Chassis Do I need a wdh

[Ross Falcke]

Evening all.

Looking for advice from those more learned than myself.

How do tell if I need a wdh? Yes the steering feels light but always has. Have a Prado and single axle 16-49 OB. Jayco said I don't need it, but would appreciate anyone's feed back.

Cheers

Roscoe

 

[Bluey]

Evening all.

Looking for advice from those more learned than myself.

How do tell if I need a wdh? Yes the steering feels light but always has. Have a Prado and single axle 16-49 OB. Jayco said I don't need it, but would appreciate anyone's feed back.

Cheers

Roscoe

my van is bigger than yours 1756-2 outback 2014 model I have air bags and a hitch best eva very good hitches are very good in my opinion and would help but go to a reese dealer to get them and your hitch set up right I now for the time being have a cruiser 100 series still have air bags and a hitch on that too both cars tow very good on bouncy roads

 

[twscoot]

I had a 16.49-2 and a Pajero. Always towed with a WDH. Tried without it and the difference was quite noticeable. Much more control, less pitching and felt stable. Others will no doubt not use one. How many mm does the rear drop when you hook up?

 

[Ross Falcke]

There's the thing I believe I'm right on the edge - 40 mm.

 

[Bluey]

for the best package air bags and a hitch you carnt go wrong air bags arnt expensive the hitch will be more if your going to get one I know a place in port melb have the best prices for a reese hitch don't bye crap !!!!! and easy to fit bags to your car pedders or anyone can do it if you measure my cars before I fit van then after its the same measurement with 25 to 30 psi in bags and hitch on for an extra 120 I think get the Kevlar sleeves to go around your bags stops rubbing and you can put more psi in them do yourself a favour !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ross Falcke]

Lol. So that's a yes?

 

[Bluey]

Lol. So that's a yes?

All Vehicle Accessories 49 Fennell st Port Melb 1300-133-353 you will need to know your ball weight of the van as hitches come in different sizes for heavier and lighter vans most companies will get the air bags from air bag world or air bag man I changed my springs for pedders normal hight ones stronger then Toyota ones again not expensive rides very good I left my old shocks on they have done 130 thousand now or there still original ones sorry to spend your cash but springs ,, bags ,, and a hitch and you will be very happy Toyota springs are very soft not so good for towing a long way or time pedders I found as good as anyone and anywhere in Australia you can get good service if needed let me know how you go

 

[Ross Falcke]

Thanks all for the replies.. I think I'll load her up and check how far the rear of the car drops. etc.

Bluey - thanks for the contact. I'll give them a call and we'll see how we go from there.

 

[crustt]

I looked into airbags and getting the suspension beefed up and got advised by a few people in the business to go with the wdh as my car didn't need work done on the suspension and getting bigger springs etc would make a bouncy ride when not towing and I love the soft ride down those sand tracks, made sense to me, best of both worlds. Tows great with a wdh and a comfy ride unloaded.

 

[Bluey]

I looked into airbags and getting the suspension beefed up and got advised by a few people in the business to go with the wdh as my car didn't need work done on the suspension and getting bigger springs etc would make a bouncy ride when not towing and I love the soft ride down those sand tracks, made sense to me, best of both worlds. Tows great with a wdh and a comfy ride unloaded.

Good point but the normal hight springs i got put on mine are just a bit stronger and it still rides very well i forget what car you have a prado ?? Mines a 120 series dont know if there diffrent in the newer ones in the cruiser i left the springs alone just bags and a hitch

 

[crustt]

Yeah, I had a Prado 120 also, traded it in on a challenger as I had an estimated repair bill for 3 to 8 k , couldn't afford another Prado. Very happy with the challenger and don't have to change anything to tow, just buy a longer drop shank for the wdh

 

[Vere]

I have a 16.49 and tow with a Grand Cherokee. I found that while a WDH was not required, the van did sit nicer during travel and seemed to bounce less

 

[Drover]

