I think we need to think about the physics behind WDHs lest we over-estimate their effect. We can conservatively estimate that all of them are exerting less than 300 pounds of torque. After all, we crank them up by hand using relatively short levers. We have about a 3 foot lever arm between the hitch ball and the WDH brackets. Our lever arm from the hitch ball to the trailer axle is about 15 feet. With a lever arm ratio of 3:15 we can estimate 60 pounds at the trailer axle.
A WDH moves the center of pressure from the tongue weight forward of the rear axle, if it's working correctly. But I am not convinced they move it very far forward of the rear axle.
And I am less convinced that some of them work at all.
|