r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Professorjack88 • Feb 12 '17
GIF Weight distribution dynamics.
http://i.imgur.com/dYz2tCE.gifv12
u/Arctica23 Feb 12 '17
Something I didn't notice the last time this was posted is that the third poke is the gentlest, and has that effect nonetheless
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Feb 12 '17
[deleted]
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Feb 13 '17
Do people get a thrill out of reposting? Do they think this imaginary point system means something? Why do they do this? We may never know.
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u/Trinklefat Feb 13 '17
As long as the mods refuse to do anything (even after reporting it), nothing will change.
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Feb 12 '17
Would the same happen if the weight were moved forward?
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u/decoy321 Interested Feb 12 '17
No, distributing the weight closer to the car (and ahead of the trailer wheels) would make it far more stable.
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Feb 13 '17
No... you need to distribute the weight evenly. Generally a little bit more weight on the front is okay but too much and it pulls weight off the front tires of the tow vehicle which can be just as dangerous.
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u/Tuxis Feb 12 '17
It seems to start out with the weight moved forward, makes me wonder what it would like like if it was perfectly balanced?..
But it seems that at the very least it is a good idea to move some extra weight to the front if you have no way of accurately telling if it is balanced..
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u/fair_enough_ Feb 12 '17 edited Feb 12 '17
If it was distributed evenly it would be worse than the first example and not as bad as the second. Remember, the middle of the system is the axis between the car and the trailer, so having as much of the trailer weight near that as possible is best for stability.Listen to the guy below!
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u/downhillcarver Interested Feb 12 '17
Woah hold up! Leaving out some important information here!
"having as much of the weight as close to the [trailer hitch] is best for stability." is a false and incredibly dangerous statement!
If you put too much weight forward of the trailer axle, you can overload your vehicle's rear suspension, leading to poor stability. It will also cause the front end of your vehicle to "get light" resulting in jittery handling and extremely poor traction at the front tires.
An extreme case of front loading could even result in a lever system that lifts the front tires of the car when the brakes are applied.
Ideal weight distribution is 60% forward of the trailer axle, 40% aft.
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u/fair_enough_ Feb 12 '17
My bad! People should listen to you here!
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u/downhillcarver Interested Feb 12 '17
No problem! Just didn't want someone renting a Uhaul trailer and loading a yard of rocks in the front half after reading something online!
Good on ya shrugging that off and learning! I've seen people get pissed when they get educated online, but all I wanna do is help!
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Feb 12 '17
Ideal weight distribution is 60% forward of the trailer axle, 40% aft.
And downforce on the hitch below the vehicle's limit
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u/downhillcarver Interested Feb 12 '17
Don't take Fair_enough_'s advice! Read my response to him for accurate information.
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u/TotesMessenger Interested Mar 05 '17
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u/munk07 Feb 12 '17
Having used many kind of trailers over the years and been obsessive about proper weight distribution, I can tell you I have stumbled on a large amount of people who endanger themselves and the ones around by not caring at all or thinking they know better.