My Colorado I have replaced the OE suspension with something that will carry the load as well as Big Mal, the OE suspension was just too soft, with Big Mal hooked up it sits nice and level ( supposed to be max of 250 on ball, it's not though) the new suspension works well, tows nice 98% of the time, no porpoising but will go with a WDH as I find in certain windy or rainy situations I get a front end twitch, hard to explain but basically need a bit more weight on the front so must be getting a bit of lift, which is reasonable considering there is about 4 or 5 mts from fulcrum, (hitch) to steer or van axles, so an inch of movement at the hitch could translate to a bit more at either end.
Shopping for a WDH this week..............................OE suspension is really only designed to carry you, the kids and a picnic basket, add a trailer with all the camping gear as well and it fails usually, I honestly think that upgrading the suspension to something that will handle what the vehicle's payload is supposed to be and then go for additional stuff like bags or WDH's means you shouldn't have any problems later on.
Oh and the old furphy of the dual cab hitch being too far from the axle doesn't apply to my rig, maybe on HiLux's but my Colorado tray back hitch is closer to the axle than a Cruiser.

 

[Bluey]

Thanks all for the replies.. I think I'll load her up and check how far the rear of the car drops. etc.

Bluey - thanks for the contact. I'll give them a call and we'll see how we go from there.

to get a true measurement measure from the bottom of rim to the wheel arch not from the ground same can be done at the front

 

[dagree]

@Ross Falcke When we got our 16.49.3 tourer we had a 100 series Landcruiser and were told we didn't need a WDH... Borrowed one to try it and it made the world of difference to steering and braking so we ended up buying a Hayman Reece 500/550KG WDH.

With the 17.56.2 Outback behind the Prado we have now we can't fit a WDH due to having the Trigg offroad hitch so I upgraded the Prado's suspension to a 35mm HD lift and airbags. Sits level with the airbags at 26psi and tows great after trial and error with pressures!

Best thing I can suggest is "Don't listen to us online warriors without pics" ..... Hook the van up, take a pic, and post it.

 

[crackacoldie]

Towing my 16,49-3 with the Ranger,I had one drop and found the unit too stiff with a WDH, now back to towing with my 100 series, beefed up suspension and airbags, found I needed the WDH to stop the pitching.

 

[Axl]

Towing my 16,49-3 with the Ranger,I had one drop and found the unit too stiff with a WDH, now back to towing with my 100 series, beefed up suspension and airbags, found I needed the WDH to stop the pitching.

I'm of the same opinion as @crackacoldie, 2010 Pajero EFS suspension upgrade mid range springs all round with a 40mm lift and H/P firestone airbags in the rear.

By playing with the pressure in the airbags the Pajero handles the Expanda very well without a WDH but after reading through the forum and asking the same question you have I brought one any way.

I find it takes the pitching out as well, you need to play with the pressure in the bags to get the set up right, more PSI if you are not using the WDH and obviously less if your are but once you've found the settings its a piece of cake.

If I am going somewhere and I need max ground clearance (for instance onto a barge) I don't use it but my set up does handle better with the WDH on.

If I didn't have the suspension upgrade I would be using a WDH everywhere I went regardless of ground clearance required, got mine from Gumtree as new and half the price of new.

 

[Drover]

to get a true measurement measure from the bottom of rim to the wheel arch not from the ground same can be done at the front

For suspension height set up measure from the hub centre to bottom of wheel arch, that will give a standard spring height no matter what rim/tyre size is fitted over the whole range of the vehicle, going from rim will only show for that rim/tyre size.

 

[Bluey]

For suspension height set up measure from the hub centre to bottom of wheel arch, that will give a standard spring height no matter what rim/tyre size is fitted over the whole range of the vehicle, going from rim will only show for that rim/tyre size.

But from the botton of rim to wheel to wheel arch past the wheel to the cars metal gives you the measurment been to a few diffrent people here they allways do it like that you dont measure the wheel bottom of wheel rim to the car ?????? Buggered if i know

 

[Bluey]

But from the botton of rim to wheel to wheel arch past the wheel to the cars metal gives you the measurment been to a few diffrent people here they allways do it like that you dont measure the wheel bottom of wheel rim to the car ?????? Buggered if i know

Just read what i wrote evan i dont understand ahhhhh bottom of rim to the wheel arch is how i do it ahhh i think ???