Bags or leafs?

[Supercharged111]

Guess my experience is different? Helpers on trucks for years pulling all kinds of stuff, never had an issue with squatting once they're aired up correctly. Feels similar to big trucks to me. Just my experience though.

The bags 100% level the truck, but the only thing that puts weight back on the nose is cranking down on the WDH. That has been my personal experience.

 

[618 Syndicate]

The bags 100% level the truck, but the only thing that puts weight back on the nose is cranking down on the WDH. That has been my personal experience.

At risk of seeming argumentative, how can the truck be leveled in the rear without putting weight back on the nose?

 

[Drunkcanuk]

At risk of seeming argumentative, how can the truck be leveled in the rear without putting weight back on the nose?

From my research, the WDH uses torsion bars on the trailer that then uses the frame to transfer weight to the front using the rear axle as a pivot point. Physics I guess. Take a look on the highway and notice how many travel trailers attached to 1/2 tons have a WDH. I can spot one from a mile away that's definitely not!!!! Lol. Squatting dangerously, headlights pointed to the heavens and for sure, with a really light steering wheel that is almost useless. Not saying that bags are "bad" but a WDH hitch is the better solution and according to every owners manual of every truck I own/owned, the only way the manufacturer says can be used to tow safety.

 

[stutaeng]

This video says it explains how a WDH works, but it doesn't really explain the mechanics. I have not really looked into it myself...I think the idea is that the WDH kinda "fixes" the connection at the ball and instead of having two cantilevers (truck and trailer both cantilever at the ball from the axles,) you have more of a continuous rigid structural element. That's how it has to work, otherwise there's no physical way to "re"-distribute load to the front axle...

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[618 Syndicate]

From my research, the WDH uses torsion bars on the trailer that then uses the frame to transfer weight to the front using the rear axle as a pivot point. Physics I guess. Take a look on the highway and notice how many travel trailers attached to 1/2 tons have a WDH. I can spot one from a mile away that's definitely not!!!! Lol. Squatting dangerously, headlights pointed to the heavens and for sure, with a really light steering wheel that is almost useless. Not saying that bags are "bad" but a WDH hitch is the better solution and according to every owners manual of every truck I own/owned, the only way the manufacturer says can be used to tow safety.

I agree that squatting is dangerous, and ineffective steering is potentially deadly. Two decades of driving big trucks and heavy equipment taught me practical safety. If you can't control 80k at 80 mph, people die.
I watched a similar video and it showed that a wdh was better, because they stopped inflating the bags once the rear of the truck got back to the same height as it was before they loaded it, even though the angle was still wrong. Had they used the helper bags correctly, I'm confident the results would have been different.

Either way, safety is the key.

 

[Supercharged111]

At risk of seeming argumentative, how can the truck be leveled in the rear without putting weight back on the nose?

You're good. The thing is if you measure the ride height up front you'll see it's higher when loaded with a bumper pull. Airing up the back raises the rear, but doesn't appreciably lower the front suspension so it stays hiked up. When I put some crank on the WDH, I get waaaayy less nose bobbing. Without the WDH (or if the bars are inadequately preloaded), I'll get a floaty front end. Air or no air doesn't change the feel of the front of the truck. If the airbags were able to move that much weight to the front, then I'd be able to feel that.

 

[618 Syndicate]

You're good. The thing is if you measure the ride height up front you'll see it's higher when loaded with a bumper pull. Airing up the back raises the rear, but doesn't appreciably lower the front suspension so it stays hiked up. When I put some crank on the WDH, I get waaaayy less nose bobbing. Without the WDH (or if the bars are inadequately preloaded), I'll get a floaty front end. Air or no air doesn't change the feel of the front of the truck. If the airbags were able to move that much weight to the front, then I'd be able to feel that.

That's exactly why I'm saying they do, because I can feel it. If I dump the bags going down the road the steering gets light, air them up and the feel comes back. If the rear comes up or down, physics dictates the front does the inverse, right?
I'm not saying a wdh is a waste or anything like that, I'm sure they work well, I'm just giving my experience with helpers....

 

[Supercharged111]

That's exactly why I'm saying they do, because I can feel it. If I dump the bags going down the road the steering gets light, air them up and the feel comes back. If the rear comes up or down, physics dictates the front does the inverse, right?
I'm not saying a wdh is a waste or anything like that, I'm sure they work well, I'm just giving my experience with helpers....

Let's agree to try and remember to measure before and after fender heights. I did this years ago with the bags full when I set up my wdh but didn't observe empty vs full bags.

 

[618 Syndicate]

Let's agree to try and remember to measure before and after fender heights. I did this years ago with the bags full when I set up my wdh but didn't observe empty vs full bags.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[1madmouse]

I may be all wrong, but I remember years ago,they advertised those torsion bars on WDH by hooking a trailer or boat to a Tornado front wheel drive and remove the rear wheels proving how it distributes the weight?