What is a Weight Distribution Hitch And When to Use It

We have all seen a vehicle pulling a trailer that is noticeably sagging at the hitch. This not only looks bad, but Chevrolet of Spring Valley wants you to know it is unsafe as well and help you avoid it. When a tow vehicle’s rear is forced down, weight is being removed from the front. This reduces steering traction and reduces front brake effectiveness.  The rear axle is also at risk of being overloaded, creating possible overheating, and the rear brakes are now overly burdened. Overall, the vehicle is significantly less stable at a time when stability is paramount.

Sagging at the hitch is not necessarily the result of a vehicle pulling a trailer over its maximum towing capacity.  Very likely, it is dealing with too much tongue weight; that is, the actual amount of the trailer weight at the trailer hitch is forcing down on the ball. Ideally, ball hitch-towed trailers should have a tongue weight of 10-15% of the total trailer weight. Below 10% may cause sway and stability issues, while above 15% can result in the sagging described above. 

Campers with fixed content were likely designed with the ideal tongue weight in this range, and that figure will be available as part of their specs. It is entirely different when working with trailers with variable contents such as cargo, vehicles, or even livestock, where both the weight and distribution vary.  Even just the difference between towing a trailered pickup truck or a mid-engine sports car can make a big difference in weight distribution. The solution for this, at least on a pickup like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, is a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH).

What is a Weight Distribution Hitch?

“Poorly understood, absolutely essential, and seldom used” is a description Alex Dykes of Alex on Autos used to describe weight distribution hitches. They are designed to distribute the tongue weight evenly across the tow vehicle’s front and rear axles as well as to the trailer axle(s), enabling the hitch connection to be parallel with the road. The industry term for this is Front Axle Load Restoration (FALR). Ideal FALR is to return 50-100% of weight lost from the front axle.

WDHs accomplish FALR by the use of a height-adjustable hitch with spring bars that mount to the hitch on each side of the trailer’s A-frame at about 23 to 35 inches from the coupler. The spring bars effectively reduce the vertical pivoting at the hitch ball. Almost like a splint, they force a parallel connection between the tow vehicle and trailer. In turn, they distribute and enact a load on the frames of both the tow vehicle and trailer. For the tow vehicle, this forces weight back on the front axle. The spring bars are essentially torsion devices that are generally stiff but will bend enough to enable turning and allow a small degree of vertical articulation to account for uneven surfaces, but always returning to the parallel connection.

Because of the load WDHs place on the frame, they are not compatible with  “Car-based” models with unitized body frames, such as the Equinox, Traverse, and other Chevrolet crossovers. Instead, they should be used on body-on-frame models such as both the Colorado and Silverado lines, including HD models as well as the Tahoe and Suburban. Most trailers with surge brakes are also not compatible with a WDH. 

When to Use a Weight Distribution Hitch? 

The heavier a trailer is in relation to the weight of the tow vehicle, the greater its effect on the tow vehicle. As a general rule of thumb, you should consider using a WDH when the trailer weighs 50% or more than the tow vehicle. Thus, a Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s weight can range from about 4,450 to 5,800 pounds, so the rule of thumb would recommend a WDH for a trailer weighing about 6,600 to 8,600 pounds, depending on your model. That assumes the ideal tongue weight of 10 to 15% of the trailer weight. If you anticipate a front-heavy trailer, a lower weight threshold should be considered.

Limitations and Considerations

WDHs do not increase a vehicle’s towing capacity and should always be used within that capacity. Also, while vehicles equipped with rear air springs may level the vehicle after being weighed down by a trailer, the air springs will not significantly return the weight to the front.

More setup is required with a WDH than a conventional hitch. There are settings regarding hitch height and spring bar mounting to consider, and setup requires both the tow vehicle and trailer to be on a level surface. If your trailer content is fairly static –  again, like a camping trailer – you can pretty much set it and forget it. But if the trailer or trailer load changes, it will need to be reset. 

Most WDHs cost between $250 to $500, though some can reach multiple thousands. That is certainly more than a conventional hitch but probably a fraction of what of either your trailer or tow vehicle, both of which will be better protected by more stable towing. And as mentioned, they take more time and effort to set up. But if you are towing something fairly heavy, a WDH is the way to do it correctly. If you have any specific questions about towing with your Chevrolet truck, or, you’d like to order one and have us install it for you, ask one of our professionals at Spring Valley Chevrolet.