Hitch prob on Liberty

Extended hitches are pretty common. They do up the load on the tongue so just be aware of it.

Mike

Barry Bean wrote:

Get a longer mount - it's cheap and a very common fix for this sort of problem. I don't know what your Libby receiver looks like, but if the receiver square hole is open at the front and there is clearance between the receiver and gas tank, you can drill an extra hole in the drawbar and slide the bar forward for storage. You may also be able to invert the bar for extra clearance when not towing.

If you are concerned about excessive tongue weight of a different trailer, get a second ball also and keep the original set for heavy use.

John Davies

"Barry Bean" : : 2) Extend the ball mount a few inches past the receiver. This would be : ideal, but would obviously increase the leverage on the receiver. FWIW, : most of the trailers I pull have fairly light tongue weights (usually a BBQ : grill with a 50-60 lb tongue weight and 200-300 lbs total weight). : Obviously I couldn't use this on a heavier trailer, or one that approached : the vehicle/receiver weight limit.

This is probably the way to go but also be aware that by extending the distance from the rear axle to the ball will effect the handling. While going down the highway, steering corrections will be magnified through the tail swing of the Liberty.

You're probably going to be absolutely fine and I don't want to sound like I'm blowing this out of proportion... but...

To correct for this, if you extend the tongue 2" you should move your axle on the trailer back 2"... which further increases tongue weight.

The optimal setup for towing is to have the ball as close to the rear axle as possible and the axle of the trailer as far back as possible while not exceeding your tongue weight.

This is why tractor trailers use a fifth wheel, to keep the pivot at or ahead of the axle. Anyone that pulls a fifth wheel camper trailer on a pick up truck will tell you they would never go back to a hitch and ball set up because it handles so well.

When I bought a boat without a motor several years ago I towed it home behind my Suburban and the trailer tracked great... I made a point of 'testing it'... 70-80 mph without so much as a wiggle. When I rebuilt the boat and hung a 6 cyl Merc outboard off the back, it handled terrible. I slid the axle back two holes, levelled the trailer and balanced the tongue with a piece of wood on a bathroom scale. Close, but not enough. Moved back two more holes, balanced it again and just shy of 300 lbs at the tongue. I should have gone a bit more because when I filled the boat with gas, it lightened up a bit but it was light years better than it was.

Okay, now I'm just rambling... hope this helps.

-Brian

Cure that problem by installing a suspension lift to put your clearance back to right (and better handle heavier loads):

Maybe this thing will give you enough clearance to preclude the use of a hitch extension:

Great link Steve, I bet that would solve his problem! (a wee bit cheaper than a lift too!)

-Brian

Cheaper yes, but wouldn't a setup like this be better suited for towing the BBQ?:

I was trying to save myself from Xns94FC5F76BE546eatmorecotton@207.14.113.17, but wouldn't let me go...

| After installing a receiver hitch on my liberty, I find that | the ball is directly under the spare tire, which makes it | difficult to hitch/unhitch, especially at an angle. I end up | having to partialy open the back door and try to keep the door | from hitting the trailer while I mount the trailer on the | ball. Its doable, but a hassle. | | I've been considering two remedies: | | 1) Get a ball mount with a lower drop. This would make it | easier to hitch up, but would lower my clearance, possibly | causing problems going through dips or starting a steep rise. | | 2) Extend the ball mount a few inches past the receiver. This | would be ideal, but would obviously increase the leverage on | the receiver. FWIW, most of the trailers I pull have fairly | light tongue weights (usually a BBQ grill with a 50-60 lb | tongue weight and 200-300 lbs total weight). Obviously I | couldn't use this on a heavier trailer, or one that approached | the vehicle/receiver weight limit.

Or put the spare where it belongs....which, I hate to tell you, is not hanging on the tailgate.

Steve wrote in news:KLnvc.52327$Np3.2275947@ursa- nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

Oh yeah, that's MUCH better.....

L.W.(ßill) Hughes III wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@cox.net:

???

I think he missed it Bill.

You are referring to matching the axle center height with the tongue right.

I have seen a bunch of and even have a lowered hitch adapter that fits a

If the tongue angle is too steep, it throws the center of gravity to the rear and the trailer will wag the tail of the tow vehicle big time. You 'really' gotta watch that on a short wheel base vehicle.

You can shift weight with a load to a certain point, but still....

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

Mike Romain wrote in news:40BE38EE.D79D6986 @sympatico.ca:

Thanks.

You are welcome. Lots of us drive lifted vehicles so simple things like that are common.

I have a bunch of 2" receiver hitches. One low one for the highway and a straight one for off road where there is no 'wag' potential and a pintle for the old tall ones.

Now if one of my Jeeps actually 'had' a 2" receiver hitch on them..... LOL!

Mike

-Brian

Okay, oh wise one, where does it "belong"?

I was trying to save myself from snipped-for-privacy@cox.net, but wouldn't let me go...

| In the trunk. | God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O | mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

Bill, yer my hero.