sway controll tips

perfect. thanks guys. this makes me feel way more confident and now I wont freak out when it groans at me hahaha

Jebby14 wrote:
forgive me all. im new to tts. somebody walk me through setting up a friction sway control setup. thanks

I believe I am using the same type of sway control that you are using.

Here is a thread on adjusting this sway control. The instructions can be pretty confusing. Read the first page and pay close attention to the second page and the drawing at the bottom of that page.

Adjusting sway control

I towed a 26' 6K lb trailer for 25 years using a single friction bar type sway bar and in fact actually wore one out after about 20 years use and close to 100K miles of towing. The friction material on one side had worn down to the point where the metal bar was hitting the metal on the thin end of the pad material.

I had to "adjust" mine more often than most folks post or think to get the amount of "sway control" I wanted. I probably had to have mine adjusted to the more "tight" side since I was at or just over the max recommended trailer size for a single sway bar. However, when I first started using one "AL's" Internet was only a dream and sites like this were many years away so I was totally on my own.

I always checked mine when I first got on the road and to my knowledge that is the only way to do it. Here is how I checked mine. I would get to a section of interstate (you need two lanes to do this for safety and space requirements) where no one was behind me. I would move to the center of the two lanes and at around 50mph (faster is not needed and just increase any risk if you get too energetic in your maneuvers) and then fairly quickly give the wheel a turn in one direction and then straight back or slighly in the opposite direction and watch the rear of the trailer in your rear view mirror. You should ideally see the tail swing slightly and then return to the centerline with no "over swing". One has to develop a "feel" for what is good or not good and if you can a good idea is to take the time and loosen the bar a lot and do some side to side maneuvers at incressing speeds up to around 40 mph where you can get the trailer to "wag" side to side slightly and then tighen or set the "on-off" to say 1/2 way repeat the tests and finally to the full "on" postition and do the same and see how the sway amplitude is reduced. This will give you a good feel for how your TV/TT responds to steering maneuvers and how the sway bar can effect those maneuvers. Now in operation you always set the bar to the full "on" postion and this above test is just to let you get a feel for how much the bar effects the sway.

Larry

I cant get the exact sway bar since im at work and im on internet lockdown but it is very similar to this one http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/trailer-friction-sway-control-bar-kit/A-p8007029e

thanks for the info guys. to clarify ya I was looking for information on setting it up after the initial install.

Lynnmor wrote:
So then a light trailer has the same ability to straighten out the sway bar as does a heavy trailer? I don't think so.

Heavy trailers need 2. Per instructions.
Remember they are only designed to slow down the swing of the trailer. not stop it.

So then a light trailer has the same ability to straighten out the sway bar as does a heavy trailer? I don't think so.

Lynnmor wrote:
The idea that the friction sway control is adjusted at the factory is not correct. There is no way the factory knows if it will be used with a 1500 or 15000 pound trailer.

2. HOOK-UP
a. Lubricate both balls with a small amount of grease, place socket of slide bar (6) over ball (1) and secure with clip (2b). Loosen handle
(5) until the slide bar can be moved. Extend sway control assembly and place socket over ball on trailer, secure with other clip (2b).
b. Retighten handle until it stops (handle should be in its original level position). The sway control assembly is preset at the factory with a tension suitable for most light trailers.
c. On some installations, damage to the sway control may occur during extremely sharp turning maneuvers. This can be checked by
slowly backing vehicle into a jackknife position while someone is watching. Do not allow slide bar to contract completely (bottom out)
or bumper to contact sway control. If it looks as though contact will be made or the sway control will bottom out then the sway control
must be removed before backing trailer.

3. ADJUSTMENT
a. Trailer configurations and loading, road and weather conditions, towing speed, tire condition and pressure, and center of gravity of
trailer, all affect towing. To get maximum benefits from the sway control assembly, a series of road tests should be taken with the
loaded trailer. During the first road test try the sway control at the factory pre-set force. On subsequent trips increase or decrease
tension by turning the adjusting bolt (7) in 1/4 turn increments in the direction shown on the label until the desired control is achieved.
For large trailers, it may be necessary to install a second sway control unit.

Read the instructions that come with it. They ARE adjusted at the factory. Sway bars do NOT prevent sway. that is NOT what they are for. They are only to help control it once it is induced by a emergency situation.
Sway control should NEVER be used to keep a trailer in control under normal driving conditions. A trailer should NOT sway with out a sway bar installed. If it does. You have other problems you need to fix. As you are to remove the sway bar in slick conditions. It can prevent the TV from turning properly, and IF the TT sways without the bar on. How are you going to drive in the rain with out it.

And should you ever need to adjust the sway bar, after it wears the pads. You turn the adjusting nut 1/4 turn at a time until you get the drag back to what it was. Remember a too tight sway bar will cause the TV, and TT to not straighten out completely after a turn. Will cause the TV to pull to the side the turn was. Been there done that.

Read the sticky here.

The idea that the friction sway control is adjusted at the factory is not correct. There is no way the factory knows if it will be used with a 1500 or 15000 pound trailer.