Weight distribution hitch for 3500 with ram factory air

[IndyRamMega]

I recommend anyone who thinks they know what air bags vs wdh does to your truck review this video with scaled proof....air bags DO NOT add weight to the front axle....for bumper pulling....

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I recommend anyone who thinks they know what air bags vs wdh does to your truck review this video with scaled proof....air bags DO NOT add weight to the front axle....for bumper pulling....

No one ever said they did…

 

[werard]

View attachment 53793
Equalizer hitch w sway control/WD/and factory airbags. I love the setup.

How the hell did you get that gun to fit in the bed.

 

[whitexc]

How the hell did you get that gun to fit in the bed.

That’s why he got factory air ride but good question on how it fits!


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[bbritt18]

I saw this hitch on Youtube yesteday and it looks like a neat concept. I had the equalizer when I had a bumper pull. I don't miss all those squeaks and creaks.

B&W Trailer Hitches Continuum Weight Distribution Hitch

B&W's Continuum Weight Distribution hitch offers cutting-edge features like exclusive LITEFLEX® composite spring bars that act as a single unit and a hydraulic system that allows for more precise adjustment, the Continuum delivers a game-changing towing experience.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

 

[OldJeepsNewTrucks]

There's alot of advice on here already, and I'm not an expert. But, I'll just say if you're on 80 going through Wyoming on a windy day (see: every damn day) toil enjoy the anti-sway and no amount of tongue weight will keep your trailer straight. To be fair, even the tractors drive with their trailers at an angle on 80 during high winds though!

 

[filemaniac]

I was using a Bulletproof setup combined with Fastway E2 WD on our TT. Worked great. The bars are 1k tongue weight and 10k trailer weight. Bulletproof sells a WD adapter for their hitch setup if you find a system you like. Or you can buy mine! Going 5er and no longer need it.

An added bonus and the main reason I went with that whole setup was I could open my tailgate completely with the TT connected. No more jack interference.


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How much? I currently have a BlueOx SwayPro 10k which I don't hate but I don't especially like either. I'm swapping out a Navigator for a 3500 with the factory rear air so it's a bit of a change. Plus I'll have to use hitch reducer so if the price is right this may work better.

Are you able to backup with the sway bars attached? I currently can with the BlueOx but still take them off if I'm backing the TT into a difficult spot.

 

[Andersen24]

I saw this hitch on Youtube yesteday and it looks like a neat concept. I had the equalizer when I had a bumper pull. I don't miss all those squeaks and creaks.

B&W Trailer Hitches Continuum Weight Distribution Hitch

B&W's Continuum Weight Distribution hitch offers cutting-edge features like exclusive LITEFLEX® composite spring bars that act as a single unit and a hydraulic system that allows for more precise adjustment, the Continuum delivers a game-changing towing experience.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

I ordered this hitch last week and it’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Looking forward to using it later this month when I go camping.

 

[DeadEnd]

I was using a Bulletproof setup combined with Fastway E2 WD on our TT. Worked great. The bars are 1k tongue weight and 10k trailer weight. Bulletproof sells a WD adapter for their hitch setup if you find a system you like. Or you can buy mine! Going 5er and no longer need it.

An added bonus and the main reason I went with that whole setup was I could open my tailgate completely with the TT connected. No more jack interference.


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Did you have or notice any "slop" where the WD adapter mounted with the 2 pins? Also am I over thinking that it would add another possible point of failure? Currently have a 2" equalizer shank and looking to get a new 2.5" for the truck. Not sure if I want to go that route or get a bulletproof.

 

[Red Rider]

I ordered this hitch last week and it’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Looking forward to using it later this month when I go camping.

Been looking at the continuum hitch as it seems to have some good features. Would love to know from any users how well it performs. Specifically, how effective is the weight transfer (especially with a long relatively long heavyish trailer), how effective is the sway control and is the overall ride better or worse than something like a weigh safe or equalizer?

 

[Bombaman]

I love my Tow-N-Stow, and some other B&W products. But on the Continuum I would be more worried about leak-down of the hydraulic cylinder. Its one of those things where it isnt easily road-side fixable. I run a ProPride, even on a DRW, but considering the Contiuum is still Friction based anti-sway, I would opt for a more traditional product.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I love my Tow-N-Stow, and some other B&W products. But on the Continuum I would be more worried about leak-down of the hydraulic cylinder. Its one of those things where it isnt easily road-side fixable. I run a ProPride, even on a DRW, but considering the Contiuum is still Friction based anti-sway, I would opt for a more traditional product.

