Weight distribution hitches
Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb: published ratings and specifications
The deep drop version of the same cone design, for a lifted truck or a trailer whose coupler sits well below the receiver. An 8 inch drop is a lot of leverage, so this is also the version where getting the trailer level actually matters.
This page carries only what Andersen Hitches publishes for this part. Where a figure is not published we leave it out rather than estimating it, because a reader comparing two pieces of towing hardware on a table cannot tell a published rating from a guess and should never have to.
What does Andersen Hitches publish for the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb?
Andersen Hitches publishes 5 figures for the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb, including a gross trailer weight rating of 14,000 lb.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Specification | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Gross trailer weight rating | 14,000 lb |
| Receiver size | 2 |
| Drop | 8 in |
| Ball diameter | 2-5/16 |
| Sway control | Friction cone, integrated |
Taken from the manufacturer listing. Anything the maker does not publish is absent here rather than estimated.
What the manufacturer says about it
- 8-INCH DROP FOR LIFTED TRUCKS PULLING HEAVIER TRAILERS: Combines the extended drop needed for lifted tow vehicles with a 2-5/16" ball rated for 14,000 lbs GTWR, built for serious towing applications.
- FLEXIBLE BRACKET SIZES FOR ANY TRUCK AND TRAILER COMBO: Choose from 3", 4", 5", or 6" brackets to achieve the precise head angle needed for optimal weight distribution on your specific setup.
- TENSION CHAIN SYSTEM EASIER THAN SPRING BARS: Andersen's tension chains set up faster, adjust more easily, and require less effort than heavy traditional spring bar weight distribution systems.
- FRICTION CONE PROVIDES ACTIVE SWAY CONTROL: Integrated into the ball housing, the friction cone works alongside the tension chains to dampen sway and absorb bounce for safer towing.
- MADE IN THE USA BY ANDERSEN HITCHES: American-built from quality materials for durability and reliability on every haul, backed by Andersen's reputation for premium towing products.
Quoted from the manufacturer's own listing and kept as a citable source rather than paraphrased into a specification we could not attribute.
How it compares on published ratings
The nearest alternatives in the same category, compared on the same figures. A blank cell is a figure that maker does not publish.
| Published rating | Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb | Blue Ox BXW2000 SwayPro Weight Distributing Hitch, 20,000 lb | Blue Ox BXW1500 SwayPro Weight Distributing Hitch, 15,000 lb | Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 4 inch drop or rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $809.98 | $809.59 | $823.65 | $789.98 |
| Gross trailer weight rating | 14,000 lb | 20,000 lb | 15,000 lb | not published |
| Tongue weight rating | not published | 2,000 lb | 1,500 lb | not published |
| Receiver size | 2 | 2-1/2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ball diameter | 2-5/16 | not published | not published | not published |
| Drop | 8 in | not published | not published | 4 in |
| Rise | not published | not published | not published | 4 in |
| Sway control | Friction cone, integrated | Positive latching, geometry based | Positive latching, geometry based | Friction cone, integrated |
Every figure here is the manufacturer's own published rating. A blank is a figure the maker does not publish, and we leave it blank rather than estimating it. The rating stamped on the part you actually receive is what governs.
Before you rely on any of these numbers
A published rating is the maximum the maker will stand behind for that part in isolation. The assembled hitch is limited by its lowest rated component, so a receiver, a shank, a ball mount, a ball and a pin each carry their own figure and the smallest of them is your real limit.
And none of them raises anything on your vehicle. Your payload, GVWR, GCWR and axle ratings come off your own door jamb sticker and owner manual, and no part on this page changes a single one of them.
Frequently asked questions
What are the published ratings for the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb?
Andersen Hitches publishes gross trailer weight rating of 14,000 lb, receiver size of 2, drop of 8 in, and more in the table above. Every figure on this page comes from the manufacturer's own listing. The rating stamped or labelled on the part you actually receive is the one that governs.
Is the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 8 inch drop, 2-5/16 inch ball, 14,000 lb rating the same as what my vehicle can handle?
No. A part rating and a vehicle rating are completely separate things. This part will carry what its maker says it will carry, and your vehicle will carry what the sticker in your door jamb says. The lower of the two governs, and on most vehicles it is the vehicle. Work your payload sum before you choose hardware.
What limits an assembled hitch?
Whichever component is lowest rated. The receiver, the shank, the ball mount, the ball and the hitch pin each carry an individual rating, and the assembly is limited by the smallest of them. A class V receiver fitted with a 5,000 lb ball mount is a 5,000 lb hitch, not a 17,000 lb one, and the same logic applies to every part in the chain.
Why are some specification cells blank on the comparison?
Because that manufacturer does not publish that figure. We leave it blank rather than estimating it, inferring it from a similar model, or copying it from a retailer listing that may have invented it. On a site about load ratings, a plausible looking number in a specification table is more dangerous than an honest gap.
Where do these figures come from?
From Andersen Hitches's own product listing, pulled programmatically rather than retyped, which is how the price and image on this page stay current too. We do not test towing hardware in person and we never claim to. Nothing here is a measurement we took, and everything here is a figure the maker published.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published standards, manufacturer towing guides and product specifications, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are towing convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Nothing here overrides your own ratings. Work your payload sum before your tow rating, because payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV. Load a conventional trailer to 10 to 15 percent tongue weight and a fifth wheel to 15 to 25 percent pin weight, and never lighter: a tail heavy trailer is what starts sway. Weigh the rig loaded rather than trusting a brochure dry weight. A weight distribution hitch and a set of air bags both restore ride height and control, and neither one raises a single rating. Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies by state, and a breakaway battery that has quietly gone flat is the normal condition of most trailers on the road.