Trailer-Axle Weight Change From Baseline (Pounds) Rear-Axle Weight Change From Baseline (Pounds) Weight-Distribution Example of Weight Change With 1,000-Pound Tongue Weightįront-Axle Weight Change From Baseline (Pounds) It shows how adding a weight-distribution hitch will restore weight to the front axle. Here’s a chart that shows what happens to a truck’s weight distribution when you connect a trailer with a 1,000-pound tongue weight to a half-ton truck. This loss of traction can cause the tow vehicle to spin or otherwise lose control. When this happens, the rear wheels might lose traction when turning, accelerating or braking. But you can go the other way, too, by not having enough weight distribution on the rear axle. This ensures proper handling and braking characteristics while towing. The idea behind the FALR method is to return 50-100% of the weight that was lost from the front axle back to it. The load placed on these bars can be adjusted by changing the angle of the hitch head, which determines how much weight is transferred back to the front axle. In most cases, to create this lever action, a weight-distribution hitch will use bars, often called equalizer bars or arms, that extend out toward the trailer and attach to the trailer A-frame 25-35 inches from the coupler. In the towing industry, they use the term front-axle load restoration (FALR). Weight-distribution hitches combat this by restoring load to the front axle of the tow vehicle by creating a counteracting lever action. What’s happening is that a fulcrum-and-lever system is being created: The tow vehicle’s frame acts as a lever with the fulcrum being the rear axle. All of this decreases stability and, ultimately, safety. If too much weight is removed from the front, then steering will be light, braking won't be as effective and the rear axle could be overloaded. When attaching a trailer to a tow vehicle, weight is removed from the front axle and transferred to the rear axle. What Does a Weight-Distribution Hitch Do? As part of my work, I test various pieces of trailer towing equipment including trailer hitches. in Utah, makers of the Equal-i-zer hitch and Fastway Flash ball mounts. This leaves an obvious question: Why?įor my day job, I am a product engineer for Progress Mfg. Half-ton trucks like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 typically recommend a weight-distribution hitch for any trailer over 5,000 pounds and/or any tongue weight over 500 pounds, which might seem low considering these trucks have maximum towing capacities of over 12,000 pounds. Many pickup truck manufacturers recommend using a weight-distribution hitch when towing over a certain trailer weight.

Equalizer sway control hitch