Blue Ox Swaypro how many links?

Blue OX has changed their instructions since I purchased our hitch a month ago. Originally they had you put the 9th link from the end (counting from the green end to the bar end) into the slot to start with then go to the 10th or 11th link if needed. Now they want 3 full links showing between the bar and the latch to start with which is the same as the 9 link from the bar. Mine works best in the 11th link. This is with their 2,000# TW rated Hitch with the 2-1/2" shank. My TH tongue weight is north of 1,600#'s dry Hitch weight. 104 gallons of fresh water, batteries, and LP adds to that but 40 gallons of fuel and a Polaris RzR parked forward in the rear offsets much of that so the difference loaded or dry is similiar. To date, we have not experienced any sway issues.

I tend to go with 9 free links with the 10th link in the chain saddle. I show 2 1/2 links between the spring bar and the bottom of the rotating bracket. The spring bars are slightly above parallel to the frame. This seems to give me the best ride. However being this tight accelerates the wear on the u-bolts connecting the chain to the bar. I ordered replacement u-bolts from etrailers and will be replacing the old ones next week sometime.
I have never felt comfortable using the supplied wrench. Almost skinned my knuckles using it. I use an 18" breaker bar for more leverage and a better grip.
I always raise the bottom of the coupler to 25" above ground level to relieve the tension on the bars. Fewer surprises that way. Often times the tension is so low that I can practically rotate the bracket by hand.
I am happy with my Sway-pro.

I have 1000 lbs spring bars with my BXW1000 Blue Ox hitch system. I have 3 1/2 links showing from the spring bar to the rotary latch. I had it at 4 1/2 and pulled better with 3 1/2.

Not only is the correct tension needed for proper weight distribution but also for proper sway control as the bars need enough tension for them to do their job combating sway.

BTW, to get 3 1/2 links shown, that's 8 links from the end of the chain to the slot (above slot, not into the slot) in the rotary latch.

What I have now at 3 1/2 links.


4 1/2 links shown is 7 links from the end of the chain to the slot (above slot, not into the slot) in the rotary latch.

What I had previously at 4 1/2 links.


I have a 2016 Ford F150 Super Crew, 4WD, 145" WB and a Jayco Jay Flight 26BH (29' long) loaded around 6500 lbs.

Pic below in signature was with 4 1/2 links showing. Have readjusted to 3 1/2 links now as stated.

Blue Ox directions state to start at 3 1/2 links showing

You need to jack up your tongue enough to get the tension off of the spring bars before engaging and before disengaging (Direction Step 10A). That way you won't injure your hands. Also place your hands on the wrench in the correct areas and you won't hit your hands on anything.

I previously had a Reese Strait-Line (HP Dual Cam system) system with 1200 lbs spring bars on my 2012 F150. That truck had a softer suspension and the heavier bars worked well. The new 2016 F150's stiffer suspension didn't work with the 1200 lbs spring bars and couldn't get it adjusted without the cam bracket being rubbed by the spring bar. Since this system doesn't offer 1000 lbs. spring bars, I was forced to a different system. I chose the new generation Blue Ox Sway Pro and glad I did. This system is so much better than the Reese Strait-Line in every conceivable way.

My water tank is in the front of the trailer so I do 10 links with a full tank of water and 9 with no water.

2016 Ford F250 SC 6.2L pulling a 2016 Laredo 331BH 10K GVW.

Fought sway for a year with the Blue Ox. Set the chains 9,10 and 11. Whatever sway control you have today is the best you will get. We reset the hitch, worked with Blue Ox etc. Never got it to settle.
In the end I went back to an Equalizer, so much better.

AS far the hooking and un-hooking, raise the truck and trailer as far as you can, grab the blue ox supplied handle and through that as far as you can in the weeds, go and purchase a 1" socket with a 24" breaker bar. Going with a breaker bar will allow so much more control.

73guna wrote:

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Raise enough with the jack and chains can be latched/unlatched with your fingers. No pressure, no danger.

LOL.
Ive nearly had my back tires ready to come off the ground and it was still hard to turn.
Because of the danger of the twist latches Ill probably end up going back to Equalizer.
Ive been smacked a few times unlatching even with a breaker bar.

If you use a ratchet instead of a breaker bar, it will "release" by rotating through the ratchet action. Doing it this way, it is impossible for it to hurt you. The sudden noise of it releasing may scare the daylights out of your dog though !

Lifting the truck higher definitely helps with removing the bars. If I lift the truck to the point where the tires are almost of the ground then I can latch and unlatch by hand alone. As you use more links you remove some of the flex out of the bars which can help tighten up the sway control. According to Blue Ox you can use as many links as you need for a comfortable level ride.

However, the side effect of using more links is that you end up transferring weight to the front axle and back to the trailer's axle. This can compromise handling and actually induce sway if too many links are used for a particular setup.

With that said, on my particular setup I experimented by using every single link I could possibly use. I didn't experience any handling or sway issues. The combo became really solid, but the ride became quite harsh on rough roads though.

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Raise enough with the jack and chains can be latched/unlatched with your fingers. No pressure, no danger.

LOL.
Ive nearly had my back tires ready to come off the ground and it was still hard to turn.
Because of the danger of the twist latches Ill probably end up going back to Equalizer.
Ive been smacked a few times unlatching even with a breaker bar.

I run 10-11 links, Depending on how heavily I'm loaded. I can raise the back of the truck high enough to get 10 off without a spring. 11 links still has some tension on the bars and eats up all of the 3" inches of bar deflection, but it places all but 80lbs back to the front axle.

10th link = 9 links flapping in the breeze.