Can You Put a Weight Distribution Hitch On a Lifted Truck?
If you do not try, you may never know if it will work or not. When owners add features to their tow vehicles, they often do not think about the effect the new feature will have on their towing capability. But if you do not try to find out, you may never know if you can do it or not.
Yes, it is possible to put a weight distribution hitch on a lifted truck. The key will be to find a shank that provides enough drop for you to be able to tow your trailer level. Once you do, you should be good to go.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It explores the subject to provide you with the best information possible. With that information, you can go out and find the best setup for your lifted truck
Weight Distribution Hitch On Lifted Trucks
Can You Put a Weight Distribution Hitch on a Lifted Truck?
This is possible but the problem or challenge you have to overcome will be in keeping your trailer level. If the trailer is not level then you are going to have nothing but trouble towing the trailer.
Most weight distribution hitches come without a shank. With this key part missing from the complete package, you should be able to find a shank long enough that will keep your trailer level.
The drop that comes with most shanks should be long enough to compensate for how high you lifted your truck. To do that you have to check the different brands that make and sell the weight distribution systems.
One company offers a maximum shank drop of 6 inches. If your truck has a higher lift than that, then you need to find a company or shank that will compensate for that additional height.
Also, make sure to get the right ball for your hitch. These balls range in rating from 2000 pounds to 30,000 pounds. Once you find the right ball, make sure to torque it to the right specs.
Don’t leave anything to chance with your lifted truck. Changes in towing elevation can undermine steering, handling, swaying, and more towing issues.
Weight Distribution Hitch For Lifted Trucks
There are different brands that make these weight distribution hitches and some are better than others. Here are a few of the ones that are available today:
1. CURT 17352 Deep Drop Trunnion Weight Distribution Hitch- while not available at the moment on Amazon, you may be able to find a Curt dealer that has this hitch in stock. It is supposed to provide up to a 7-inch drop and comes with a 10-inch rise.
This hitch is rated for 8000 to 10,000-pound trailers and has a tongue weight limit between 800 and 1000 pounds.
2. Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-1201- rated to handle up to 12,000 pounds and a 1200-pound tongue weight. This may be an ideal weight distribution hitch as it comes from a top company.
The only questionable aspect of this hitch is how far is the drop. It may not be as far as you would like as some of this brand’s hitches are only good for 3-inch drops.
3. EAZ LIFT Camco Elite 800lb Weight Distribution Hitch Kit with Sway Control (48057)- this is one of the many models where you will have to buy a separate shank to accommodate your lift.
The maximum tongue weight it can hold is 1000 pounds so your trailer should be under 10,000 pounds if you are going to use this model. It sells for under $350.
4. Husky 31423 Round Bar Weight Distribution Hitch- the figures for this hitch are: “8-inch total height adjustment, the rise is 5-5/8 inch, the drop is 2-3/8 inch, shank length is 10 inch, ball to pin hole is 12-3/4 inch. Dual sway control platform, 1-1/4" hole on head assembly requires 1-1/4" shank on trailer ball”
It sells for under $300 and the information came from its Amazon web page.
5. Reese Integrated Sway Control Weight Distribution Kit- the shank is included with this hitch but double-check it to see if it will work with the amount of lift you gave your vehicle.
It can handle up to 11,500 pounds and the shank is said to handle 8 1/2 inches of lift but make sure that is correct. You may have to get longer bolts to make it work as short bolts were included in the package and those did not fit.
Best Weight Distribution Hitch For Lifted Truck
We have provided a few top brands in the previous section but like all best lists, the brands listed are up to everyone’s preferences. Forbes liked the Husky hitch listed above and made it their best overall.
E trailer recommended the Curt models and they spoke well of them. Curt is very competitive with the other companies and Forbes liked them as well. Forbes also liked the Reese models as well as the Equalizer options.
All four companies should have a weight distribution hitch that should satisfy your towing needs. What you need to watch out for will be the overall design. Some owners complained about the shank.
They had difficulty in getting the shank to the right level. Then another owner said the bolts that came with his weight distribution hitch were too short. He had to go out and buy longer ones to install the hitch.
The best hitch for your lifted truck will depend on different factors. How much is the lift, what type of trailer are you towing, and many more factors. The best thing to do is to go see the different products that are available and make your own comparison.
Since you know your towing situation in person investigation is the best way to go and that way you can see if the shank will work or not.
At What Weight do You Need a Weight Distribution Hitch?
The rule of thumb that is used to make this determination is: When the trailer weighs half as much or more than half of the trucks’ or tow vehicles’ GVWR. Then when the trailer weighs more than the tow vehicle’s GVWR.
In addition to those two times, you should use a weight-distribution hitch when the trailer is longer than the tow vehicle. The reason for that is that a longer trailer can place more weight on the back of the tow vehicle putting it out of balance.
With the weight distribution hitch, the weight is equally distributed over the axles making it harder for the tow vehicle to tip over. There are other benefits involved in using a weight distribution hitch:
- you receive better handling
- you get improved braking ability
- the tow vehicle and trailer have less wear and tear on them
- there is improved stability making towing a lot easier to do
- these hitches help prevent fishtailing
All of these benefits help to make your vacation driving time a lot safer as well as more enjoyable. Even when they are attached to lifted trucks.
Can You Get Too Big Of a Weight Distribution Hitch?
Just to be clear, even if you go with a larger or oversized model of this hitch, it will not increase your towing capacity. Whatever the manufacturer’s towing rating is for your tow vehicle, that is all you can tow.
One of the issues you will face if you go too large is that you will have to endure a harsher and stiffer ride. Then it can put too much weight and stress on your trailer’s tires.
What this does is create too much heat which in turn will cause your tires to blow if you are not careful. The way to select a weight distribution hitch is to select one that has a weight capacity that is equal to or slightly more than your gross trailer weight.
If you go larger than that, then the hitch can place a lot of force on your trailer’s frame causing the front to collapse or break. While you may think this is a good idea as you get more strength with the larger hitch.
It is not something you should try. The oversized weight distribution hitch can cause more problems for you. Those problems can end up being very expensive to repair or replace.
Some Additional Words
When it comes to towing, there are always issues that need to be resolved. While you can use a weight-distribution hitch on a lifted truck, you still have to find one with a deep enough drop to make it all work.
Then you have to pick a weight distribution hitch that is the right size for both your tow vehicle and trailer. There is always something you have to figure out when you decide to buy and tow a trailer with your lifted truck.
One aspect that will help you is you should go with the top brands even if you have to pay a little more.
