tow ball height

[sixpack]

hi folks,
sorry to ask a stupid question,but what height should the towball be on the disco`s ?

mines down on the bottom holes.

any feedback appreciated

[dazzerboy]

hi folks,
sorry to ask a stupid question,but what height should the towball be on the disco`s ?

mines down on the bottom holes.

any feedback appreciated

mines in the middle seems ok when towing anything it was the same on my last disco aswell

[The Straw Man]

Shouldn't it be set so as to keep the trailer it's towing level when the combi is on level ground??

[bilge rat]

me 200 was set on the lowest point ,towed c/van and trailer good and levell, me 300 seems to also be set on the lowest hole , towed a couple of trailers all seemed ok. hope this helps. alan...

[Roger Whittle]

hi folks,
sorry to ask a stupid question,but what height should the towball be on the disco`s ?

mines down on the bottom holes.

any feedback appreciated

Not stupid Sixpack - slightly redundant, but not stupid. If you have a choice, then the middle is fine, but it really all depends on what you are towing. Any single axle tow will be happy on any setting, except that if the trailer/caravan chassis is angled too steeply, you can get some unwanted effects. Sloping up to the hitch and the tow will try to lift your back wheels off the road under braking. Sloping down and it will feel; 'like its trying to get up underneath you.'

If you are towing a two axle trailer or van, then the hitch height is much more critical. Assuming a four wheel trailer; when unloaded offer it up to the Disco - with the jockey wheel retracted - on flat, level ground. The towball should be within an inch or so vertically, of the trailer hitch. Of course you still have to load the trailer to remain fairly level, but with the traditional '100lbs on the nose.' I had to lower mine to the bottom setting to tow the box trailer in my avatar, without the front pair locking up even under very gentle braking.

Roger.

[Michelle]

theres height adjustment? Oh are you talking original LR issues or other? I have a 'hayman reece' towbar on mine. Reminds me my rear shockers are a bit sooky, drops a bit with a load.

[sixpack]

many thanks for the replies folks,
even with the caravan on the disco and loaded correctly and with a nose weight of around 85-90,the caravan does not sit level at all & when the back of the disco gets some weight in it,the jockey wheel & the cables are too close for comfort to the road.


either today or tomorrow i`m going tolift the towball up to the centre holes on the plate and hopefully it`ll make all the differnce


cheers for now

ps..great site & always helpful

[dazzerboy]

many thanks for the replies folks,
even with the caravan on the disco and loaded correctly and with a nose weight of around 85-90,the caravan does not sit level at all & when the back of the disco gets some weight in it,the jockey wheel & the cables are too close for comfort to the road.


either today or tomorrow i`m going tolift the towball up to the centre holes on the plate and hopefully it`ll make all the differnce


cheers for now

ps..great site & always helpful


get your self a td5 with air suspension that will solve your problem :D

[Roger Whittle]

get your self a td5 with air suspension that will solve your problem :D

Until the air supply pump packs up. :( Two hundred and ninety-seven quid. But you are right, the SLS makes towing easier.

Roger.

[TEMPL4R]

The setup needs to be level when in its normal running load. I used to slightly drop the nose of my RAC Trailer to allow for the car being put on.

Chris

[Roger Whittle]

The setup needs to be level when in its normal running load. I used to slightly drop the nose of my RAC Trailer to allow for the car being put on.

Chris

Good point Chris, yes you're right, but I was thinking more of a good 'rule of thumb' starting point. I don't know what he's towing. By the way, I was working on a huge trailer we got cheap for the Tonka toy today. Some animal has not only cut through the pull rod to the o/s rear brake unit - because the actuator was siezed - but taken an angle grinder to the appropriate lug on the swingle tree.:eek: Back to the workshop.

Roger.

[Plynlimon]

Reminds me my rear shockers are a bit sooky, drops a bit with a load.

If it drops too much with a load then it aint the shocks (they only control the bounce) unless you are running Gas assisted. Bilstein used to recommend replacing any road springs at about 120,000 miles and the shocks at 60,000 as they do loose their bounce after a while (learnt that on a technicians training course run by the AA some years ago)
You can get load assisters that slip inside the springs....but they DO limit the off-road potential...less axle travel

[nosmoke]

Hi
Secound set of holes from bottom works for me.
I have got a 2004 landmark discovery with air suspension, towball was originally fitted to bottom holes of landrover original towbar but this made it dificult to attatch twin axle horse box to because the height of the trailer hitch was about half inch above towball when the jockey wheel was released. I have towed various trailers and caravans with this setting.

[Cabbie]

I thought the general rule was that the top of the towball should be 16 inches from the ground.