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Old 11-04-2018, 05:53 PM   #1
Tufelhunden
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Equal-i-zer hitch installed wrong by dealership

Evening all.

I've been setting up my F150 to tow an 8800 pound Cougar. Replaced the rear shocks to get rid of the back and forth rocking when going over bumps, they work great and the suspension no longer feels under dampened. Rancho 9000XL with the adjustable dampening if you're interested. I also set up a rear helwig sway bar to stop body roll when in cross winds and getting passed by semis, also works well but the truck still doesn't feel planted even though the trailer is fine and traveling straight.

So I decided to check the setup in my hitch system the dealership put on. Come to find out the hitch ball is set one inch high, the L brackets at the lowest setting and at 24" instead of the recommended 32" or 29" minimum. Needless to say I'm a little upset. The changes may not make a large difference or they may, I need to purchase a 400+ pound torque wrench to make the changes and find out. However, I am new to TT and trusted these people to do the job correctly. It makes me not want to even take my tt to them for some warranty work as well as other services I need.

Anyway just needed to vent a little. Thanks.
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Old 11-04-2018, 06:15 PM   #2
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Dealers will often seta hitch up initially and then they need to be reset. The reset is needed because the truck and trailer are now loaded. With that said, some dealers have issues installing them properly the 1st time.
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Old 11-04-2018, 06:20 PM   #3
sourdough
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Some things to think about;

An F150 doesn't really need to be towing an 8800 lb. trailer. You don't give specifics on the truck or trailer but at 8800 lb. it will be a fairly long trailer - the F150 isn't really meant for that. New Rancho 9000s (I've installed a few) don't make much difference along with the Helwig sway bar- your truck will never feel "planted" like it should - you have too much trailer IMO.

Adjusting the Equalizer can make some differences but it won't stop the issues you are having. You don't need a 400 ft. lb. torque wrench. 300 or so will get the ball nut. The rest of the nuts/bolts are far less. You just need to understand what you have as a TV and what you are strapping behind it vs the weaker components. A "pickup" is not an HD tow truck.
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Old 11-04-2018, 06:43 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Some things to think about;

An F150 doesn't really need to be towing an 8800 lb. trailer. You don't give specifics on the truck or trailer but at 8800 lb. it will be a fairly long trailer - the F150 isn't really meant for that. New Rancho 9000s (I've installed a few) don't make much difference along with the Helwig sway bar- your truck will never feel "planted" like it should - you have too much trailer IMO.

Adjusting the Equalizer can make some differences but it won't stop the issues you are having. You don't need a 400 ft. lb. torque wrench. 300 or so will get the ball nut. The rest of the nuts/bolts are far less. You just need to understand what you have as a TV and what you are strapping behind it vs the weaker components. A "pickup" is not an HD tow truck.
1938 pound payload with max towing and 17100 GCWR. And yes the shocks made a huge difference as did the sway bar. It's funny to listen to this when no one batted an eye when a 1996 f350 towed the same weight with less payload and GCWR than a will equipped current gen F150 or evena 2004 F250. https://goo.gl/images/YxUaxU

Not saying it wouldn't be better to move up and we will eventually, but I've solved every issue with minor changes. It doesn't even rest on the factory helper spring when sitting and loaded.
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Old 11-04-2018, 06:49 PM   #5
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400 lb torque wrench? That’s probably a 1” drive, extremely heavy and very expensive. Just use an air powered impact gun. Even the compact Harbor freight ones will produce 400 lbs of torque.
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Old 11-04-2018, 07:02 PM   #6
Tufelhunden
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400 lb torque wrench? That’s probably a 1” drive, extremely heavy and very expensive. Just use an air powered impact gun. Even the compact Harbor freight ones will produce 400 lbs of torque.
The instructions state I need to torque the main bolts on the head to 350 ft/lbs. I was looking for 400 ft/lbs as it is best not to be at the edge of a torque wrenches limit. Your idea is better though. Thanks.
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Old 11-04-2018, 07:22 PM   #7
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Equal-i-zer hitch installed wrong by dealership

I use a harbor freight impact gun that produces 700 lb feet according to the label on it.

My 3/4” drive torque wrench at home is like 34” long and only goes to 300 lb.
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Old 11-04-2018, 08:17 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Tufelhunden View Post
1938 pound payload with max towing and 17100 GCWR. And yes the shocks made a huge difference as did the sway bar. It's funny to listen to this when no one batted an eye when a 1996 f350 towed the same weight with less payload and GCWR than a will equipped current gen F150 or evena 2004 F250. https://goo.gl/images/YxUaxU

Not saying it wouldn't be better to move up and we will eventually, but I've solved every issue with minor changes. It doesn't even rest on the factory helper spring when sitting and loaded.

