RAM Truck 2011 User's Guide download pdf (Page 29)

20

11

T

RAILER LIF

E

Towin

g

Guide

|

29

hitches are quite di

ff

erent than those used

f

o

r

wei

g

ht-distributin

g

. The need for wei

g

ht

-

distributin

g

hitches varies with tow-vehicl

e

t

y

pe and trailer wei

g

ht. A trailer with 35

0

pounds o

f

hitch weight may present no chal-

lenge

f

or a sti

ff

ly sprung, long-wheelbase H

D

pickup, while it ma

y

destabilize a softl

y

sprun

g

compact SUV. In

g

eneral, a wei

g

ht-

distributin

g

hitch will improve stabilit

y

in mos

t

situations

b

ecause weig

h

t resting on a

h

itc

h

ball

(

when a weight-carrying hitch is used

)

loads the rear axle excessivel

y

b

y

placin

g

all o

f

the hitch wei

g

ht on that axle in addition to

wei

g

ht that is trans

f

erred

f

rom the

f

ront axle

to t

h

e rear in a see-saw

l

ever action.

Because many receivers are usa

bl

e in eit

h

er

wei

g

ht-carr

y

in

g

or wei

g

ht-distributin

g

confi

g-

urations, dependin

g

on the ball mount, the re

-

ceiver manu

f

acturer ma

y

list both ratin

g

s.

Weig

h

t-

d

istri

b

uting

h

itc

h

es s

h

ou

ld

be

u

sed in many weight situations o

f

Class II, an

d

i

n most situations o

f

Class III and above. Un-

l

ike their wei

g

ht-carr

y

in

g

counterparts, thes

e

h

itches t

y

picall

y

use a much heavier ball

m

ount

(

that’s height-adjustable

)

, plus a pai

r

of

spring bars that provide the leverag

e

n

eeded to distribute weight

f

ore and a

f

t

.

Hitch Adjustment

A

fter havin

g

a wei

g

ht-distributin

g

hitch of

p

roper wei

g

ht ratin

g

installed, owners ma

y

t

ake the rest

f

or granted, which can be a

c

ost

l

y error

b

ecause an improper

l

y a

d

juste

d

w

ei

g

ht-distributin

g

hitch can contribute t

o

t

railer swa

y

, which is a ver

y

undesirable, an

d

u

nsafe, handlin

g

trait.

T

h

e

k

eys to

h

appy towing are proper

h

itc

h-

b

a

ll

h

eig

h

t an

d

proper tension on t

h

e spring

b

ars. When all aspects are correct, the tow

v

ehicle and the trailer are at the

p

ro

p

er ride

h

ei

g

ht, which in most cases is level. One excep

-

t

ion wi

ll

b

e

d

escri

b

e

d

l

ater. Proper

h

itc

h

a

d

just

-

m

ent

h

e

l

ps prevent rear-ax

l

e over

l

oa

d

ing an

d

i

mproves brakin

g

and steerin

g

response

.

Evaluatin

g

the proper ad

j

ustment of

a

w

ei

g

ht-distributin

g

hitch is relativel

y

simple:

Th

e tow ve

h

ic

l

e s

h

ou

ld

maintain t

h

e same at-

t

itude be

f

ore hitching that it does a

f

ter hitch-

i

ng, measured at re

f

erence points at the

f

ront

a

nd rear bum

p

ers or wheel wells. If it is level

b

efore hitchin

g

, it should be level afterward,

a

lthough slightly lower due to the addition o

f

h

itc

h

weig

h

t. A

l

eve

l

attitu

d

e means t

h

e a

d

e

-

q

uate load has been placed on the sprin

g

bars

t

o distribute portions of the hitch wei

g

h

t

e

quall

y

to the front and rear axles. If the rea

r

of

the tow vehicle sags a

f

ter hitching, the

n

th

e spring-

b

ar

l

oa

d

ing isn’t a

d

equate

.

The exception to level attitude: I

f

the tow

v

ehicle is a stiffl

y

sprun

g

pickup and the rea

r

o

f the truck is hi

g

her than the front, that atti-

t

ude should be maintained a

f

ter hitching

.

S

uch trucks o

f

ten will carry heavy loads with-

o

ut the need for weight-distributing hitches

a

nd without sa

gg

in

g

. But care must be exer-

c

ised here. Althou

g

h the truck ma

y

not look

l

i

k

e it’s sagging visua

ll

y, t

h

e

h

itc

h

weig

ht

c

arrie

d

b

y t

h

e rear ax

l

e may sti

ll

create an

u

nstable situation

.

If the trailer is not level after the sprin

g

b

ars have been ad

j

usted to create the prope

r

t

ow-ve

h

ic

l

e attitu

d

e, t

h

e

b

a

ll

h

eig

h

t s

h

ou

ld

be

c

orrecte

d.

Trailer sway can be a problem if trailer

b

alance or hitch ad

j

ustment are not correct

b

ecause the trailer exerts steerin

g

levera

g

e o

n

t

he tow vehicle by virtue o

f

being connected

t

o the tow vehicle 3 or 4

f

eet behind the rea

r

a

xle. With correct hitchin

g

, trailer balanc

e

TL1102 TG Hitchiong Up LO.qxp_Towing Guide 12/7/10 3:27 PM Page 29

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