Weight Distributing Hitch suggestions

[RPS13]

I finally got my 4Runner in shape (had to rebuild the rear diff completely - thanks to the crushed pinion spacer affliction), and my track car will be getting up and going here soon. So I'm looking at weight distributing hitches.

Info about setup:
-2WD V6 '07 Sport
-Bilstein 5100's, stock springs (~1-1.25" higher in the rear)
-Installing Hidden Hitch 70779 receiver soon
-Car is ~2450 lbs, close to 50/50 weight dist., pretty small, so not much aero drag
-Likely getting an 18' open car hauler, average advertised weight on them is 1800-1900 lbs
-Likely another 300-500 lbs of cargo
-Adding an auto trans cooler up front soon

Average towing will be ~80-200 miles, mostly flat.

It seems a weight distributing hitch is a good idea from reading about it. Seems the cost adder is only about $170 over just getting a ball and standard hitch. I'd rather get that then go with airbags in the rear.


Any recommendations on which WD hitch to get? I'm guessing I'll need one with some drop distance capacity, but most seem to give tons of raise, and maybe 1-2" of drop for the ball. Thoughts on where that typically needs to be for the average car hauler?

It seems like I'd need a WD hitch rated for 800 lbs of tongue weight (since they quote the upper end of its range). That sound right?


Any other suggestions? I'm not really looking to tow like a bat out of hell, and most of this will be on flat terrain very close to sea level, so I don't think the V6 power will be an issue.

 

[RPS13]

BTW - I did search, and read through 6 threads. I didn't really see any specific suggestions, and mostly just people saying get a 1 ton dually to haul a 4500 lb load. :deadhorse:

 

[RedSled]

I have used a equalizer hitch on a F 250 they are great, i forget what make it was.

 

[ebg18t]

I am using the Blue Ox Sway Pro to tow our travel trailer behind the 4Runner.

blue ox

 

[RPS13]

Seems kinda pricey. I don't think I really need the sway control stuff, given how much it adds to the price.

Anybody else?

 

[Doozi]

I had a Curt weight distributing hitch on my V6... very well built. It has since been replaced by a CBI rear bumper.

Not the best pic, but all I could find right now...


I've towed a couple of vehicles locally on a 16ft tandem axle car hauler, lumber on that same trailer, and a U-Haul single axle box trailer from Indianapolis to Colorado Springs without any issue. The gas mileage sucked going through Kansas with a 40-mph head wind! I'm at about 6800' in elevation and don't feel that power has been an issue at all. I have a 2" drop hitch and it has worked fine at my ride height.

You should be fine hauling the weight you're talking about... positioning the car is key. You want enough tongue weight to keep the trailer tracking properly, but let the trailer hold the weight so you're not squatting the rear of the 4Runner too badly. Cars are easy to roll back and forth to find the best position.

 

[Zacho]

V8 Sport 4wd owner here - I tow my FD on a 18' open car hauler with all my gear and spares inside the 4Runner. I bought the Air Lift bags and put them in the rear - no WD hitch. I use the same receiver as you are planning to buy and a rapid hitch adjustable ball mount. I only tow 5-8 times a year so the 4Runner works good for me. Hauls good and stable at 75mph. I found its all about positioning the car correctly.

I know it isn't the exact answer you're looking for just wanted to share my experience.

 

[ebg18t]

Seems kinda pricey. I don't think I really need the sway control stuff, given how much it adds to the price.

Anybody else?

It's well worth the price if you pull a high profile (catches wind easy) travel trailer like I do. If I get an enclosed trailer for my track car I will use it on there too. For me the added control is piece of mind, it's kinda like insurance.

You won't find many WDH setups without sway control. You might be better served and airbag setup.

But when I get an enclosed trailer for the track car I will probably upgrade to the Lexus GX460 or something similar.

 

[Hongster]

Look in CL for a used set. 1000 LBS or 1200 LBS don't matter.
WD is a must for me when I tow anything now.

BTW, don't under estimate the power of sway-bar. It helps you fight sudden cross wind.

I have the Reese BTW.

 

[Jeremy556]

I had a Curt weight distributing hitch on my V6... very well built. It has since been replaced by a CBI rear bumper.

That is a hitch receiver.

A WD hitch uses torsion bars to transfer hitch weight to the front of the tow vehicle.

 

[RPS13]

Look in CL for a used set. 1000 LBS or 1200 LBS don't matter.
WD is a must for me when I tow anything now.

BTW, don't under estimate the power of sway-bar. It helps you fight sudden cross wind.

I have the Reese BTW.

Oh I'm sure it's nice, but I'm not looking to drop $500+ on a hitch for a "fairly light and low profile" load.

Most of the yahoos around here want essentially new price for a rusted out WD hitch with pieces missing. I'll just get something new and save myself the hassle if I go that route.

Same thing with trailers. 95% the ones I see are all 10+ years old and they want 90% the price of a new trailer. No thanks...

 

[RPS13]

V8 Sport 4wd owner here - I tow my FD on a 18' open car hauler with all my gear and spares inside the 4Runner. I bought the Air Lift bags and put them in the rear - no WD hitch. I use the same receiver as you are planning to buy and a rapid hitch adjustable ball mount. I only tow 5-8 times a year so the 4Runner works good for me. Hauls good and stable at 75mph. I found its all about positioning the car correctly.

I know it isn't the exact answer you're looking for just wanted to share my experience.

Nice looking FD!

Doing it all over again, would you go with a WD hitch or just keep it simple with the air bags?

