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DannoXYZ · September 5th, 2018, 02:47 AM

No, you will never lighten front-wheel load on FWD with trailer. You just add rear-wheel load by weight on tongue. General rule of thumb is 10-15% of loaded trailer weight up to 250lbs on tongue. This may change weight distribution by making larger percentage on rear than before, but front weight remains same because rear suspension takes load and compresses.

Only possible way tongue weight can "jack up" front end is if there was no rear suspension at all with wheels welded to body. Then you'd have teeter-totter that pivots at rear-wheels' contact patch. Even then it's not 1:1 due to different lever-moments. With say... 3ft between rear-wheel centre to hitch ball and 101-inch wheelbase, a 250-lb load on ball will result in (36/101)*250= 89-lb lift at front wheels. But again, only if you have a static model with no suspension.

Or if you load up rear wheels so much that they bottom rear suspension over bump. In which case, rear suspension is static and locked, resulting in tongue weigh jacking up front wheels using rear wheels as pivot point. Even then, worse case with 250-lb tongue and 89-lb lift at front-wheels, front loading is 2724*60%=1628lbs -89=1539lbs. With that much weight over front wheels and 130bhp, you're not gonna have any issues spinning the tyres due to loss of traction. Heck, with more realistic 100-lb tongue weight, that's only 36-lb front lift when bottoming rear. Front end loses way more than that coming off regular bumps without bottoming or trailer anyway without losing traction & spinning tyres.

Now if you're trying to pull 30-ft sailboat up steep algae-covered ramp or go up snow-covered hill pulling mobile-home, I can see where FWD might have issues.

The biggest problem with FWD towing is automatic transmissions, especially going up hills. Due spinning fluid between two fans to transfer power, the higher weight and load shears fluid more and generates more heat. Towing with an automatic should have trans fluid temp gauge installed along with thermostatically controlled transmission cooler.

Don't even think about towing with CVT!

September 5th, 2018, 02:47 AM	#11
DannoXYZ ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: AKA JacRyann Location: Mesa, AZ Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot. MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17	No, you will never lighten front-wheel load on FWD with trailer. You just add rear-wheel load by weight on tongue. General rule of thumb is 10-15% of loaded trailer weight up to 250lbs on tongue. This may change weight distribution by making larger percentage on rear than before, but front weight remains same because rear suspension takes load and compresses. Only possible way tongue weight can "jack up" front end is if there was no rear suspension at all with wheels welded to body. Then you'd have teeter-totter that pivots at rear-wheels' contact patch. Even then it's not 1:1 due to different lever-moments. With say... 3ft between rear-wheel centre to hitch ball and 101-inch wheelbase, a 250-lb load on ball will result in (36/101)250= 89-lb lift at front wheels. But again, only if you have a static model with no suspension. Or if you load up rear wheels so much that they bottom rear suspension over bump. In which case, rear suspension is static and locked, resulting in tongue weigh jacking up front wheels using rear wheels as pivot point. Even then, worse case with 250-lb tongue and 89-lb lift at front-wheels, front loading is 272460%=1628lbs -89=1539lbs. With that much weight over front wheels and 130bhp, you're not gonna have any issues spinning the tyres due to loss of traction. Heck, with more realistic 100-lb tongue weight, that's only 36-lb front lift when bottoming rear. Front end loses way more than that coming off regular bumps without bottoming or trailer anyway without losing traction & spinning tyres. Now if you're trying to pull 30-ft sailboat up steep algae-covered ramp or go up snow-covered hill pulling mobile-home, I can see where FWD might have issues. The biggest problem with FWD towing is automatic transmissions, especially going up hills. Due spinning fluid between two fans to transfer power, the higher weight and load shears fluid more and generates more heat. Towing with an automatic should have trans fluid temp gauge installed along with thermostatically controlled transmission cooler. Don't even think about towing with CVT!