I have a B&W in my auto and Colibert in my 6spd. Love both of them.
Here is the question.

Sold a horse trailer this weekend and guy's hitch was a fold down ball with a big square plate on top of bed. His hitch is directly over the axle but my 2 are about 2-3 inches in front of axle.

He says it's a bolt in kit from Valley and he's used it for years.

What's the difference in locations? I always understood you wanted it slightly ahead of the axle. Who's right or wrong and why please?

I won't ever have anything but B&W or Colibert even if I'm wrong.

 

From my understanding, it's best to have it in front of the rear axle so that when you transfer pin weight from the trailer to the truck, you're distributing some of the weight to the front axle as well. If you're directly on top of the rear axle or behind it, you're putting all your weight on the rear (or removing weight from the front if you're too far back).

Now if he was running a shortbed or had a toolbox/fuel tank up front, he might have chosen to push the hitch further back

 

You can go to the B&W website and download the instructions for your particular make/model/bed length. They will show the ball being placed forward of the rear axle by a few inches.

~Rob

 

That's probably it then, he had a big L shaped transfer tank and then a toolbox on top of it.

In a 99 Dually LWB.

 

usually

4 inches front from center of differential is the way to go for the reasons that Aggie Justin said.. ON a long bed, go the 4 inches, unless of coarse that L tank gets in the way..

Rick

 

You definetly want to go in front of the axle, especially if you haul heavy loads The truck will handle much better. I have mine 6 in ahead of axle, I have a long box. Even if you have a short box go ahead of the axle

 

Dad's is center over his axle with his Drawtight G/N. Mine is 3 inches in front of the axle with my B/W. All I know is dad's truck with a g/n on will beat you to death I hate riding in that thing. Mine rides like a cadilac compared to his.

 

You gotta put it where B&W says or it won't mount up correctly. I think it is 47-3/4' from the rear of the bed on a long box on a 3gen ...that puts the pin about 4" ahead of the axle on the long box. That gives you the optimum rating. Ahead of the axle is the best....the futher you mount one behind the axle the more it will start to behave like a bumper pull. And like was mentioned will cause it to buck!

 

B&W also makes a 4" extender so that you can go either 4" infront of your hitch or 4" behind to help compensate for toolboxes, shortbeds, ect...

 

Those are the best way to deal with the clearance issue.....the pin weight is still ahead of the axle.

 

I just installed a B&W turnover ball today on my 04 Dually... On the longbed models you mount it 47 7/8 from the end of the bed... On the shortbed you mount it 45 7/8...

And whomever said on a B&W if you do not drill exactly where they say the brakets will not fit right. They are absolutely correct. There is alot going on with the 3rd gen frame and the brakets actually clamp on the frame instead of bolt through it like on some trucks.

I measured about 10 times before I cut it and it fit like a glove... it butts right up next to a support rail under the bed sheetmetal. It is built like a brick you know what....

The tech at B&w told me they mount it several inches in front of the axle as well. When you cut the 4" hole for the ball you can look straight down and see you are several inches in front.

I also agree the B&W is a great hitch. This is my second one.

Regards,