Weight Distributing Tow Hitch - Four Wheeler Magazine

Sometimes, using the correct 10 to 15 percent tongue weight results in a stupid-looking stance of the tow vehicle, its rear end forced down by the trailer's weight and the headlights pointing skyward. Not only does it look dumb, it is. The dynamics of the tow vehicle are thrown off, negatively impacting steering, stopping, and handling overall. If the trailer is then tilted forward as a result, its handling and braking could also be compromised, making a bad scenario worse. Add to that the now-misaligned headlights, potentially overloaded rear tires (and perhaps also the rear axle), and numerous other drawbacks, and it should be obvious that unless you make a living photographing crashes along the highways, you better stay clear of such tail-dragging rigs going down the road.

A weight-distributing hitch uses spring bars chained to the trailer tongue to transfer weight from the rear to the front of the tow vehicle. When set up correctly, the tow vehicle will sit as level as without a trailer, just a bit lower, which does wonders for stability and vehicle control. While this weight-distribution thing may look complicated, there is nothing hard or tricky about it. And that includes the installation.

A weight-distributing hitch uses spring bars chained to the trailer tongue to transfer wei

When a tow vehicle squats down too much in the rear, it is because the tongue weight is more than the rear suspension can handle. Common fixes include helper leaves and airbags, which indeed can bring the vehicle back to a level stance again but which do little or nothing for spreading the load to the front of the vehicle. Unless using a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch, trailer tongue weight is very different from a load placed in the bed or inside the vehicle. Tongue weight places the load behind the axle, using leverage to effectively make the load heavier than it really is. Plus it takes important weight off the front axle in the process, which upsets the braking system, front-end alignment, and may even make the steering quite ineffective.

Rather than looking like a clueless driver with way too much trailer and testosterone just waiting to become a statistic (nature has a way of weeding out the weak), why not fix the problem? A weight-distributing hitch does exactly what its name implies by transferring some of the weight to the front of the vehicle, making it sit nice and level with all its functions intact. How? By lifting the rear of it, much like lifting by the handles on a wheelbarrow. This may sound odd, but look at the photos and you'll see how it works. Yes, there's a little more work involved when hooking up or unhitching the trailer with a weight-distributing hitch, but the extra minute or so is time extremely well spent when considering the rewards.

A weight-distributing hitch requires a special ball mount with provisions for a pair of spring bars, and Valley Industries, for example, has versions made for tongue weights ranging from 300 to 1,500 pounds to work with trailers weighing 5,000 to 15,000 pounds. Once you know the needed weight range (gross trailer weight as well as tongue weight), it's merely a matter of buying the correct package for the task and setting up according to the instructions. Installation is easy, and the photos should help explain the steps that are involved. Making a potentially ill-handling vehicle combination more safe and sound doesn't get much easier than this.

1. This Valley Weight Distributing Hitch (PN 70270) is the lightest version available with a 5,000-pound max trailer weight, and for 300 to 500 pounds of tongue weight. At the upper right is the height-adjustable ball mount, which bolts to the head assembly to its left. At the lower right are the lift brackets, and below, the spring (or trunnion) bars and their chains.
1. This Valley Weight Distributing Hitch (PN 70270) is the lightest version available with
2. Before bolting the ball mount and head together, you'll have to do some simple measuring to set this assembly up according to the instructions. Begin with the trailer's coupler height and then onto the front and rear of the tow vehicle. There is a 6 1/2-inch total height adjustment on this particular assembly; most others have more.
2. Before bolting the ball mount and head together, you'll have to do some simple measurin
3. Attach the included chains to the spring bars with the supplied hardware, lube the holes in the trunnions, and it's time to begin with the actual installation.
3. Attach the included chains to the spring bars with the supplied hardware, lube the hole

4. Place the trunnions in the head assembly and drop the clevis pins in place to hold them there. Hairpin clips then keep the clevis pins securely in place. You have now installed the "wheelbarrow handles" that will lift the rear of the tow vehicle. Instructions say to do this before hooking up to the trailer, but we did it afterwards. By the way, the trailer obviously has to be loaded when setting up the weight distribution system.
4. Place the trunnions in the head assembly and drop the clevis pins in place to hold them
5. Here you can see how the trunnion attaches to the head and the clevis pin that holds it. Since the trunnions can turn but not move up and down, lifting the other end of the spring bars effectively lifts the rear of the tow vehicle.
5. Here you can see how the trunnion attaches to the head and the clevis pin that holds it
6. Place a lift bracket on the trailer tongue right above the chain on each spring bar. The hinged lift brackets are used to pull the chains up and go into an over-center position once all the way up. They're held in place by 1/2-inch bolts acting as set screws.
6. Place a lift bracket on the trailer tongue right above the chain on each spring bar. Th

7. Following the instructions, select the appropriate amount of chain links to hook onto the lift brackets, then swing the brackets into position using the included handle. This is where the lifting force on those "wheelbarrow handles" comes from. It may seem like completely opposing forces since the spring bars are lifting the same basic area that the trailer's coupler is pushing down on, and because the chains are putting down force on the trailer tongue. Well, it may seem that way at first, but it works. If everything is set up correctly, the tow vehicle will settle down evenly, front and rear. Compare with the measurements taken at the beginning, and if the front has dipped more than the rear, use one more chain link, which lessens the lift. If the rear is too low, shorten the effective chain length. You should be able to get within 1/2 inch both front and rear. Now, go enjoy the newfound stability of your tow vehicle and trailer.