Forum Discussion

tewitt1949's avatar
tewitt1949
Explorer II
Sep 16, 2018

2 sway bars on a pull behind trailer

I've got a 32 foot trailer and I get real tired every time a bigger vehicle passes me my trailer sways back and forth.

Just wondering, other than price to buy it, is there anything negative about putting 2 sway bars on my hitch? One on each side.
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    What you need is a lot more tongue weight. If your 8,500 pounds empty you're probably close to 9,500 loaded. You should have at least 10% if not 15% tongue weight. You've only got 8% if your tongue weight is truly 800 pounds. I'm not surprised it is swaying a lot. Can you move some weight forward? Where is your water tank; in front or behind your axles? If it's in front towing with it full would help. Try putting all your heaviest gear in the forward compartments.
    Are you using a WDH? It may be set too tight and not letting enough of the tongue weight press down on the truck's hitch. With a modern truck like that I would bet you might even be better off without a WDH if that's all the TW you've got.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    If your hitch head does not have a wing on the top on both sides where the little ball fits, you are going to have to get a new hitch head so you can get a friction bar on both sides. You'll also have to add the second ball mounted to the trailer frame on the opposite side. Then, you'll have to find a left sided sway bar, as everything will be turned opposite from the right side set up. By the time you purchase a new hitch head, install all the parts for the second sway bar, and re-install your hitch ball, you'll be much better off to just toss the entire system and purchase a new weight distribution system that is much simpler and does it all. Systems like the 4 point Equal-i-zer and the Reese Dual Cam systems come to mind immediately.

    Now, if your hitch head already has the second wing with the hole for the ball, then adding a second friction bar should be pretty simple, but you'll still need to mount the left side ball on the trailer A-frame.

    More info, click here.
  • Mickeyfan0805's avatar
    Mickeyfan0805
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    tewitt1949 wrote:
    I think the tongue weight is 800 lbs.


    The 'I think' in this sentence suggests, to me, that you are basing your tongue weight on the 'dry' data of the trailer - which is a useless number. IF this is where you are getting the number, then your tongue is NOT 800 pounds, it is higher than that. It may be too low, it may not be - you won't know without going to the scale to weight it. As others have said, your tongue weight should be in the 12-15% range of your total trailer weight. But, I would not start trying to redistribute the load to the tongue without knowing what the real weight is.

    Also, just confirming that you are actually talking about sway. I, too, get pushed by large rigs (there's really little way to avoid that with a large trailer in tow and big rigs flying by), but I get pushed as a single unit - trailer and truck together in line. That is different than sway, where the 'tail wags the dog,' which I don't experience at all. If it is, in fact, sway, check your weights to make sure you are in ratings and then, if you are, begin working with more/better sway control as a solution.

    All I am suggesting is that you make sure you aren't masking a problem with your set-up with more sway control. Make sure everything is in line on weights and capacities and THEN use better sway control to tune it in.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 16, 2018
    DutchmenSport wrote:
    If your hitch head does not have a wing on the top on both sides where the little ball fits, you are going to have to get a new hitch head so you can get a friction bar on both sides. You'll also have to add the second ball mounted to the trailer frame on the opposite side. Then, you'll have to find a left sided sway bar, as everything will be turned opposite from the right side set up. By the time you purchase a new hitch head, install all the parts for the second sway bar, and re-install your hitch ball, you'll be much better off to just toss the entire system and purchase a new weight distribution system that is much simpler and does it all. Systems like the 4 point Equal-i-zer and the Reese Dual Cam systems come to mind immediately.

    Now, if your hitch head already has the second wing with the hole for the ball, then adding a second friction bar should be pretty simple, but you'll still need to mount the left side ball on the trailer A-frame.

    More info, click here.


    X2. If you udecide to start form scratch (my suggestion) then the Dual Cam is a drastic improvement over frictin hitches.
    (Some simply don't understand how this system works - ignore them)
  • LarryJM's avatar
    LarryJM
    Explorer II
    Sep 16, 2018
    ScottG wrote:
    You would be better off making some adjustments to try and reduce the effect. More spring rate or more weight at front of trailer.
    Also, a better hitch like the Reese Dual Cam with active sway control will both resist sway and push the combination back in line.
    There are other brands that offer active sway control but I've not used them.


    It appears you really do not understand these sway systems since the Reese DOES NOT RESIST SWAY and DOES NOT PUSH the combination back in line nor is it what could be called "ACTIVE SWAY CONTROL". The friction type sway bar sytems and the Reese and Equal-i-zer all are "FRICTION TYPE" sway systems .... they just perform the same function in slightly different ways.