Whatever makes you happy. All I'm telling you, from experience, is that you cannot, and will not, make that 1/2 ton, no matter your "happy numbers", a satisfactory (read fun towing) truck for an 8800 lb. 30+'? trailer. New sway bar, shocks, overloads, air bags etc. etc. will not make it an HD truck - there's a lot more to it than that. Good luck.
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Old 11-06-2018, 08:20 PM   #9
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Whatever makes you happy. All I'm telling you, from experience, is that you cannot, and will not, make that 1/2 ton, no matter your "happy numbers", a satisfactory (read fun towing) truck for an 8800 lb. 30+'? trailer. New sway bar, shocks, overloads, air bags etc. etc. will not make it an HD truck - there's a lot more to it than that. Good luck.
I couldn't agree more with what you say. I had the same type of trailer on my crew cab, 4x4 f150 with the 3.5 eco-boost. No matter what adjustments i made to the hitch, the truck only towed well in ideal conditions (no wind). I traded up to an F250 with the 6.7 diesel, and couldn't be happier.
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Old 11-06-2018, 09:45 PM   #10
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I agree too. It just takes 1 wind storm, 1 sway event, or 1 road obstical to make a 1/2 ton owner wish they had the biggest HD truck available. It happened to me with my much lighter Bullet. Learned a few new curse words that trip too. If an RVer is pulling anything over 7,000 lbs on a regular basis, I think most will recommend an HD truck. YMMV.
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Old 11-07-2018, 04:42 AM   #11
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I have a F150 King Ranch and F250 Diesel that set side by side in the driveway. When I crawl under either and look at the other it's apples and oranges. I can state with authority that people will fool themselves thinking it's o.k. to tow heavy until that hairy wake up one day when wrestling with the tail wagging the dog alarm goes off. I can say with certainty because I was one of them, defending the "but I don't go that far, that fast, and I'm an excellent driver" attitude. I thank God no injury or damage was done (other than my pride) when my alarm went off. I wish everyone that does this the same fortunate outcome.
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Old 11-07-2018, 05:17 AM   #12
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I have a F150 King Ranch and F250 Diesel that set side by side in the driveway. When I crawl under either and look at the other it's apples and oranges. I can state with authority that people will fool themselves thinking it's o.k. to tow heavy until that hairy wake up one day when wrestling with the tail wagging the dog alarm goes off. I can say with certainty because I was one of them, defending the "but I don't go that far, that fast, and I'm an excellent driver" attitude. I thank God no injury or damage was done (other than my pride) when my alarm went off. I wish everyone that does this the same fortunate outcome.
All this. Exactly.
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Old 11-07-2018, 08:14 AM   #13
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I'm not pointing fingers with this statement, but in a way, I suppose I am:

It seems to me to be "iconicly ironic" to defend towing at or very near the limit on a truck/trailer combination (think those that share the roadway with you and your family sitting in the middle of that risk) and then 2 posts down, document concern for "not using a torque wrench near it's limit".....

I didn't coin the phrase, but use it often and will continue without a doubt, saying, "You just don't know what you don't know"...... YMMV
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Old 11-07-2018, 02:59 PM   #14
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Howdy All;

When I leave a place or someone else leaves I always say to remind them
as well as myself to 'Watch out for the idiots out there, there's more of them
then there is of us."
I say that as I know what my skills are and what my vehicle is capable of,
it's the other driver that concerns me, I don't know them or their vehicle. So,
I assume the worst and hope for the best.

Safety is everyone's responsibility for ourselves and those around us, that
means on the road as well...

hank
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Old 11-07-2018, 03:41 PM   #15
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Personally I think Ford should be as much to blame as the poor soul that doesn't know any better for advertising the F150 as the big boy tow vehicle they wished it was.
I will say this, if I'm in any way involved in a mishap with a F150 towing beyond it's limits Ford will be the 1st plaintiff on the list in the lawsuit!!! Second will be the rv/truck dealer that said " Oh yea! You'll have no problem towing 10k lbs with that truck!".
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Old 11-07-2018, 03:59 PM   #16
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At some point, the truck and trailer dealers have to be responsible for their claims. How hard is it to ask what the potential owners would be using the truck for and then steer them in the right direction. I know, I know how utopian of me. It's far easier, and helpful to be honest and forthright. The trailer salesman should be of the same level of responsibility.
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Old 11-07-2018, 04:06 PM   #17
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At some point, the truck and trailer dealers have to be responsible for their claims. How hard is it to ask what the potential owners would be using the truck for and then steer them in the right direction. I know, I know how utopian of me. It's far easier, and helpful to be honest and forthright. The trailer salesman should be of the same level of responsibility.
In that "utopian" world you would be right. We had degenerated, IMO, now, to a point that is upon each and every one of us to be educated about anything/everything. The days, as they were when I was younger, when you could trust someone to tell you the truth are long gone. Trust (if you can) but verify (which you must).
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:33 PM   #18
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Don`t mean to hijack tread. but while reading I had a thought. You think tow weight ratings might change if the test where done pulling 10 to 12 foot tall enclosed trailer 30 feet long. There is a lot of importance in weight but I think overall size needs to play apart. Most folks never think about the height and size aspect.
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Old 11-08-2018, 05:09 AM   #19
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Don`t mean to hijack tread. but while reading I had a thought. You think tow weight ratings might change if the test where done pulling 10 to 12 foot tall enclosed trailer 30 feet long. There is a lot of importance in weight but I think overall size needs to play apart. Most folks never think about the height and size aspect.
Kenny,

That's exactly the point I was making with my earlier post. Towing a 1,000 pound 7x14' flatbed trailer with 10,000 pounds of steel ingots (11,000 total weight) up a hill is not the same as towing a 38' travel trailer that weighs 11,000 pounds through a windy canyon or across Kansas on I-70.

The "forces at work" to pull the weight up a mountain pass in a test are not the same forces the truck has to face when towing a long, tall, flat sided "sail" in adverse winds. There's significantly more to towing an RV than just being able to "mechanically move that much weight". That's why, IMHO, the "don't tow above 80% of your rating" comes from. It's a simple way to "have the reserve needed in RV towing" that isn't addressed in the "vehicle testing process".... My opinion isn't very "scientifically based" but should be something we all consider when selecting a tow vehicle/trailer combination.
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Old 11-08-2018, 05:59 AM   #20
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Every time we go camping I think of the folks that exceed weight ratings.
Just look around the cg at the size of some of the folks stress testing those bag chairs that can hold "max weight 250 lb." Then invariably, I'll see one or two of them when I place our trash in the dumpster.
Just my personal observation
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