Is my trailer hitch too high? Or is it within tolerable limits? - Diesel Forum

olddieseldude · 06-12-2006, 10:46 PM

I had posted earlier that I had put my first significant load on my flatbed/car hauler trailer a few weeks ago. I felt then that I needed to lower my hitch a couple of inches to make the trailer level when loaded, but only because everything I've read (here and elsewhere) says that the trailer should be level. The trailer pulled beautifully but I was not on the highway with that load. Is a couple of inches of incline on a 26ft of trailer (20ft plus tongue length) significant enough to worry about when loaded if weight distribution is always maintained correctly? I ask because someone who I thought should know is telling me that my hitch height is just fine. My truck is, to my knowledge, all stock and it's 20.5" to the top of my hitch reciever and I'm using a 2" drop ball mount with a 2-5/16" ball. The nice thing about it's current height is the drop-foot jack has more ground clearance. What do you think?

MOUNTAINMAN444 · 06-13-2006, 06:02 AM

Personaly, I like to keep them as level as possible.
Joe

fellro86 · 06-13-2006, 06:19 AM

18" is generally about where you want the hitch to be, but level is best, as the axles carry the load more equally when level, so you need to try and adjust accordingly. It will likely be ok, but you can get another drop hitch and it will level out, no need to mess with the receiver.

olddieseldude · 06-13-2006, 11:33 AM

The trailer has a weight equalizing pivot between the axles so within limits both my axles should be carrying equal load even now.

fellro86 · 06-13-2006, 12:35 PM

Mine does too, but I can tell the rear axle is still carrying more load, but I have a bit more than a few inches too high, but with an ag hitch bumper, a receiver is not realistic, but I also generally don't go long distances with it.

Hoss350 · 06-14-2006, 04:35 PM

While I'm sure that within reasonable tolerances, you're okay, I would still try to get it sitting level. I have two different hitches for my truck, for the several different trailers I tow. One is a 6" drop. The other is a 2" drop. i find that between the two, i can find the combo to make any trailer sit more or less level.

Trailers always tow better level, so I'd try to get it there, if I were you.

olddieseldude · 06-14-2006, 06:58 PM

What I need to do then, it sounds like, is use the original 2" drop ball mount for local hauling, and then switch to a 4" drop ball mount for highway hauling. My real concern is that as much as I like this trailer, it seems they mounted the drop foot style jack a few inches too low. There's way more than enough jack to get the tongue above my hitch but with my 2" drop ball mount installed the drop foot is only 5"-6" off the ground at full retraction. During transitions from my driveway to the street the foot already scoops up crushed stone, and a drive into my yard with mulch one weekend proved the drop foot to be a great sod stripper.

I thought about cutting 2" off the jack, both the inner and outer tubes, to make it shorter and then I could just use the 4" drop mount all the time. This is a 7K rated manual worm gear dropfoot jack (2.5"-3" sq tube) welded solid to the frame of the trailer. Anyone done this before, any risk to the jack if I cut it off?

OldmanII · 06-14-2006, 09:06 PM

I had the too low problem with a jack so I bought some round stock and had a machine shop cut 3 pieces to the same length and drill the hole. Then I bought longer bolts abd installed the spacers between the jack and the tounge.

olddieseldude · 06-14-2006, 09:41 PM

Sounds good except that mine is "...welded solid to the frame of the trailer." This trailer has a cross member midway between the hitch and the trailer bed, 4" square tube, on which the jack is mounted. It's not moveable at all other than to screw the jack foot up and down. I could cut the jack off the trailer and remount it but would rather explore just cutting some length off the bottom of the jack.

trailer tongue picture

Square tube, left of red pipe, is jack. Note the nice weld that I hate to mess with...

fellro86 · 06-14-2006, 10:44 PM

I used to have a sold straight down jack, but it now is the fold up style. It also did well as a catch point... They also make pin on type jacks for farm equipment, would work well for something like that. You may also be able to cut the base down, and put a wheel on it, if you don't want to change it completely.

OldmanII · 06-15-2006, 10:31 AM

"welded solid to the frame of the trailer"
Yep I thought about that after posting. If you cut the post shorter you can buy an extended foot for the hitch. I am in that situation right now and will be buying the longer foot soon.

olddieseldude · 06-15-2006, 09:45 PM

Yeah, mines already got the extension, I've never lowered it completely but it's at least a foot or more long with a 5/8" pin and several holes every couple of inches to allow it to be dropped to minimize cranking needed to lower the jack. I looked at it better today and the outside tube stops at the bottom of the trailer frame so it can't be shortened any. But there's a lot of the center tube exposed. I just don't really know what the jack screw looks like that runs down the center. It's 2500 lbs of trailer, so I can't just turn it over and look at it. When I get time I'll just have to jack the tongue up far enough to let the drop foot slide all the way out so that I can see where the screw stops.