ShadowsPapa
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Bill
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2019
- Threads
- 180
- Messages
- 29,422
- Reaction score
- 34,998
- Location
- Runnells, Iowa
- Vehicle(s)
- '22 JTO, '23 JLU, '82 SX4, '73 P. Cardin Javelin
- Occupation
- Retired auto mechanic, frmr gov't ntwrk security admin
- Vehicle Showcase
- 3
- Thread starter
- #1
Weeks after I got my JT I did a test to see how it could handle weight out back, as if there was a heavy trailer hooked up. It did poorly. So I put max tow springs under the rear - and 3/4 spacers all the way around. It sits a bit differently than it did when I hauled my trailer EMPTY to Omaha to get some old dealership signs.
So I decided to set the truck by the trailer tongue and check heights and such.
I did this for the rear hitch of course but wondered about the front as this receiver sits a lot farther back than the other one I had under the front end before.
So I need a longer ball mount for the front - 11" center to center.
Now about the rear...........
I weighed the trailer tongue - trailer empty I got 350 pounds tongue weight.
I measured the height of the truck without the trailer hooked up. The ground wasn't real even back where the trailer is but - ground up to wheel well opening 36.75". Measured at the bumper - ground to top of bumper step area (the center low part) - 21.5"
Trailer hooked up - tongue on ball, that is - ground to fender opening - 36" and ground to top of bumper center - 20.25"
So the 350 pounds of tongue weight dropped it only about 1" at the wheels and 1.25" at the bumper.
The springs made a big difference in how it sits with weight on it.
The trailer empty sat with the front up just a bit.
My opinion, once a car is on it, and I have the tongue weight of about 500 pounds, the trailer may sit level.
(trailer empty is 1600 with tool box, tools, spare tire. Add 3200 pound car and trailer loaded would be 4800 pounds. 10% roughly480 - I'll call it 500)
So it sits like this with 350 pound tongue weight, eventual tongue weight will be ~500.
Now to find a ball mount that has two positions - 11" center to center when it's in the front receiver, and the more normal roughly 7.5" when used in the rear. Don't want it farther back than that in the rear when towing. Want to keep the ball closer to the bumper.
Trailer sitting level, NOT hooked up -
Trailer level, this much difference but the weight of the loaded trailer should drop the truck enough to make the trailer pull level -
Trailer connected - tongue weight 350 pounds -
On ball, hooked up, trailer front sits up some -
Trailer sitting level, difference in height - think it should settle to roughly level with a car on it and hooked up.
I have the mount slid out to mark and measure how kind of distance I need between ball hole and hole in receiver - definitely need 11" to get the ball out this far from the bumper.
So I decided to set the truck by the trailer tongue and check heights and such.
I did this for the rear hitch of course but wondered about the front as this receiver sits a lot farther back than the other one I had under the front end before.
So I need a longer ball mount for the front - 11" center to center.
Now about the rear...........
I weighed the trailer tongue - trailer empty I got 350 pounds tongue weight.
I measured the height of the truck without the trailer hooked up. The ground wasn't real even back where the trailer is but - ground up to wheel well opening 36.75". Measured at the bumper - ground to top of bumper step area (the center low part) - 21.5"
Trailer hooked up - tongue on ball, that is - ground to fender opening - 36" and ground to top of bumper center - 20.25"
So the 350 pounds of tongue weight dropped it only about 1" at the wheels and 1.25" at the bumper.
The springs made a big difference in how it sits with weight on it.
The trailer empty sat with the front up just a bit.
My opinion, once a car is on it, and I have the tongue weight of about 500 pounds, the trailer may sit level.
(trailer empty is 1600 with tool box, tools, spare tire. Add 3200 pound car and trailer loaded would be 4800 pounds. 10% roughly480 - I'll call it 500)
So it sits like this with 350 pound tongue weight, eventual tongue weight will be ~500.
Now to find a ball mount that has two positions - 11" center to center when it's in the front receiver, and the more normal roughly 7.5" when used in the rear. Don't want it farther back than that in the rear when towing. Want to keep the ball closer to the bumper.
Trailer sitting level, NOT hooked up -
Trailer level, this much difference but the weight of the loaded trailer should drop the truck enough to make the trailer pull level -
Trailer connected - tongue weight 350 pounds -
On ball, hooked up, trailer front sits up some -
Trailer sitting level, difference in height - think it should settle to roughly level with a car on it and hooked up.
I have the mount slid out to mark and measure how kind of distance I need between ball hole and hole in receiver - definitely need 11" to get the ball out this far from the bumper.
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