sway control needed?

jerem0621 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Y'all do know that a sway bar does NOT prevent sway, only helps control it AFTER it starts. Best way to prevent sway is as mentioned above. Get your trailer, and hitch setup correctly. A properly setup TT will NOT sway. The friction sway control bar is only for those times when the driver has had to jerk the wheel, inducing sway by dodging an accident of some kind

Hey Terryallan,

I like friction sway bars best based on my experience. Equal-i-zer, E2, and similar are all friction based sway controls.. the friction points are just integrated into the hitch design.

I really do not like the term sway control for the exact reason you present in your response. I will take it even further and say that friction sway control (the sway bars or the integrated hitches) primarily function as tension points increasing the amount of tension between the hitch head and the coupler. Making the connection more rigid.

Basically they constrain the movement of the coupler on the ball and are effectively dampeners to side to side fishtailing.

They don't really control sway as much as they dampen movement.

For example... without friction sway and a standard WD hitch there is some 'wiggle' between the TV and the trailer.. when being passed you will feel two distinct pushes from the passing vehicles bow waves... one pushing the TT and the other pushing the TV

in my case, I added a single sway bar to my 31ft TT and 80% of this wiggle was taken out. I then added a second and 100% of the wiggle was taken out from passing cars. The trailer and the truck were pushed on as one.

The friction bars didn't "react" to the passing vehicles they held the trailer in line with the TV because the clamping force on the TWO sway bars was greater than the pushing force on the trailer from the vehicles bow wave.

The other friction hitches (Equal-i-zer, E2, etc) do the exact same thing. Their friction/clamping points are just different.

I like the fact that friction sway bars are replaceable and I am not wearing out my hitch by using it as a friction sway point.

Dual Cam is still a friction design, however, it has the added benefit of tension from the cams forcing the WD bars back into alignment... at least in theory...

The Pullrite hitch and the Hensley Hitch both resolve these problems by mechanically removing the ball from the equation as the pivot point.

Just my musing,

Jeremiah

I was going to post a new topic but since this touches on it I will ask opinions here, don't mean to hijack this thread.

I had a 23'HTT and recently stepped up to a 26' TT, I gained about 800lbs in trailer weight doing so. My TV is a newer Dodge Durango and
it does have a shorter wheelbase. I have an EZ lift WDH and friction sway control which worked perfect on the smaller TT. I do get a bit of sway on the new one, Ive put all the weight I can over the tongue to try to take that factor out of it. Should I upgrade to a different system like a Blue Ox or just add a 2nd friction bar? I have heard the cheaper WDH like I have are not meant for the longer TT's. I am most likely going to get a new SUV w/ a little longer wheelbase as well. Thoughts appreciated. Mike

Great! glad to hear it!

Set up correctly the Friction sway control does a very good job at making the tow relaxing and enjoyable.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Thanks to all for the good advice.
Towed about 4 1/2 hrs each way this weekend. Towed great with the friction control.
Love the new truck so far.

Airstreamer67 wrote:

I've heard this before, but I've never had the strength to get the two sway bars so tight that they kept the trailer from getting straight after a turn. I suppose with the use of a cheater pipe I could get them to cause problems, but I don't see any percentages in doing that.

Airstreamer,
It doesn't take much strength at all to bottom out the handle on the top of a friction sway bar and that is what you are supposed to do when using it. That top bar with the long handle is supposed to be just an on/off device and not for setting the tension on the bar.

The tension on the bar is set by the small bolt on the bottom of the bar and if it is too tight, it can prevent the trailer from easily coming back to center just as easily as it prevents it from going away from center (sway). It is not uncommon to have to correct a bit after a turn to make the trailer tow correctly if you have the sway bar set agressivly.
Barney

Terryallan wrote:
jerem0612. You are of course correct. Sway bars just dampen movement. However. IF you get them too tight. they will prevent the TT, and TV from completely straightening out after a turn. I have had them to keep the TV pulling to one side until I turn the other way. That is when you know it is too tight.

I've heard this before, but I've never had the strength to get the two sway bars so tight that they kept the trailer from getting straight after a turn. I suppose with the use of a cheater pipe I could get them to cause problems, but I don't see any percentages in doing that.

jerem0612. You are of course correct. Sway bars just dampen movement. However. IF you get them too tight. they will prevent the TT, and TV from completely straightening out after a turn. I have had them to keep the TV pulling to one side until I turn the other way. That is when you know it is too tight.

Terryallan wrote:
Y'all do know that a sway bar does NOT prevent sway, only helps control it AFTER it starts. Best way to prevent sway is as mentioned above. Get your trailer, and hitch setup correctly. A properly setup TT will NOT sway. The friction sway control bar is only for those times when the driver has had to jerk the wheel, inducing sway by dodging an accident of some kind

Hey Terryallan,

I like friction sway bars best based on my experience. Equal-i-zer, E2, and similar are all friction based sway controls.. the friction points are just integrated into the hitch design.

I really do not like the term sway control for the exact reason you present in your response. I will take it even further and say that friction sway control (the sway bars or the integrated hitches) primarily function as tension points increasing the amount of tension between the hitch head and the coupler. Making the connection more rigid.

Basically they constrain the movement of the coupler on the ball and are effectively dampeners to side to side fishtailing.

They don't really control sway as much as they dampen movement.

For example... without friction sway and a standard WD hitch there is some 'wiggle' between the TV and the trailer.. when being passed you will feel two distinct pushes from the passing vehicles bow waves... one pushing the TT and the other pushing the TV

in my case, I added a single sway bar to my 31ft TT and 80% of this wiggle was taken out. I then added a second and 100% of the wiggle was taken out from passing cars. The trailer and the truck were pushed on as one.

The friction bars didn't "react" to the passing vehicles they held the trailer in line with the TV because the clamping force on the TWO sway bars was greater than the pushing force on the trailer from the vehicles bow wave.

The other friction hitches (Equal-i-zer, E2, etc) do the exact same thing. Their friction/clamping points are just different.

I like the fact that friction sway bars are replaceable and I am not wearing out my hitch by using it as a friction sway point.

Dual Cam is still a friction design, however, it has the added benefit of tension from the cams forcing the WD bars back into alignment... at least in theory...

The Pullrite hitch and the Hensley Hitch both resolve these problems by mechanically removing the ball from the equation as the pivot point.

Just my musing,

Jeremiah

The electronic sway control helps the truck. For the trailer, you still need a sway control hitch.

As a reference, I have pulled many miles with a Reese Dual Cam Straightline hitch and never a bobble from a trailer.

Ken

Y'all do know that a sway bar does NOT prevent sway, only helps control it AFTER it starts. Best way to prevent sway is as mentioned above. Get your trailer, and hitch setup correctly. A properly setup TT will NOT sway. The friction sway control bar is only for those times when the driver has had to jerk the wheel, inducing sway by dodging an accident of some kind

The vehicle sway control systems are for those pucker or dirty underwear moments. I highly recommend a WDH with integrated sway control such that you'll never activate the vehicle sway control.