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Old 11-29-2022, 03:43 PM   #5
Wavery
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Originally Posted by Bill View Post
I am curious about how a WDH affects stopping distance. Without a WDH, the hitch weight unloads the front end of the tow vehicle, of course, which would make it easier for the front wheels to lock up and skid in a panic stop. A WDH helps to correct this deficiency by keeping the front wheels more fully loaded. The amount of available stopping force is limited by the grip of the rubber on the pavement. As long as both the front and rear wheels of the tow vehicle maintain traction, how does a WDH change stopping distance?

Wavery, in that first panic stop experience, did the front wheels lock up? If so, I think your experience reflects one more reason to tow with a WDH.

I am obviously no master of towing geometry, so you are welcome to scoff a bit.

Bill
The front wheels on an ABS braking system should not lock up the wheels under any condition. Your statement, "The amount of available stopping force is limited by the grip of the rubber on the pavement" is not exactly acurate. The ABS is designed to achieve maximum traction and when the rubber starts sliding on the pavement, traction is greatly reduced. Therefore, the ABS has to find which has the most actual "stopping force", the brake pads or the rubber on the road. In order to keep the rubber on the road from sliding, the brakes may have to give up some load but it does it in pulses.

When driving on ice (for instance). The time between brake pad pulses is extended to maintain steering and still achieve a balance of brake force vs tire traction. The end result is far less actual brake force to prevent tire skid. Once the tires start skidding, it's game over.

The same thing applies to towing. If I would not have had the trailer pushing me down the hill, the brakes would have been quite adequate to stop the vehicle without even activating the ABS. However, due to the increased weight/inertia, the braking had to be reduced by the ABS to avoid the vehicle from going into a skid and losing tire traction and steering control.
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