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Old 06-07-2016, 06:36 PM   #1
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Sway bar bracket shifting while towing

During my first trip with my new travel trailer I noticed that the bracket attached to the trailer tongue had moved from straight up and down to a slight angle. (This is the bracket where the sway bar attaches to the tongue.)

I had to take the trailer into the dealer for service on another issue and asked them to straighten and tighten the bracket and they did. The service advisor told me to keep a tool with me to tighten the bracket if it moved and this happens because of the movement while towing. Today I picked up the camper and drove about 30 minutes to the storage lot and the bracket was at an angle again. The bar on that side was not as easy to remove as the straight side when unhitching at the storage lot.

Additional info.- I bought this equalizer wdh used from the dealer and they installed it.

Is this movement normal and I should just keep a wrench with me to tighten it or should I worry and insist the dealer tighten it again? Any other suggestions?


I am attempting to add a photo of the angled bracket.
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Old 06-07-2016, 06:38 PM   #2
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The other side

Here is a pic of the side that has not moved.
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Old 06-07-2016, 06:42 PM   #3
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Is it also moving where its bolted to frame or just the bracket attached to it... a friend of mine had that problem and he had a friend put a couple of tack welds top and bottom to frame ... not solid just a couple of tacks to keep it from moving
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Old 06-07-2016, 06:46 PM   #4
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Is it also moving where its bolted to frame or just the bracket attached to it... a friend of mine had that problem and he had a friend put a couple of tack welds top and bottom to frame ... not solid just a couple of tacks to keep it from moving
That's a good question. I think the whole piece is moving. I will have to look at it closer the next time it happens. A tack weld would probably work but I need to find someone who can do that for me. Thank you for the idea!
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Old 06-07-2016, 06:50 PM   #5
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well that way if you ever have to remove just a slight hit with a grinder and it will come loose
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Old 06-07-2016, 07:57 PM   #6
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I have those brackets and I just tighten the **** out of them... I mean so tight that the bracket almost bends along the trailer frame.


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Old 06-07-2016, 08:06 PM   #7
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Mine do that too. Make sure they are tight but I'm sure they will keep moving slightly. I use my WHD bars to knock them back into place.
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Old 06-07-2016, 08:19 PM   #8
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There is a certain torque that they are supposed to be tightened to. You need a torque wrench. Also, we always stop about 30 min in to retighten.

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Old 06-07-2016, 08:48 PM   #9
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It's possible to over tighten them causing the ends to bend in and the middle to bow out and slipping. The correct torque is 75 lb/ft and you need to tighten them evenly so they stay as flat as possible against the trailer frame.


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Old 06-07-2016, 09:04 PM   #10
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Overtightening them causes the brackets to bow and less surface area is then touching on the frame allowing them to shift. I'd re-torque them to specification and see if that resolves the problem. If not I'd then have a hitch shop tack weld them in place.
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Old 06-08-2016, 03:55 AM   #11
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Mine do the same thing,nothing to worry about,retighten yourself.torque to spec. Don't overtighten.even angled like you show in the picture,they are still working.hope this will ease your fears.next time you unhitch just straighten then out.
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Old 06-08-2016, 05:20 AM   #12
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Have you made any very tight turns? Or have you backed up with a tight turn? If you come close to "jack-knifing" so to speak backing up, that may bend a bracket. It's odd that it's just one side, which brings me to believe maybe that was the case. Probably wrong but, just throwin' that out there. Hope you get it worked out soon.
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Old 06-08-2016, 05:22 AM   #13
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Or maybe just replace it with a new one with new bolts...everything. Could be a bolt tightening issue.
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Old 06-08-2016, 06:51 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Riwey View Post
During my first trip with my new travel trailer I noticed that the bracket attached to the trailer tongue had moved from straight up and down to a slight angle. (This is the bracket where the sway bar attaches to the tongue.)

I had to take the trailer into the dealer for service on another issue and asked them to straighten and tighten the bracket and they did. The service advisor told me to keep a tool with me to tighten the bracket if it moved and this happens because of the movement while towing. Today I picked up the camper and drove about 30 minutes to the storage lot and the bracket was at an angle again. The bar on that side was not as easy to remove as the straight side when unhitching at the storage lot.

Additional info.- I bought this equalizer wdh used from the dealer and they installed it.

Is this movement normal and I should just keep a wrench with me to tighten it or should I worry and insist the dealer tighten it again? Any other suggestions?


I am attempting to add a photo of the angled bracket.
Not normal. Maybe a problem with this design as others seem to have experienced the same issue. You have to ask yourself why the dealer had this as a used hitch for resale. My guess is someone else bought it and had the same issue and took it back to the dealer and exchanged it for a better hitch. The dealer just sold you someone elses problem.
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Old 06-08-2016, 07:18 AM   #15
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As long as the bracket is torqued correctly, and the plates are flat against the frame, and the brackets are the proper distance from the coupler, this shouldn't happen.

I bent some brackets on my hitch from torquing it wrong (if you bend them, they'll never be right again). When I went to order replacement parts, I discovered that these spring bar hangers and brackets have been re-designed. I can't tell from the pics whether you have the new design or the old one. I can tell you that the new design is FAR superior and solves all sorts of problems.
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Old 06-08-2016, 07:49 AM   #16
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Mine do that too. Make sure they are tight but I'm sure they will keep moving slightly. I use my WHD bars to knock them back into place.
I feel better knowing that this is not unusual. I had a pop up before so this is my first experience with a WDH and worried maybe I had made a mistake buying used.

Thank you!
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Old 06-08-2016, 07:51 AM   #17
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Overtightening them causes the brackets to bow and less surface area is then touching on the frame allowing them to shift. I'd re-torque them to specification and see if that resolves the problem. If not I'd then have a hitch shop tack weld them in place.
Thank you! This is my first WDH and I am learning a lot.
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Old 06-08-2016, 07:52 AM   #18
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Mine do the same thing,nothing to worry about,retighten yourself.torque to spec. Don't overtighten.even angled like you show in the picture,they are still working.hope this will ease your fears.next time you unhitch just straighten then out.
Thank you! This helps ease my worry.
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Old 06-08-2016, 07:55 AM   #19
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Have you made any very tight turns? Or have you backed up with a tight turn? If you come close to "jack-knifing" so to speak backing up, that may bend a bracket. It's odd that it's just one side, which brings me to believe maybe that was the case. Probably wrong but, just throwin' that out there. Hope you get it worked out soon.
That's a good thought. I can't think of any tight turns that would move it in that direction. I thought it was odd that it has happened twice to that same side.
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Old 06-08-2016, 08:00 AM   #20
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Not normal. Maybe a problem with this design as others seem to have experienced the same issue. You have to ask yourself why the dealer had this as a used hitch for resale. My guess is someone else bought it and had the same issue and took it back to the dealer and exchanged it for a better hitch. The dealer just sold you someone elses problem.
I am worried this might be the case. I probably should have insisted on buying new.
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