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Old 10-06-2018, 01:06 PM   #1
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2009 25' FB International
2018 27' Globetrotter
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Propride Weight Distribution Adjustments

This was posted on another thread that was older and I didn't get a response. So this is a repost.

The Propride is installed and I took the AS to the local CAT scales to dial it in. The AS is a 27' Globetrotter.

I have a 2018 RAM 2500 with CTD. The FA (front axle) weighs in at 5050# without the AS in tow.

After multiple trips (4) across the scales I have the towers adjusted to 6 1/2" which restores the FA to 4860#, or about 200# less than with no load. The last 1/2" of adjustment, from 6" to 6 1/2", only gave me a gain of 40# on the FA, from 4820# to 4860#. So I think somewhere between 6" and 6 1/2" seems like the correct amount of force on the WD arms.

Do these numbers make sense to those of you who have a Propride? Would 6" be better (less force) than 6 1/2"?

The AS is level and so is the TV. BTW it seems to tow beautifully with this setting.

Thanks!
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Old 10-06-2018, 01:33 PM   #2
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Hard to tell from pics but do you have any washers behind the rivet behind the stinger? That will start things on an angle that immediately provides more lift and WD to the front axle.

6.5” and no full restoration to the front end doesn’t make sense. Are you using 1000# or 1400# bars? I went with 1000 to start and ended up with 1400s. But my hitch was installed at the dealer - who never called Sean despite a) having never done one before and b) Sean providing his cell number to them and offering to help with the installation. I ended up having Colonial reinstall it for me with the 1400# bars and they added 2 or 3 washers - I can now get 100% restoration to the front axle with 6” of lift on the WD arms.

Good luck!
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Old 10-06-2018, 03:32 PM   #3
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This thread is not possible. The Propride is perfect and needs no adjustment. Simply not possible.
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Old 10-06-2018, 04:26 PM   #4
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Perfection is a potential, not a guaranteed condition, even with a ProPride system.
That said, if adjusting the washers to get a bit more tilt doesn’t get full FALR restored, but it drives well, I wouldn’t sweat it much. You can go up to 8-9 inches on the jacks if needed, but watch for interference between the WD bars and stuff on the A-frame during turns.
I start at about 7” on the jacks and fine tune from there to minimize porpoising whilst underway. That’s the sweet spot on my rig. YMMV.
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Old 10-06-2018, 05:22 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveSueMac View Post
Hard to tell from pics but do you have any washers behind the rivet behind the stinger? That will start things on an angle that immediately provides more lift and WD to the front axle.

6.5” and no full restoration to the front end doesn’t make sense. Are you using 1000# or 1400# bars? I went with 1000 to start and ended up with 1400s. But my hitch was installed at the dealer - who never called Sean despite a) having never done one before and b) Sean providing his cell number to them and offering to help with the installation. I ended up having Colonial reinstall it for me with the 1400# bars and they added 2 or 3 washers - I can now get 100% restoration to the front axle with 6” of lift on the WD arms.

Good luck!
I am using 1400# bars and I do have one washer behind the pin. I talked to Sean when installing the stinger. He stated that having a slight downward angle on the stinger is what you want, to aid in returning the FALR. One washer gave me the slight downward angle. Adding a second washer seemed to make too much of an angle. Of course, what is too much? I don't know and I guess that's why I asking for comments!

I was thinking that getting the FALR within 200# on a 5000# axle was pretty good.

Thanks for your input!
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Old 10-09-2018, 08:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmkrum View Post
Perfection is a potential, not a guaranteed condition, even with a ProPride system.
That said, if adjusting the washers to get a bit more tilt doesn’t get full FALR restored, but it drives well, I wouldn’t sweat it much. You can go up to 8-9 inches on the jacks if needed, but watch for interference between the WD bars and stuff on the A-frame during turns.
I start at about 7” on the jacks and fine tune from there to minimize porpoising whilst underway. That’s the sweet spot on my rig. YMMV.
Does more tension or less tension have a positive effect on porpoising?
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Old 10-09-2018, 08:29 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans627 View Post
I am using 1400# bars and I do have one washer behind the pin. I talked to Sean when installing the stinger. He stated that having a slight downward angle on the stinger is what you want, to aid in returning the FALR. One washer gave me the slight downward angle. Adding a second washer seemed to make too much of an angle. Of course, what is too much? I don't know and I guess that's why I asking for comments!

I was thinking that getting the FALR within 200# on a 5000# axle was pretty good.

Thanks for your input!


I think I have 3 washers on mine.

Think of FALR only from the perspective of the *actual* weight of the front axle without the trailer attached (let’s say it’s 5000#) and what it weighs with the trailer hitched (before applying any WD) (let’s say that’s 4500#). In that example - you’d have lifted 500# off the front axle. Restoring 200# out of 500# lifted off the axle is less than 50% FALR (front axle load restoration). 200# out of 5000# doesn’t seem like much - but it’s really against what’s lifted off that determines the impact on steering. Problem is - if you don’t restore enough, you can’t steer as well - imagine for the sake of extremes if the trailer lifted the front tires completely off the ground and you tried to drive - you wouldn’t have any ability to steer. And that would certainly create a significant porpoising effect on top of that.

100% FALR would mean (in the example numbers I used here) putting 500# back on the front axle (by raising your WD jacks on the a-frame for the ProPride). Your truck’s user manual may recommend 50%, 75% or 100% FALR. so check there to be sure. And validate it with your driving.

Hope that makes sense.
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Old 10-09-2018, 08:30 PM   #8
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On my rig, in my experience, if it’s porpoising, I need a bit more tension. I start at 6 1/2 to 7 inches at the start, fully loaded, and adjust from there based on how the truck is behaving. Usually not more than an inch more tension does the job.
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Old 10-09-2018, 08:32 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans627 View Post
Does more tension or less tension have a positive effect on porpoising?


I suspect you can go too far in either direction, but I can tell you in my experience more tension on the WD jacks reduces porpoising. Early on, I was doing 50% FALR - actually recommended for my truck by GM. But I had a lot of porpoising. Admittedly - the hitch was not installed correctly by the dealer. I later had it reinstalled at Colonial in NJ and went from 1000# bars to 1400# bars (as Sean originally recommended) and that’s where the 3 washers were installed as well. So too many variables to know for sure but that got me to 100% FALR and almost no porpoising at all unless on a terrible road.
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Old 10-10-2018, 07:01 AM   #10
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Without any CAT tickets, and not having a PP, using only my peepers, looking at only one pic...your AS appears nose high...start there.😳

Bob
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