Shifting pin weight forward on truck

slaytop

Well-known member
Has anyone experimented with how the position of the hitch affects the balance of weight on the truck? When my truck was weighed at the rally last year, the front axle weight rose 125 lbs when the trailer was hitched and the rear axle rose 3850 lbs. How far forward would I have to move the hitch to shift more weight to the front axle? At present the pin is located directly above the axle. Would moving the hitch forward an inch or two make much difference?
 

nhunter

Well-known member
My hitch is 2" ahead of rear axle and when hooked up, my front axle weight goes up around 600lb. On a highway tractor you can slide 5th wheel forwards and back to raise and lower weight on rear axle.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
I just installed my own hitch rails and followed the instructions included with the rails (Reese). They specify different measurements for different brands of vehicles. My rails ended up very close to centered over the rear axle. Their spec was the rear rail edge to be 30" from the rear of the truck bed. Fuel, passengers, engine size and other factors also affect front axle load too. That's my nickles worth.
 

phranc

Well-known member
The last truck( a Ford ) with reese rail type hitch ,had the hitch about 3 in forward of the axle center. Rode extremely well. The present truck ,a Dodge and a different RV too, and a Reese Signature series, has the Hitch about 1 in forward of the axle center.. Rides pretty good, but has some room for improvement .Too many variables to make an accurate assessment of what is best ,in this case .. Use the info as is best for you..
 

slaytop

Well-known member
Thanks for your replies. I received an email from Reese that may help although it is an expensive fix. The rep said that the Kwik Slide system uses the same rail locations and positions the pin 1.5" further forward than the fixed system. It is because the Kwik Slide support tilts forward that much. That may be enough adjustment to shift some weight to my front axles.
 
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