Caddywhompus wrote: -he only honest safe way to setup a WD hitch is WITHOUT the aid of ANY suspension aids, helpers, air shocks...etc. interfering. Once the proper adjustments have been made and the rig is correctly setup, then what ever small amounts of further suspension adjustment are needed can be handled by the leveling system down the road, without interfering with the optimum setup of your WD hitch,
I don't think so.
If you turn off the leveling system and apply WD to bring the front end of the TV back down to the original height (as recommended by the TV manufacturer), you will end up with about 75% of the tongue weight on the rear axle. Let's assume this value is 750#. This load, plus whatever gear is in the rear of the TV, will cause the rear end to drop.
If you then turn the Load Control back on and head down the road, the Load Control will raise the rear of the TV to make it level with the front. Raising the rear will decrease the load on the WD bars. This will cause the front of the TV to rise and the rear to drop.
Now the Load Control will raise the rear of the TV to the make it level with the too-high front. Raising the rear, relative to the front, will further reduce the load on the WD bars, causing the front to rise even more.
It looks to me as though this might be a diverging process which will reach its limit when the front of the TV gets as high as it can go and/or the rear shocks are at maximum "lift". If the process does converge, you will end up with both the front and rear of the TV higher than the original height -- not a good thing.
NO matter how high or low the rear shocks get, either way I would connect the WD, the Auto Leveling will set the rear wheel well to about 36" when it's all said and done. These are auto leveling air shocks. There is a compressor with a sensor that will raise the rear end if it is below 36" and will let air out if it is above 36" for a period of time. Therefore I don't really see the need to have the fuse in when I am adjusting the WD. My brain is spinning so what the heck do I know anyway. Ha Ha
chisoxguy13 wrote: NO matter how high or low the rear shocks get, either way I would connect the WD, the Auto Leveling will set the rear wheel well to about 36" when it's all said and done. These are auto leveling air shocks. There is a compressor with a sensor that will raise the rear end if it is below 36" and will let air out if it is above 36" for a period of time. Therefore I don't really see the need to have the fuse in when I am adjusting the WD. My brain is spinning so what the heck do I know anyway. Ha Ha
My previous "scenario" was based on the apparently incorrect assumption that your Suburban has the "self-adjusting rear suspension" which employs a hydraulic pump inside each rear shock.
Based on your description, it appears you actually have the "automatic level control rear suspension" (Automatic Level Control) which adjusts the height at the rear axle only. This system does not require that the TV be driven a couple miles to activate the "leveling". This system would result in a different scenario if the manufacturer's recommemded procedure is followed:
1) With the TT unhitched, the TV sits "level" and at the original ride height.
2) The TT is attached without WD being applied. Load on the rear axle increases and the rear of the TV drops below original height. Load on the front axle decreases and the front rises above original.
3) The ignition is turned to the RUN position and the air shocks raise the rear back to the original height. The front of the TV remains above original height.
4) The WD system is then adjusted to return the front to its original height. During this process the ALC will keep the rear of the TV at the original height. If the front of the TV is above the original height, you need to increase the load on the WD bars (have fewer links under tension). If the front is below original height, you need to decrease the load on the bars. When the front is at the original height, the TV will be "level"
If you do not have the fuse in when adjusting the WD system, I think the following would happen:
1) With the TT unhitched, the TV sits "level" and at the original ride height.
2) The ALC is disabled.
3) The TT is attached without WD being applied. Load on the rear axle increases and the rear of the TV drops below original height. Load on the front axle decreases and the front rises above original.
4) The WD system is then adjusted to return the front to its original height. The rear of the TV will rise, but will remain below the original height. The TV will not be "level".
5) If the ALC is subsequently enabled, it will raise the rear of the TV back to the original height. This will cause the load on the WD bars to be reduced. That, in turn, will decrease the amount of load transfer to the front axle. You will end up with too much load on the rear and too little on the front.
There is an electronic connection that goes into the front and rear shocks as well that basically controls the stiffness of the shocks at certain speeds/inclines ect. I will set the WD up with the system active and I plan on weighing it just to be on the safe side with everything as well. Thanks again for everything.
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