It would take a lot of use or some extraordinary force to cause an issue with the hydraulics. Look at tow trucks they rarely blow out cylinders and they use the hydraulics far more than you would with a WDH

 

[Bombaman]

It would take a lot of use or some extraordinary force to cause an issue with the hydraulics. Look at tow trucks they rarely blow out cylinders and they use the hydraulics far more than you would with a WDH

Bit of a difference between the tolerance and duty cycle between commerical and consumer hydraulics. Ever had a jack leak down? Small Nick in a seal and goodbye WDH with practically no roadside repair option.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Bit of a difference between the tolerance and duty cycle between commerical and consumer hydraulics. Ever had a jack leak down? Small Nick in a seal and goodbye WDH with practically no roadside repair option.

Once again jacks cycle far more than the hitch ever will. Also there is no difference between commercial or consumer hydraulics if the manufacture cheaps out and uses Oring/backup seals vs U seals that would be the difference but that happens for both commercial and consumer depending on the manufacture. You cant knick a seal from the outside unless you have a failed wiper or damaged the chrome on the rod. Snow plows deal with far greater forces and worse environments and cylinder failures are not all that common its usually the hoses that will fail first.
I have delt with hydraulics all my life i would have no issues with that hitch personally. And thats really what it boils down to is personal preference.

 

[Red Rider]

Good point about the hydraulics being a single point failure. However, I had a weigh safe hitch that sheared one of the two bolts holding the weight distribution hitch assembly to the main unit. If I had not caught it and the second bolt had come loose or sheared, the entire assembly would have separated from the hitch possibly causing major damage. Just saying that a single point failure could happen at anytime to virtually any assembly under the right circumstances (as is happening with the Asian transmission snap ring failure). Right now I’m more interested in its performance in weight distribution, sway control and ride performance as opposed to theoretical failure issues. We all have to have some faith that the manufacturer has performed some decent testing of a new product. B&W is a well known and reputable company which I trust will stand behind their products should an issue occur just as Weigh Safe stepped up to the plate when I had my problem with their hitch.
Thanks for all the input.

 

[pizzatots]

Good point about the hydraulics being a single point failure. However, I had a weigh safe hitch that sheared one of the two bolts holding the weight distribution hitch assembly to the main unit.

Just as I was thinking of upgrading my equalizer set up to a weigh safe. Dang.

 

[Red Rider]

Just as I was thinking of upgrading my equalizer set up to a weigh safe. Dang.

The Weigh Safe is not a bad hitch but its design can inadvertently result in the issue I ran into. The problem comes when the chain mounting point under the trailer coupler comes in contact with the hitch in a tight turn. This puts a downward force on the weight distribution head and can shear the retaining bolts. Not all trailers mount the chains in a position where this would happen. I moved my chain mounts which solved the issue.

 

[rfullen280]

Just to re-ignite the physics of weight distribution, airbags, and sway:

First - each of those terms is a separate thing, but not mutually exclusive of the others,
Second - airbags do not return any weight to the front axle (more than minor) they just raise the rear to compensate for loading,
Third - weight distribution DOES return "weight" or technically, MOMENT, to the front axle.

In a properly configured system, the Rear Axle is the Fulcrum, the front end is one end of the Lever, and the Hitch is the other end. As you push down on the hitch, the moment of the vehicle rotates around the rear axle, removing moment from the front wheels. Rather than explaining Center of Gravity to the average overloaded F-150 drivers, WDH manufacturers just say "returns weight to the front axle".

Here's the formula for weight and balance:
Weight X Arm (usually the CG point in this case, unloaded) = Moment.
Total Weight / Total Moment = Center of Gravity.

If you truly want to evaluate your WDH setup, take your truck to a scale, figure out the unloaded front axle weight, rear axle weight, and the distance between the two. Then go back with your load, and measure the same plus the trailer weight, the distance to the load (trailer) axles, plus the distance from each axle to the pivot point (hitch).

Distances behind your rear axle are a negative number in your calculations (as they move moment or CG behind your fulcrum).
Distances in front of your rear axle are a positive number...as the move your moment/CG forward to the normal unloaded position.

You can ignore the Hitch Pivot to Trailer Axle weight/balance calculations if you're just curious about restoring pressure or load back to the front axle.

Then put on a WDH, and go do it all again (but luckily, your distances should be the same)...

