cross winds?
I have a Husky Friction Sway Control and while driving in a cross wind (not strong enough to stop) is it better to tighten the friction bar or loosen it to try to reduce the effect of the wind on the driving vehicle?
thanks
thanks
Forum Discussion
mkirsch wrote:
I thought friction sway controls were not to be "adjusted." They are either on or off. Crank them down or release them, no in between
You are partially correct. The friction controls handle is supposed to be used as an On/off device and not to control how much fricion is generated by the control. You are supposed to tighten it as far as it goes every time so you can be consistent in your settings.
The adjustment for the control is done with the small bolt located below the long handle. This should be turned in 1/4 turn adjustments until the desired control is achieved. Of course, this is usually a one time event and you do not change it for different conditions.
About the only time you would want to change the friction setting with this bolt is when you tow a different trailer that may be lighter or heavier than the one you initially adjusted it for.
About the only time you would change the handle location is during slippery conditions in which case you may want to loosen it all the way (snow,ice,rain,sand,etc). This is done so the truck will turn as intended and not just try to stay straight in a turn. I say "may" because in the many years that I used one, I never loosened it at all even when towing in snow. Never had a problem doing that but admit it is contrary to the printed instructions.
Barney- I thought friction sway controls were not to be "adjusted." They are either on or off. Crank them down or release them, no in between
- I just adjust my friction sway control for regular driving and dealing with passing trucks, etc.
When side/crossing wind becomes an issue the best measure is to slow down. This gives you more time to react and adjust when hit with a gust than at higher speeds. - Tongue weight is the key IMO. What percent of TW do you have?
- In theory tighter would be better as it will provide more resistance from sway but that assumes it's within the ability of the device. Locking it down super tight may cause other issues.
Far better is to have a rig that doesn't sway and that's mostly about getting a decent amount of hitch weight (ideally around 15%) on a truck that can handle it. - Tighten
- I don’t change mine for wind.
