Sunday, Jun 08, 2008 at 23:21
Very sorry to say I am not completely incorrect. I suggest you read the Hayman-Reese literature on how the WDH operates. Also I have results from a weighbridge test done on each separate axle before and after the installation of the WDH and it DOES take load off the towed vehicle
wheels and the towing vehicles rear
wheels and transfers some of that load to the front
wheels of the towing vehicle so that the rig tows level and the correct weight is on the steering
wheels. I have a set of my own and have towed 2 horses in a double float (2400kg) for years so I know how it works. Before you buy the torsion bars you place some load scales (suppliedon loan by Hayman-Resse) under the tow ball and then connect what is to be towed in its normally loaded condition so you can measure the weight imposed by the towed vehicle on the tow ball. You then select the correct torsion bars, either 500, 750 or 1000kg. The bars are then fitted into the ball mount hitch and tensioned correctly. You have to imagine the torsion bars being like wheel barrow handles so you are lifting up the rear of the towing vehicle, which includes some of the downwards weight on the tow ball, and this then transfers some of that weight to the front of the towing vehicle. It does NOT Transfer weight to the rear to the towed vehicle which is an illogical proposition which if true begs the question: Where would it get the weight from to transfer to the towed vehicle axle/s, how would it do that and why would you want to?
To answer your question why helper springs and air bags are needed is because the weight imposed on the tow ball from the towed vehicle is too high. The helper springs and air bags don't change that situation, they just make it "look" better as do pump up air shockies but the downwards weight remains the same. With the WDH the pivot point is the front wheel of the towing vehicle NOT the rear as you say so helper springs and other substitutes are not needed. If your suppostion was true re the tyre footprint then how come when I reduce the tension on the torsion bars and place more load on the rear axle the vehicle then pulls the loaded float up the
hill from a standing start no problem. Re cornering the links in the tension chain allow fore and aft movement. I think you will find the vehicle centroid moves a very small amount when going uphill. If you weighed the front and rear axle when on the flat then again when on the uphill slope the difference would be negligble. You still have the same components in the vehicle distributed the same within the vehicle and bearing down on the front and rear axles almost the same on the flat or uphill (unlesss we are talking a 45 degree
hill)
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