Of course, manufacturers could do the math and provide you with an envelope, like aircraft engineers do, of a safe loading range...but they know what kind of knuckledraggers buy a Chevy Silverado 1500 and overload it... so they don't want the headache of teaching under-educated suburbanites how to do basic math.

Or, just accept that a properly configured WDH returns "Weight" back to the front axle, effectively making steering and total balance ... better.

 

[jsalbre]

Just to re-ignite the physics of weight distribution, airbags, and sway:

First - each of those terms is a separate thing, but not mutually exclusive of the others,
Second - airbags do not return any weight to the front axle (more than minor) they just raise the rear to compensate for loading,
Third - weight distribution DOES return "weight" or technically, MOMENT, to the front axle.

In a properly configured system, the Rear Axle is the Fulcrum, the front end is one end of the Lever, and the Hitch is the other end. As you push down on the hitch, the moment of the vehicle rotates around the rear axle, removing moment from the front wheels. Rather than explaining Center of Gravity to the average overloaded F-150 drivers, WDH manufacturers just say "returns weight to the front axle".

Here's the formula for weight and balance:
Weight X Arm (usually the CG point in this case, unloaded) = Moment.
Total Weight / Total Moment = Center of Gravity.

If you truly want to evaluate your WDH setup, take your truck to a scale, figure out the unloaded front axle weight, rear axle weight, and the distance between the two. Then go back with your load, and measure the same plus the trailer weight, the distance to the load (trailer) axles, plus the distance from each axle to the pivot point (hitch).

Distances behind your rear axle are a negative number in your calculations (as they move moment or CG behind your fulcrum).
Distances in front of your rear axle are a positive number...as the move your moment/CG forward to the normal unloaded position.

You can ignore the Hitch Pivot to Trailer Axle weight/balance calculations if you're just curious about restoring pressure or load back to the front axle.

Then put on a WDH, and go do it all again (but luckily, your distances should be the same)...

Of course, manufacturers could do the math and provide you with an envelope, like aircraft engineers do, of a safe loading range...but they know what kind of knuckledraggers buy a Chevy Silverado 1500 and overload it... so they don't want the headache of teaching under-educated suburbanites how to do basic math.

Or, just accept that a properly configured WDH returns "Weight" back to the front axle, effectively making steering and total balance ... better.

Physics: You can argue all you want, but it always wins!

 

[Brutal_HO]

Just to re-ignite the physics of weight distribution, airbags, and sway:

First - each of those terms is a separate thing, but not mutually exclusive of the others,
Second - airbags do not return any weight to the front axle (more than minor) they just raise the rear to compensate for loading,
Third - weight distribution DOES return "weight" or technically, MOMENT, to the front axle.

In a properly configured system, the Rear Axle is the Fulcrum, the front end is one end of the Lever, and the Hitch is the other end. As you push down on the hitch, the moment of the vehicle rotates around the rear axle, removing moment from the front wheels. Rather than explaining Center of Gravity to the average overloaded F-150 drivers, WDH manufacturers just say "returns weight to the front axle".

Here's the formula for weight and balance:
Weight X Arm (usually the CG point in this case, unloaded) = Moment.
Total Weight / Total Moment = Center of Gravity.

If you truly want to evaluate your WDH setup, take your truck to a scale, figure out the unloaded front axle weight, rear axle weight, and the distance between the two. Then go back with your load, and measure the same plus the trailer weight, the distance to the load (trailer) axles, plus the distance from each axle to the pivot point (hitch).

Distances behind your rear axle are a negative number in your calculations (as they move moment or CG behind your fulcrum).
Distances in front of your rear axle are a positive number...as the move your moment/CG forward to the normal unloaded position.

You can ignore the Hitch Pivot to Trailer Axle weight/balance calculations if you're just curious about restoring pressure or load back to the front axle.

Then put on a WDH, and go do it all again (but luckily, your distances should be the same)...

Of course, manufacturers could do the math and provide you with an envelope, like aircraft engineers do, of a safe loading range...but they know what kind of knuckledraggers buy a Chevy Silverado 1500 and overload it... so they don't want the headache of teaching under-educated suburbanites how to do basic math.

Or, just accept that a properly configured WDH returns "Weight" back to the front axle, effectively making steering and total balance ... better.

Good synapsis but you left out an important artifact of WDH in that it also adds weight to the towing trailer axle(s). There's two ends to that "lever." This is more evident with small utility trailers but is there nonetheless.