Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.

   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #11  
I've hauled many cars, trucks, and heavier tractors on my trailer without WD hitch and only notice about a 2" squat. Fortunately my trailer is long enough for me to move the load back and forth for better weight distribution. I mainly use the WD hitch when towing my camper which has lots of tongue weight. I can't recall anytime I've used it on my vehicle trailer.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #12  
I have had a set of Firestone (I think) air bags on a dual wheel Chevrolet C30 for about 30 years. Even with a factory progressive spring pack, some heavy loads were noticeable. The air bags back then were not that expensive and made a real difference. You can get cab controls to set the air pressure, but I simply had an outside Schrader valve on each side to air up and deflate. Pretty simple and cheap - those air bags are still in use today with no problems...

But, I did reduce air pressure when not loaded.

One comment on loads, which you probably do anyway - run your tires at max inflation for heavy loads. And then reduce when lightly loaded. 'Kinda like air bags... Keeping your load mainly over the trailer axles is critical to handling though. The truck should not carry too much of the trailer weight at the tongue.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.
  • Thread Starter
#13  
Yeah, I'm probably loading a little too far forward. That 24' trailer has a lot of real estate in front of the axles and it's a very heavy trailer just on its own.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #14  
No, it's factory all around.

Also, do the air bags kill the ride when unloaded? Do you need to dump the air when empty then air them up for a load, or can you leave them aired up?
We had a customer who grey imported trucks from the US and he didnt like how they towed. First thing he did when buying a new one is bring it to us and we installed a Firestone Air ride kit.

He said, when inflating the bags so that it just began to lift the truck, the truck ran smoother because the airbags filtered road vibrations better. He left them aired up all the time and loved it.

Off course the amount of load you put on the hitch, loaded vs unloaded, makes a difference if you can leave the bags inflated or not.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #15  
I've been hauling pretty regularly lately. I guess I need to address the squat... Do any of you have experience with anything to help? I've seen air bags, big gigantic bump stops, and some sort of contraption that bolts onto the top of the spring pack. I don't want to spend a ton of money. It still rides just fine but it squats just a couple inches low in the back compared to the front and I blind oncoming traffic at night. The picture with the truck on the trailer I apparently had the camera on the fish eye setting. It was not as bad as the picture makes it look. It basically always squats to the same level, about 2-3 inches low in the back. I guess that's where it picks up the heavyweight spring in the pack.


View attachment 1057555
You should run this load over a scale.

You may find that you have too much tongue weight.

With a 24’ trailer you should be able to balance that load very well.

Air bags may help once you get the load balance correct.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.
  • Thread Starter
#16  
You should run this load over a scale.

You may find that you have too much tongue weight.

With a 24’ trailer you should be able to balance that load very well.

Air bags may help once you get the load balance correct.

Maybe not a bad idea. I'm probably doing it to myself since I am just gaining experience. Just a small move front to back makes more of a difference that I would have expected on the squat. I've been basically eyeballing the squat to determine how far forward to place it. In my mind it seems like everything should be farther forward and I'm afraid of being too light on the tongue.

I got back after this trip after the local lot closed so my friend took it to the lot for me Monday morning and his 3500 was also squatted more than I expected. Though not as bad as mine.

I have thought about making a stick/ gauge to measure the height of the rear fender to get optimal squat. It's hard for me to make a quick judgement on if I have it right by myself. Also, while I'm not trying to rush getting the cars chained down, I don't want to spend a whole lot of time in the car lot getting in and out looking like a green horn. So I end up going a foot or so farther forward just to make sure I have enough tongue weight.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #17  
I find a hitch scale really helpful. Really hard to eyeball tongue weight. I also use a weight distribution hitch if tongue weight is high, really helpful and easy to connect once you've done it a couple times. Weighsafe makes a scaled weight distribution hitch, but I don't tow enough to justify replacing what I've got.

 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #18  
If I towed a lot or heavy I’d get a hitch scale. My average tow is about 5000 pounds or a little less, that includes the trailer weight.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.
  • Thread Starter
#19  
Mine probably averages closer to the 8,000-9,000 range with occasionally more or less. I think it was close to 10,000 with the f-150.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Also this is 2,000 pounds of corn. So maybe I am getting a little too much tongue weight on the trailer. This looks less squatted with that much weight.

20240824_131520.jpg
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2017 Ford Taurus SEL Sedan (A46684)
2017 Ford Taurus...
New Holland 56 Rake (A49251)
New Holland 56...
2020 MACK GRANITE 64BT TRI-AXLE DAY CAB (A45678)
2020 MACK GRANITE...
2013 UTILITY 53X102 DRY VAN TRAILER (A45678)
2013 UTILITY...
2007 Godwin Pumps GHP45KW-RC S/A Towable Trailer Generator Set (A46683)
2007 Godwin Pumps...
2010 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 Crew Cab (A49339)
2010 Dodge Ram...
 
Top