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Old 12-11-2010, 07:14 PM   #14
Mr. Adventure
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 668
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnguy View Post
Tilting the ball back 1 more notch will lower the ball an fraction of an inch, but you will more than make up for that with the increased lift if using the same chain length.

I am not sure if I would do that though. Any more tightening up on the WDH is going to put more weight on the TM axle, and that is within 40 lbs. of being at the max. The drive axle is within 45 lbs. of being at the max. Maybe the important thing to look at is what is the weight of the front axle with no TM attached, with all other loads being the same....ie people, dogs, and stuff. You want the original weight back on the front axle, and maybe a couple of extra pounds. If the weight distributed weight is close or over the unloaded front axle weight of the Ridgeline, then I think I would just leave things the way they are. If the weight distributed weight is less than the front axle of the Ridgeline, then tightening up on the WDH might be in order.

I think the Ridgeline has a unibody chassis. Although I have never heard of any problems with straining that setup, I would be a little concerned with too much stress by over tightening the WDH, expecially with 1000 lb. spring bars.

Like the OPer stated, this is maximum weights at the scales, and he usually does not travel with this much. I think it is a great idea to be within the maximums loaded to the hilt, then you should be OK with a normal camping trip.
He had the very unusual combo of full water and full holding tanks. It would be pretty easy to drop 250+# from that.

As far as I know, we've never seen a report of anyone damaging a unibody with a WDH, right?
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