B&W Hitch Installation

[jd4010]

Greetings. Have a 2004 F350 long bed, crew cab dually and just got done installing the B&W hitch system. I'm no engineer....but I'm trying to figure out how this thing can haul 30,000lbs the way it is installed.

For those of you who know the installation on a SuperDuty, it is basically held on by a single 3/4" bolt on each side plate and 2 clamp like devices. I'm trying my best to figure out how a 3/4" bolt that goes thru a slotted opening in the frame is going to hold that hitch from moving back and forth some. I understand that the clamp are used to hold the hitch rails down onto the frame but cannot see there value for pulling loads.

Maybe I'm paranoid....but personally I'd rather see these side plates just a few more inches longer so a second bolt on each side plate can be secured to the frame.

So....am I paranoid? For those of you who have these in this configuration, help put my mind at ease please!

[Drew_Haas]

We've installed a bunch around here and hauled some heavy azz loads.. 8000 lb anderson goose neck with a john deere combine behind a ext cab duramax dually.

[jbeasts10]

I use to install them for a living..NEVER had any troubles out of them..I have porb installed atleast 300.

[jd4010]

So far...sounds good and I'm getting a better feeling about it. But just out of curiosity, all the pulling stress on the hitch system is transferred to where? That 3/4" bolt on each side plate? Or does the clamps perform a function as well other than holding the rails to the frame?

I realize this may sound silly...and trust me...I'm fairly mechanically solid. But I understand, for example, a regular drawbar hitch system usually has 3 bolts on each side that bolt it to the frame and the force of the pull/push is then equally distributed to each bolt. On this system, I'm trying to grasp how it all works. Yes...inquiring minds want to know.

[jbeasts10]

A regular hitch..for the most part is installed with the bolts pulling downward..therefor relying on the lower channel strength of the frame.most of the gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitch bolts are mounted horizontal..therefor you have more area to conform with.