Howdy, everybody---I'm not an engineer, but I've played one in my garage(that was the
disclaimer)--- got an idea:
A: THE PROBLEM--truck is tall/trailer is not.
The (limited) solution. . drop-hitch into the receiver---this is fine, unless you don't have lots of overkill in your hitch rating (i seem to recall that every 1" of height difference from the rec'r box to the ball subtracts 10% of your safety factor-- eg. hitch rated at 5000lb; trailer requires 4" drop to ride level, subtract 4x10% of the 5k... if the trailer is less than 3k, you're OK. if it's much more, you're not. On takeoff, the drop behaves like a "cheater-bar" tending to twist your hitch ass'y rearward, and on deceleration, twists forward... .
THE PROPOSED OTHER SOLUTION: stabilizer bars that attach farther forward on the truck frame, and down low on the same level as the hitch ball itself, like a big letter A or maybe a letter T--- I might make one for my truck (even a stock-height Dodge 4x4 is too tall for straight-line pull on some trailers, much less lifted)--- if it seems to behave well for me, do you think the idea is marketable?? ---rich
disclaimer)--- got an idea:
A: THE PROBLEM--truck is tall/trailer is not.
The (limited) solution. . drop-hitch into the receiver---this is fine, unless you don't have lots of overkill in your hitch rating (i seem to recall that every 1" of height difference from the rec'r box to the ball subtracts 10% of your safety factor-- eg. hitch rated at 5000lb; trailer requires 4" drop to ride level, subtract 4x10% of the 5k... if the trailer is less than 3k, you're OK. if it's much more, you're not. On takeoff, the drop behaves like a "cheater-bar" tending to twist your hitch ass'y rearward, and on deceleration, twists forward... .
THE PROPOSED OTHER SOLUTION: stabilizer bars that attach farther forward on the truck frame, and down low on the same level as the hitch ball itself, like a big letter A or maybe a letter T--- I might make one for my truck (even a stock-height Dodge 4x4 is too tall for straight-line pull on some trailers, much less lifted)--- if it seems to behave well for me, do you think the idea is marketable?? ---rich