chains on my WDH

[sully585]

hey all, i've searched around the forum and haven't found an answer to my specific question.

i have a Husky WD hitch with round bar/chain setup.

i have always used the last link on the end of the chain when hooking it up, but i had a buddy tell me that i can use any of the links in the chain to change the way the weight is distributed. my question is, how does moving down a link or 2 on the chain affect the weight, exactly?

does it remove tongue weight and send it to the front axle of the TV, or to the axles of the TT?

if i get going down the road and the steering on my TV feels light/mushy, can i use the WDH chains to fix it?

for those that will say "the CAT scale is your friend", i agree with you. the CAT scale provides weights based on a single "point in time", and this is useful as a starting point to understanding hitch setup/loading. however, conditions are never exactly the same as when you weighed it on the CAT scale. sometimes holding tanks are full, sometimes they are empty, sometimes i'm hauling 6 people, sometimes 2. sometimes lots of cargo in the bed, sometimes very little.

in a nutshell, i want to know if the different links in the chains can be used as a "quick fix" and how using different links affects weight.

thanks in advance!

[rick danger]

Shortening the chain will put more weight on the front wheels of the TV. You may have to adjust the angle of the draw bar assembly to keep the weight bars parallel to the tongue.

[Seann45]

It will not change the tongue weight it will just change where it is "felt" on the truck. Most dealers do a woe full job of showing you how to use it after they sell it to you.

[annie oakly]

I go about 4 down on the chain, It seems to be nice ride for the trailer.
I have it marked so I use the same every time. Yes (Yellow)
I even have the ropes on the boat marked (Yellow) they go in the back of the boat, Boat loader they sometimes get mixed up.
We all have colours in our camping group have some of the same stuff
This Works for me, As I hook up the trailer myself. And get the boat off

[canadiankid]

When we hooked mine up at the dealership the other day we changed links a couple of times and looked at how the trailer was sitting with the truck. If the bag end sat low on the tv we added a chain till it looked good. When we got the the 5th link everything sat great and was a very nice ride home.

[Paintinfool3]

well I did a test at work the other day on level ground I measured front wheelwells , rear wheelwells and the frame on my trailer front and rear... first with no weight from the trailer on the rear of the truck.. then 7 links on the chain then 8 links on the chain the back of the truck moved about 3/16 of an inch and the front about 1/8th of an inch from 7 to 8 links the trailer frame changed 1/4 of an inch from level at 7 to 1/4 inch nose low at 8 so I say play around with it and see how it feels ... myself I am going to try the next trip 1/4 nose down and see if it rides a little better

[Rustic Eagle]

Sully585,

Originally Posted by sully585

snip.... my question is, how does moving down a link or 2 on the chain affect the weight, exactly?.......snip

For clarity I will reference the part of the chain that is "under tension". As an example...; if the the chain is presently set at 5 links under tension, moving it to 4 links under tension will distribute more weight to the TV's front axle (additional weight is removed off the TV's rear axle).

Originally Posted by sully585

snip....... does it remove tongue weight and send it to the front axle of the TV, or to the axles of the TT?......snip

The TT tongue weight placed on the hitch ball for the most part remains a constant, the WDH distributes weight off the TV's rear axle. The WDH's main function is to return the same weight to the TV's front axle that was removed when the TT's tongue was placed on the hitch ball. The WDH will transfer most of the weight to the TV's front axle, but do to the design physics of the WDH a nominal amount of weight will also be distributed to the TT's axle(s). A CAT scale can confirm the the amount of weights distributed.

Originally Posted by sully585

snip.... if i get going down the road and the steering on my TV feels light/mushy, can i use the WDH chains to fix it?....snip

Possibly, but there are other possibilities that should be considered as well (i.e.; under rated WDH, over loaded TV, etc.).

Originally Posted by sully585

snip..... in a nutshell, i want to know if the different links in the chains can be used as a "quick fix" and how using different links affects weight....snip

Yes, under some conditions.., but at best it's a "ball park" adjustment/fix. For example; if the fresh water tank is filled and it's located to the rear of the TT's axles, weight will be removed from the TT's tongue, thus possibly creating a TV handling issue of the TT........, WDH spring bar adjustment won't resolve this condition.

Bob

[SecretCoveDave]

Thanks again Rustic, you make me able to understand stuff. At least for a little while.