sway control requirements

Will a gun work without a safety on it? Yes,BUT....Think about it!!

It will always tow better with a weight distributing hitch. I wouldn't think it would be wise to tow w/o a sway-'trol of some kind too.

Lynnmor wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Sway "yes". About WD? Well... here's an experiment you can try. Get 600 pounds of bagged sand, or gravel, or water softener salt, or even 600 pounds of bricks or blocks.

I can almost assure you though, your headlight beam will be up in the trees!

For weight, here is a better idea: Weight

Yes, those trucks sag quite a bit.

Not at all Lynn! Bridesmaids mean wedding and wedding means money, lots of it.
I have a 20's something Daughter. She is bringing her special Beau over for Thanksgiving and they are going to Boston to his folks over Christmas. I can almost hear the bells ringing. :W

To the OP,
I have an 03 F250 crew cab 4 wd. With 520 lbs of tongue weight I've hauled my trailer without a WDH and it is like one piece of rolling stock. There isn't a big sag situation. Now, I have an e-qual-izer hitch to get the small bit of weight back onto the front axles.
My '03 has the same suspension as a 1 ton of that year. Headlights are not pointed at the sky but are raised.

DutchmenSport wrote:
Sway "yes". About WD? Well... here's an experiment you can try. Get 600 pounds of bagged sand, or gravel, or water softener salt, or even 600 pounds of bricks or blocks.

I can almost assure you though, your headlight beam will be up in the trees!

For weight, here is a better idea: Weight

Yes, those trucks sag quite a bit.

You'll be close on WD. I bought a Reese HP trunion style with 800 lb bars for our 700 lb advertised, probably by now 850-900 lb. tongue weight TT for no other reason than to satisfy the 650/1250 lb rating of the hitch receiver on our F250. Tongue weight sits the rear of the truck down 2". WD bars bring it back up 1". Front doesn't change unloaded, loaded with or without the spring bars. Tows like a champ. The bars have integrated cams in case I ever decide I want to add sway control. Not a recommendation. Just what I'm happy with.

How do you know the actual tw is 600# ?

Suppose its 700-750# once you load up the TT ?
Might that not change things regarding WD ?

Sway "yes". About WD? Well... here's an experiment you can try. Get 600 pounds of bagged sand, or gravel, or water softener salt, or even 600 pounds of bricks or blocks. Lay all that weight on the tail gate of the truck. Now .... go for a drive? What do you think will happen to your steering control, rear end suspension, and control of the vehicle. Try it. If the truck rides stable, no squat in the rear, and you still have good steering control, then you probably do not need WD. Think about that example.

I can almost assure you though, your headlight beam will be up in the trees!

under perfect towing conditions no, but when that not so perfect time comes along you don't want your trailer going one way and you going another.......so yes on both.