sway bar instructions

ssthrd wrote:

TurnThePage wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

TurnThePage wrote:


Me thinks that the mentioned issue/condition is strictly for the add-on friction sway bars and has nothing to do with all those popular and expensive hitches with anti-sway built in.

The condition is that sway mechanisms keep the truck and trailer in line. When the tire traction is not great enough to overcome the resistance of the sway mechanism, skidding when turning will result. It does not matter what brand, style or price point is involved.

Strictly speaking, I can't argue. I just don't think it's a thing with those "expensive" hitches, while there are various warnings when using the add-on anti-sway bar.

This is confusing-at least in my mind.....

I have an Equal-I-zer with 4 point sway control which uses friction at 4 points to address any sway issues. I do not understand how the effect of the systems are different. In other words, how can one system using friction be safe in slippery conditions, and another not? Since they both work to keep the trailer and the truck in line using the same principle, how can they be different?

An email from Equal-I-zer tells me that it is not an issue, but they gave no explanation about how their system works in any conditions, while others are not safe and should be removed.

Physics was always one of my best subjects, but I can't get my head around this one. Any engineers out there that can shed some light on this for me?

IMO the issue and difference between what we are calling the "Friction Bar" system and all the other integrated WDH/Sway systems is that the "Friction" system using common brake pad material clamped on each side against a metal bar. This system has a much higher coefficient of friction inititally plus when wet can basically "stick or grab" at times. While all the metal on metal systems might have a higher initial coefficient of friction it's not near as high as with the brake pad to metal situation in the "Friction" type systems. This issue is also again IMO why one has to be very careful or even remove/loosen the "Friction" system when backing since the extreme inital angles that can occur when starting to back up can be much more stressful on the Friction system than others non brake pad based systems. This is really critical when the trailer and TV are at an large angle where the bar is already pulled out and you suddenly have the TV wheels turned all the way in the other direction which will force the bar back into the stationary part of the system and start backing up too quickly. This "extreme" condition can actually "BEND" the metal slide bar.

All the above is admittedly just my opinion based on over 30 years of using a "Friction" type system and actually wearing as system out (i.e. one side of the brake material was worn down to where the side bar was making metal to metal contact where the brake material used to be)

Larry