So, given:Tiny wrote:like I stated in my first post I havn't seen one, so I am not entirely sure as to what they look like and where the points of contact etc are, but from what I gather this is all at the hitch, which is all behind the rear \ drive axle.-Scott- wrote:The down weight on the ball is pushing down on the rear of the car, rotating the front of the car up - with the "axis of rotation" being the rear wheels.Tiny wrote:Sam, I understand the concept and understand how throwing the weight to the front is benaficial, what I fail to see is how, given the point where the weight is transfered from the trailer to the tow vehecle, how it can throw the weight, and further, if the trailer is properly loader how there would be enough weight to make any significant difference should some of that weight be transfered to the steer.
A weight distributing hitch (what we called "torsion bars" when I was a kid) applies torque to the hitch, effectively rotating the front of the car down - with the "axis of rotation" being somewhere around the towball.
Alternative way to look at it?
Imagine a horizontal line through the trailer's A-frame, extending from the car's rear wheels through to the trailer's wheels. The trailer's ball weight is trying to bend that line down. A weight distributing hitch is trying to bend it in the opposite direction.
SO
the imginary line explination i get, didn't need that, but it is a good way to explain it so will run with that to try and explain where I have a problem.
so we are all in agreeance that a properly loaded trailer will have X% of the GVM of the trailer or x kilos to a certain max dependant on the vehicle and hitch and allowable towball \ hitch weight forward of the point of ballance.
we can also agree that the tow point is behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle, and when you put weight behind this axis point you will take weight off the front of the vehicle.
we can also agree that this is undesirable, and the best option is to try and share or distribute the weight evenly over the entire vehicle, I think we all know why.
Enter the Load Leveler
So again, I understand why you would want to throw the weight evenly over the tow vehicle, but unless the point of contact of the weight is past the axis, how does it do what we are wanting it to do?
-the towball weight pushes the rear of the car down
-the front wheels lift up due to the rear axle being the point of axis,
how does installing a load leveller from the towball, which is further back than the axis point, to the drawbar apply (rotate/redistribute) weight to the front wheels?
EDIT: is the axis of rotation the towball or rear axle?