with the 1 ton, and then the additional stiffening of the air bags. However, just imagine a teeter-totter at the playground. The center fulcrum does not sag, no matter how many kids climb on. The issue is, when the big kid climbs on one end, the little kids on the other end go up in the air.

That is exactly what happens with tongue weight, and why you need weight distribution, even when you have a very stiff suspension. Adding the trailer's tongue weight still lifts weight off of the front axle of your tow vehicle, and you lose steering and braking control. Weight distribution restores that.


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## RFalcon

With the short lever between the fulcrum (the rear axle) and the hitch, as opposed to the longer lever of the fulcrum to the front axle, and the ultralights tongue weight of 640 lbs vs the weight of the truck (plugs Duramax engine and Allison transmission) forward of the fulcrum, and given the fact the trailer cant even budge it's wnd of the teeter totter (like a skinny kid trying to lift a heavy man), I still wonder about the necessity of the system. Plus, since the bars connecting the truck and trailer appear to be applying downward pressure on both points, that would inhibit some vertical movement, but only if the suspension had sufficient play to begin with. But 640 pounds does not compress the suspension at all. 4500 pounds in the bed dropped the rear, but the rear was still higher than the front. So I guess I'm not seeing your point.


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## 325BH

Dave_at_Equal-i-zer_Hitch said:


> RFalcon said:
> 
> 
> 
> The tongue weight of the 240usr (650 pound tongue weight) isn't going to budge that one ton suspension, even without the airbags, so I think WD is unnecessary for my use; but he's tossing it n free, and it will provide sway control, so I'll go for it.
> 
> 
> 
> The real issue is not that the rear suspension sags when you add the tongue weight of the trailer. The issue is that you are counter-balancing the weight on the front axle of your tow vehicle. Yes, in this case, you have a very stiff suspension with the 1 ton, and then the additional stiffening of the air bags. However, just imagine a teeter-totter at the playground. The center fulcrum does not sag, no matter how many kids climb on. The issue is, when the big kid climbs on one end, the little kids on the other end go up in the air.
> 
> That is exactly what happens with tongue weight, and why you need weight distribution, even when you have a very stiff suspension. Adding the trailer's tongue weight still lifts weight off of the front axle of your tow vehicle, and you lose steering and braking control. Weight distribution restores that.
Click to expand...

Exactly right.

Although 650 lbs 3 feet behind the rear axle may only be 200 lbs off of the front.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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