Author: Tars Tarkas
Subject: WDH hitch and unibody frame concern and questions.
Posted: 04 Feb 2017 at 9:53am
I don't know the answer to your question, but in my opinion and in my experience, a WDH on a vehicle with a 5000 lb tow capacity and a 3500 lb trailer is of very questionable necessity. I wouldn't argue with the wisdom of sway control, although for me, it never seemed necessary. Of course the argument is that you don't need it until you need it and then you dam well better have it. You can do sway control without a WDH.
You are right to be concerned about the WDH with your unibody construction. It might be fine 99% of the time, but without a solid answer, I think I'd skip it. A WDH, by design, puts a good bit of stress on the frame, and, also by design, unibody frames aren't as strong as body-on-frame frames. Unibody frames are meant to crumple under stress. On the face of it, in my very uneducated sense of this, WDHs and unibody frames don't seem to go together well. Be cautious of any opinions you read on the internet though!
TT
Subject: WDH hitch and unibody frame concern and questions.
Posted: 04 Feb 2017 at 9:53am
I don't know the answer to your question, but in my opinion and in my experience, a WDH on a vehicle with a 5000 lb tow capacity and a 3500 lb trailer is of very questionable necessity. I wouldn't argue with the wisdom of sway control, although for me, it never seemed necessary. Of course the argument is that you don't need it until you need it and then you dam well better have it. You can do sway control without a WDH.
You are right to be concerned about the WDH with your unibody construction. It might be fine 99% of the time, but without a solid answer, I think I'd skip it. A WDH, by design, puts a good bit of stress on the frame, and, also by design, unibody frames aren't as strong as body-on-frame frames. Unibody frames are meant to crumple under stress. On the face of it, in my very uneducated sense of this, WDHs and unibody frames don't seem to go together well. Be cautious of any opinions you read on the internet though!
TT