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Old 08-28-2003, 12:07 PM   #1
RockyMtnRay
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
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Default Has anyone tilted a WDH's hitch ball to reduce the # of dropped chain links?

When I bought my TM (2720SL) last year, my dealer sold me a Reese WDH with the 550 lb round bars and sent me down the road with 4 chain links dropped. During my first trip with the trailer loaded for camping, I noticed the TM was a bit low in the front and my Jeep was distinctly setting lower in the back. So, after checking with the dealer who said "there shouldn't be any problems", I upped that to 5 links dropped. That leveled the TM and substantially reduced the rear end droop of my Jeep. However, every once in a long while...like during sharp turns while backing into a camping site, I've heard a distinct groan from the hitch indicating something was binding up. (I never heard any groans with 4 links dropped.)

Then this week on the way back from a trip, I tried it with 6 links dropped. That totally leveled the Jeep and noticeably improved the steering preciseness (more weight on the front wheels). But I was getting the binding groan even going around corners in a parking lot. Clearly there was not enough chain left above the bars to allow sufficient fore-aft movement of the bars during turns.

In checking Reese's web site, I find they make these bars in 750 and 1000 lb ratings. Unfortunately none of the local RV or hitch dealers have just the bars in stock. They can order them....but it'll take a week to get here and I'm leaving next Tuesday for a 10 day trip. However, both an RV dealer and a hitch place recommended simply tilting the hitch ball part of the hitch shank backwards 5 to 10 degrees...that will cause the spring bars to tilt downward and thus require fewer dropped links to get the same amount of bar tension. Both said this was a better solution than going to heavier rated bars because the heavier rated bars would overly stiffen the flexibility of the TV/trailer connection when crossing gutters, etc.

In reviewing previous threads on WDHs, I didn't see any mention of tilting the ball/bar mounts. Has anyone done this and, if so, were there any adverse outcomes such as unusual wear on the ball or trailer's ball socket?
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Old 08-28-2003, 12:42 PM   #2
efelker
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Default Re:Has anyone tilted a WDH's hitch ball to reduce the # of dropped chain links?

Ray:

Here's two documents that might help.

First one is installation instructions for a Reese round bar.
http://www.reeseproducts.com/support...fs/65509IN.pdf

What's missing in the above instructions is any mention of ballmount angle. This second document (although about trunnion style) does at least discuss the angle and usie of the the washers to adjust it.
http://www.reeseproducts.com/support...fs/66006IN.pdf

I don't know much about the Reese, but hopefully these will help. It sure seems intuitively obvious to me that adjusting ballmount angle & possibly height should help you get rid of the groan and still keep everything reasonably level.

Ed
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Old 08-28-2003, 01:22 PM   #3
RockyMtnRay
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Default Re:Has anyone tilted a WDH's hitch ball to reduce the # of dropped chain links?

Oooh, good find there Ed. Thanks muchly. I'd seen the 1st document but not the 2nd...two very useful numbers therein: don't go below 5 links between U-bolt and the hook on the tongue; and the hitch ball angle can be as much as 15 degrees.
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Old 08-28-2003, 03:35 PM   #4
efelker
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Default Re:Has anyone tilted a WDH's hitch ball to reduce the # of dropped chain links?

Ray:

Don't know if they just drew it for effect, but I also noticed that in the first document (fig 4) when properly adjusted everything is aligned parallel -- the spring bars, trailer, and TV. Basically all the axis align with the level plane. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you can get the ballmount height and angle and chain drops positioned such that spring bars, trailer axis, and TV axis align with the level plane, wouldn't the load be fully equalized among TV front & rear axles and the trailer axis? The TV would sit level with the trailer also level to the plane of the TV.

Ed
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