    Larry
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 16, 2018
    LarryJM wrote:
    ScottG wrote:
    You would be better off making some adjustments to try and reduce the effect. More spring rate or more weight at front of trailer.
    Also, a better hitch like the Reese Dual Cam with active sway control will both resist sway and push the combination back in line.
    There are other brands that offer active sway control but I've not used them.


    It appears you really do not understand these sway systems since the Reese DOES NOT RESIST SWAY and DOES NOT PUSH the combination back in line nor is it what could be called "ACTIVE SWAY CONTROL". The friction type sway bar sytems and the Reese and Equal-i-zer all are "FRICTION TYPE" sway systems .... they just perform the same function in slightly different ways.

    Larry


    No Larry, it's you that doesn't understand and I've seen you argue this way in the past.
    In Reese's own literature it explains that friction plays no part in its function. And it IS active. The more sideways the trailer gets, the stronger the spring bar pushes back because the cam is climbing the bar and making it stiffer. Friction doesn't limit movement like on the system your familiar with. In fact, you can lubricate every part of it without having any impact on its function.
    But this has already been explained in detail to you but you either refuse to learn or simply cannot understand it. If you had the system you would probably understand it better.

    But for now, you and I and Reese will just have to have different opinions.
  • Terryallan's avatar
    Terryallan
    Explorer II
    Sep 16, 2018
    tewitt1949 wrote:
    I should have mentioned I have a 2018 Chevy 2500hd duromax. The sway problem didn't just start with this truck. I've been pulling the trailer since 96 when new. I think the tongue weight is 800 lbs. I always have put max pressure (80 lb) in all 8 tires on the truck and trailer and that does help a lot. The last time I pulled (a couple weeks ago) I did tighten the pressure on the sway bar (tighter) and that did help and took a lot of sway out of it. It don't go back and forth while just driving, but wiggles a little when big rigs pass and some other vehicles. My trailer weighs 8500 empty. I know tongue weight is important. The reason I'm thinking 2 bars would be better is after tightening the one sway bar did help quite a bit and now seems to be more stable, I assume 2 bars would would be even better. It would put even pressure on each side of the tongue and not excessive pressure on just one side. Maybe the whole problem is I just didn't have enough swaybar pressure all along. When it sways or wiggles it makes for a white knuckle drive.


    Yep. you need more tongue weight. Always remember. FIX the sway problem. And then, and only then do you add sway control. sway control is not designed to allow you to drive down the road normally. It is for those times that sway is induced by jerking the steering wheel, or some other emergency.
  • Huntindog's avatar
    Huntindog
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    DutchmenSport wrote:
    If your hitch head does not have a wing on the top on both sides where the little ball fits, you are going to have to get a new hitch head so you can get a friction bar on both sides. You'll also have to add the second ball mounted to the trailer frame on the opposite side. Then, you'll have to find a left sided sway bar, as everything will be turned opposite from the right side set up. By the time you purchase a new hitch head, install all the parts for the second sway bar, and re-install your hitch ball, you'll be much better off to just toss the entire system and purchase a new weight distribution system that is much simpler and does it all. Systems like the 4 point Equal-i-zer and the Reese Dual Cam systems come to mind immediately.

    Now, if your hitch head already has the second wing with the hole for the ball, then adding a second friction bar should be pretty simple, but you'll still need to mount the left side ball on the trailer A-frame.

    More info, click here.
    The wing can be easily welded to the hitch head.
    You do not "need" a left handed sway bar.
    You can just slide the bar out of the pad side, flip it over and reassemble The print on the side will be upside down... But it will work just fine.
    very time I have purchased a sway control, it has come with the little ball for the A frame, and the bolts needed.
    A very simple install.

    Been there, done that, and bought the T shirt.
  • Huntindog's avatar
    Huntindog
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    ScottG wrote:
    LarryJM wrote:
    ScottG wrote:
    You would be better off making some adjustments to try and reduce the effect. More spring rate or more weight at front of trailer.
    Also, a better hitch like the Reese Dual Cam with active sway control will both resist sway and push the combination back in line.
    There are other brands that offer active sway control but I've not used them.


    It appears you really do not understand these sway systems since the Reese DOES NOT RESIST SWAY and DOES NOT PUSH the combination back in line nor is it what could be called "ACTIVE SWAY CONTROL". The friction type sway bar sytems and the Reese and Equal-i-zer all are "FRICTION TYPE" sway systems .... they just perform the same function in slightly different ways.

    Larry


    No Larry, it's you that doesn't understand and I've seen you argue this way in the past.
    In Reese's own literature it explains that friction plays no part in its function. And it IS active. The more sideways the trailer gets, the stronger the spring bar pushes back because the cam is climbing the bar and making it stiffer. Friction doesn't limit movement like on the system your familiar with. In fact, you can lubricate every part of it without having any impact on its function.
    But this has already been explained in detail to you but you either refuse to learn or simply cannot understand it. If you had the system you would probably understand it better.

