Dual cam VS Equalizer...I have both

VintageRacer wrote:
The dual cam is an active sway control system that uses the increased pressure of the arm to actively force the trailer to stay straight. Friction has nothing to do with it.---

The DC works by generating a friction force between the cam and the bar. The maximum friction force is produced by static friction when there is no relative movement between cam and bar. The cam does not need to move out of the pocket to produce a sway-resisting force.

The cam will move away from its centered position by about 0.1" per degree of relative yaw angle.

A WD bar will deflect about 4" when subjected to an upward force equal to its rating. An 800# bar will have a spring constant of about 200#/inch. A 1200# bar will have a spring constant of about 300#/inch.

The amount of load transfer is directly proportional to the upward force applied to the rear ends of the WD bars. You can apply 1000# of force to an 800# bar, you can apply 1000# of force to a 1000# bar, or you can apply 1000# of force to a 1200# bar. The amount of load transferred will be the same.

For a large sway angle of, say, 5 degrees, a cam will move about 0.5" longitudinally and, due to the slope of the bar, will lift the bar about 0.25". The added upward force on the bar will be equal to 0.25" times the spring constant. For an 800# bar with a base load of 1000#, the force will increase by 0.25"x200#/inch = 50#. The upward force will increase from 1000# to about 1050#. For a 1200# bar with a base load of 1000#, the force will increase from 1000# to about 1075#.

The sway-control effectiveness is determined almost entirely by the base force applied to the WD bars. `The additional force due to lifting of the bar by the cam and due to differences in bar stiffness is negligible.
IOW, friction has everything to do with it.

Ron