Seems like I can get a new WD hitch for roughly $220ish. Like this:

Pro Series RB3 Weight Distribution System with Shank - Round Bar - 10,000 lbs GTW, 750 lbs TW Pro Series Weight Distribution PS49582

 

[peebee]

V8 Sport 4wd owner here - I tow my FD on a 18' open car hauler with all my gear and spares inside the 4Runner. I bought the Air Lift bags and put them in the rear - no WD hitch. I use the same receiver as you are planning to buy and a rapid hitch adjustable ball mount. I only tow 5-8 times a year so the 4Runner works good for me. Hauls good and stable at 75mph. I found its all about positioning the car correctly.

I know it isn't the exact answer you're looking for just wanted to share my experience.

Isn't that an SR5 with a Sport hood? Roof rack and running boards aren't sport. And I think the badge on the side says SR5. No knockin', just something I noticed. Nice looking rig.

 

[Doozi]

That is a hitch receiver.



A WD hitch uses torsion bars to transfer hitch weight to the front of the tow vehicle.

Oh... thanks for the info! When I was shopping for mine, I could have sworn that they meant "distributing the weight to both frame rails" versus just being mounted in the center, but I probably just assumed that. I've seen those torsion bar set-ups before and thought they were for controlling sway. Learn something new today... check!

 

[ebg18t]

Oh... thanks for the info! When I was shopping for mine, I could have sworn that they meant "distributing the weight to both frame rails" versus just being mounted in the center, but I probably just assumed that. I've seen those torsion bar set-ups before and thought they were for controlling sway. Learn something new today... check!

Unfortunately the acronym WDH was used for both application like were thinking (upgraded hitch or/& the torsion sway/weight transfer system). On the v6 a WDH system can't be used without upgrading the hitch to a frame mounted hitch to disperse the forces properly.

 

[RPS13]

Installed the Hidden Hitch receiver yesterday. Wasn't that bad of a job, but the directions are a little vague in a few areas. Took me a little over an hour taking my time, and that was with some bolts being a pain to get started. I also had to grind the crap out of one of the captured nuts to get it inside the frame. Besides that it was smooth enough.

So any suggestions on a new WD hitch? Most of the ones on CL are asking $150+ and missing pieces.

 

[lelandr]

Installed the Hidden Hitch receiver yesterday. Wasn't that bad of a job, but the directions are a little vague in a few areas. Took me a little over an hour taking my time, and that was with some bolts being a pain to get started. I also had to grind the crap out of one of the captured nuts to get it inside the frame. Besides that it was smooth enough.

So any suggestions on a new WD hitch? Most of the ones on CL are asking $150+ and missing pieces.

Craigslist CAN be a real crapshoot. Also, I'm not sure why people think that their rotted, I'll-maintained trailers are worth so much.

You sure that you need a WDH? I think your S13 is pretty light. My car, @2707, is a couple hundred lbs heavier. The trailer I've been borrowing is a 22ft speedloader, & I'd be surprised if it was under 2100. Like you, I pack a few hundred lbs into the car (2nd set of wheels/tires, less of tools, boatload of spares & every possible fluid). I'm guessing that i'm over 5k pretty easily. Plus, I usually roll with my dependents & their stuff.

A few tows in the range you're thinking were no real problem with the car loaded correctly. The gearing means that the motor struggles to maintain 75-80, but the trailer tracks straight & true. All with a standard ball hitch.

Here we are all loaded up:
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/98576975@N04/13861426244/player/ba6dd8786e" height="375" width="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[daka320]

Installed the Hidden Hitch receiver yesterday. Wasn't that bad of a job, but the directions are a little vague in a few areas. Took me a little over an hour taking my time, and that was with some bolts being a pain to get started. I also had to grind the crap out of one of the captured nuts to get it inside the frame. Besides that it was smooth enough.

So any suggestions on a new WD hitch? Most of the ones on CL are asking $150+ and missing pieces.

I think this is the one I use: Eaz-Lift 48058, 1000 lb. It comes with a friction sway bar. Amazon has it listed for $231 and free shipping.

I've had absolutely no problems with it. It does a wonderful job and would buy it again. I bought mine from the RV dealer where we bought our tt. They charged $300 but installed and adjusted it. Money well spent since I was ignorant at the time. Setting up any Wdh properly is the key to a good or bad experience. We have used it for 4000 miles so far.

My setup is similar to yours. I also installed a new radiator and a Tekonsha Brake Controller. Money well spent on those! Brakes on the trailer and the controller saved my bottom four times. The sway-bar saved it once so far. Cheap insurance!

Also find some CAT Scales and weigh your 4runner and trailer. You can easily exceed your rear axle and hitch limitations. That is why we bought a Tundra to tow our 6000 lb. tt. The 4runners do well up to 5000 lbs. but much more than that and you are exceeding too many limitations.

You're V6 will do fine towing your load if it is flat or rolling hills. Mountains I would buy a bigger vehicle. Was pulling our 6000 lb. tt up a 6% grade for almost 11 miles in 115 degree heat with our Tundra. It's a beast!!! I would not have tried that in our 4runner.

 

[RPS13]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yea, it's not a very heavy load, but I figure I might as well spend a few bucks to level things out and make it tow better. I don't even drive over 75 mph normally, so I doubt I'd ever exceed 70 mph while towing for more than a brief burst.

I found some Ultra Fab WDH that sell around the $150-160 shipped range. Sounds like a winner to me. And they include a quick release setup to take the tension out of the bars via a flip down mechanism.

I doubt I'll ever get to 5k on the trailer. The S13 is fairly light. No mountains for about a thousand miles, so I'm good there.

I also found the time to finally swap out the plugs on the 4runner this weekend. 97k original factory coppers on the V6. Hah! Electrodes were a bit worn, and the gap had opened up about 15 thou, but besides that they really didn't look that bad. Put in some laser iridiums so they should be good for another 100k mi, this time with a more consistent gap.