    But for now, you and I and Reese will just have to have different opinions.
    Some years back, Ron Gratz did the calculations. The cams really did not add a lot to what is a friction based system.
    In fact, Ron did the calculations for all three hitches and they were very close as to their anti sway measurements.

    My own experience bears this out. I started with a single, then a dual friction sway control. I now am on my third Equalizer.
    IMO, a dual sway control works just as well as the EQUALIZER, just as Rons calculations said it should. Now there are some other reasons why one may want to go away from a friction sway bar to an integrated friction control, but performance shouldn't be one of them.

    If you really believe that the cams are strong enough to force the tt into a straight line.... Then you better not tow on a muddy road, or in any adverse conditions at all.... That would not be a good situation.

    Facts are, there is no issues with towing with a DC under those conditions,,,,So the cams cannot be as strong as you believe.
  • jerem0621's avatar
    jerem0621
    Explorer II
    Sep 16, 2018
    Huntindog wrote:
    ScottG wrote:
    LarryJM wrote:
    ScottG wrote:
    You would be better off making some adjustments to try and reduce the effect. More spring rate or more weight at front of trailer.
    Also, a better hitch like the Reese Dual Cam with active sway control will both resist sway and push the combination back in line.
    There are other brands that offer active sway control but I've not used them.


    It appears you really do not understand these sway systems since the Reese DOES NOT RESIST SWAY and DOES NOT PUSH the combination back in line nor is it what could be called "ACTIVE SWAY CONTROL". The friction type sway bar sytems and the Reese and Equal-i-zer all are "FRICTION TYPE" sway systems .... they just perform the same function in slightly different ways.

    Larry


    No Larry, it's you that doesn't understand and I've seen you argue this way in the past.
    In Reese's own literature it explains that friction plays no part in its function. And it IS active. The more sideways the trailer gets, the stronger the spring bar pushes back because the cam is climbing the bar and making it stiffer. Friction doesn't limit movement like on the system your familiar with. In fact, you can lubricate every part of it without having any impact on its function.
    But this has already been explained in detail to you but you either refuse to learn or simply cannot understand it. If you had the system you would probably understand it better.

    But for now, you and I and Reese will just have to have different opinions.
    Some years back, Ron Gratz did the calculations. The cams really did not add a lot to what is a friction based system.
    In fact, Ron did the calculations for all three hitches and they were very close as to their anti sway measurements.

    My own experience bears this out. I started with a single, then a dual friction sway control. I now am on my third Equalizer.
    IMO, a dual sway control works just as well as the EQUALIZER, just as Rons calculations said it should. Now there are some other reasons why one may want to go away from a friction sway bar to an integrated friction control, but performance shouldn't be one of them.

    If you really believe that the cams are strong enough to force the tt into a straight line.... Then you better not tow on a muddy road, or in any adverse conditions at all.... That would not be a good situation.

    Facts are, there is no issues with towing with a DC under those conditions,,,,So the cams cannot be as strong as you believe.


    Yep, I have use DC and dual friction bars and there was ZERO difference once both were dialed in. Both were very comfy tows.

    DC seems to break when they get in a bind though. One reason I like friction bars. If i break a sway bar its cheap to replace (I usually have a spare anyway)

    One negative about the DC sway control is that if the spring bars are a lighter weight bar (600 or 800) then the bars themselves are narrower than the cam's and can move side to side allowing some of that wiggle people get twitchy about when towing.

    Dual friction bars don't care about the weight distribution part, they are independent. I used 1 bar with my PUP and 2 with my TT. Both combos were locked in solid with the TV's and were very comfortable and relaxing tows.

    This is another reason I like my TV's to be able to handle the tongue weight 100% without weight distribution. I carry a back up stinger in case my weight distribution hitch breaks (it happens) and having a regular draw bar can let you continue towing without the WD hitch and still be safe. Oh, you can add the sway bar mounts to the regular draw bar so now I still have my sway control even if I lose my WD. Being stuck at the campground with no way to tow is not a good feeling.

    OP.. Please weigh your rig and KNOW what you are looking at. Too light of a tongue weight will make things sketchy too.

    1,000 plus posts on how to weigh your rig, please search. and then post back with your actual weights, that will help a bunch.

    Sway control should be something added AFTER dialing in the combo (truck, trailer, and hitch) . it is insurance and should not be used as a band-aid.

    All the second bar did for my combo is take the little bit of wiggle out from passing vehicles. My truck, trailer, and hitch were dialed in. The sway bars were just the icing on the cake.

    Thanks!

    Jeremiah

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