Are sway bars mandatory? - Page 2

travelingjw · 03-20-2022, 09:33 PM

The sway bars are for safety. If you need to ask the question then my answer is "yes, use them." I travel less than 4 miles to pick up my TT and can't tell you the number of times 18 wheelers have come by and pushed the TT. It takes less than 3 minutes to install them, time well spent.

gymracer · 03-23-2022, 11:59 AM

I've pulled a 24' enclosed race car trailer with a 3000lb race car and tools, fuel and spares for 24 years all over eastern half of us.. I always use weight distribution bars if that's what you referring to but no sway bars. I've pulled with 3 different Class Cs and now a Super C. Never had a problem with sway. We run the speed limit wherever we go with no problem. My experience, sway is caused by not having enough tongue weight or a tow vehicle with a very short wheelbase.

jeffmcpa · 03-23-2022, 12:15 PM

[QUOTE=gymracer;1036776 I always use weight distribution bars if that's what you referring to but no sway bars. [/QUOTE]

That's my situation - WD bars on a trip, never had sway bar with any of my trailers (has been several).

If I'm just moving the trlr a couple of miles or going to a local sewer dump, Don't always put the bars on.

Hollander Mutthaulers · 03-23-2022, 12:16 PM

Have never used them with my light 16XRB (3500# max) and Tahoe. I have felt mild sway for short periods at times but nothing that hasn't stopped after a minute or so. Going down long steep grades presents the most sway and sometimes I need to ease up some. There is also the option of touching the trailer brakes with the brake controller, but overall my big tow vehicle does very well without sway bars. My previous Trailblazer did as well, but not with the confident sturdiness of the Tahoe. Proper cargo weight distribution plays a big part as does the TV wheelbase.

Mad5581 · 03-23-2022, 12:26 PM

I'm in the group of it you already have it why not use it. Now I have the weight distribution and anti sway all in one so it literally take less then a minute to put it on. Now have I gone to my storage location 1.2 miles from my home to get the trailer and bring it to the house with out the weight distribution? Sure I do it all the time. But I have a 1 ton with airbags on the back and my trailer is 6500 lbs. It doesn't even squatt the truck with nothing in the bags. I never take it on the freeway without the proper equipment. First off look at your trailer books some rvs actually require the weight distribution or it can damage the frame on the trailer. Last time I went to get my trailer I got stuck behind a train so I flipped around and went the long way around that included 5 miles if interstate travel. I tried it for the fist time without weight distribution and my truck did fine sure but it was a bit more on the edge of controllable. I felt the trailer more forsure. I guess my point is why push your luck it really only takes a minute or 2 to do it right. The mess of a wreck is not worth 2 minutes.

Bridgeengrjim · 03-23-2022, 03:29 PM

You don't need it until you do.

Who knows for sure when you will need it. If you have them use them

Markomyt1 · 03-23-2022, 03:51 PM

Use it for that .01% of the time where you absolutely-positively need it, or you're going off the road.

I had a friend that couldn't remember how to hook his up. Made it about a hour down the road and crashed, destroying trailer and TV. Luckily, he was OK.

CampNow · 03-23-2022, 03:53 PM

WDH's and sway bars have their place.

However . . . when someone experiences sway, odds are high the tongue weight is closer to 10% (of the gross weight of the TT), than 15% (ideal). Never experienced sway (with any truck or trailer) as long as the tongue weight was close to 15%. So many folks experience sway and simply install a sway bar without ever verifying their tongue weight. The sway bar becomes a band-aid fix and doesn't rectify the root cause of the sway.

As for WDH's, they're almost mandatory when towing many TT's with a 1/2-ton truck. The average 6k-8k TT has around 700-1100 lbs. of tongue weight (loaded). The average 1/2-ton truck has only 700-900 lbs. of axle capacity remaining after subtracting passenger and cargo weight. That's really pushing the edge of the envelope--especially if you're striving for 15% tongue weight. With a 1/2-ton truck a WDH is absolutely needed (when towing larger TT's) to transfer some of that excess tongue weight to the front axle.

On the flipside, we've towed several 9k-10k, 33-35 ft. TT's with our 1-ton SRW and never needed or used a sway-bar or WDH. We made sure tongue weight was close to 15% and called it good. Didn't need the WDH because our rear axle capacity was 4k and our tongue weight was 1.5k---zero need to transfer any weight to the front axle with the WDH. As for a sway-bar---also zero need because we had 15% tongue weight. Zero sway--even with 25-30mph cross-winds and close passing semi's. Even shaking the steering wheel back and forth couldn't produce the slightest amount of sway.

Quantum · 03-23-2022, 03:58 PM

70-80% of your braking is done by the front wheels of your tow vehicle, so I want those front tires firmly planted on the ground...that's why I use my WDH (with built in sway) on EVERY trip. Short cuts usually cost $$

spark of insanity · 03-23-2022, 03:59 PM

I never leave home without them. I just do not like surprises and you never know what noreaster will blow its way with me. So I would always use it to be safer then sorry.

crockettlarry · 03-23-2022, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quantum

70-80% of your braking is done by the front wheels of your tow vehicle, so I want those front tires firmly planted on the ground...that's why I use my WDH (with built in sway) on EVERY trip. Short cuts usually cost $$

Agree. Even when rear axle capacity is 4k and tongue weight is 1.5k. Steering happens on the front axle. I've driven a truck that wasn't adjusted correctly with a TT, and it felt like the front axle was on ball bearings (not quite ice).

videoarizona · 03-23-2022, 04:07 PM

Short answer...yes.
The WDH with sway control is mandatory for proper weight distribution of TV as well as anti-sway control.

gymracer · 03-23-2022, 07:52 PM

Like I and Camo Now said, tongue weight is key to sway. Get it right and should tow fine. If there is something wrong with the trailer and tongue weight wrong expect it to sway. I've tow all kinds of trailers for 50+ years and only sway ever had was putting a cor on trailer backwards and not far enough on trailer. Learned about sway quick. If I was pulling trailers like some I see on the road I'd have a 1 ton dually. I see 30' trailers behind a Tahoe. 1/2 ton trucks with large bumper trailers going 50 mph with a death grip on wheel. You just have to use common sense.

brendajoro · 03-23-2022, 09:52 PM

All these answers. Did you tell us what you tow? I didn’t want to go thru pages. Dude told me sway bar made no difference on his 19’ rPod.

CampNow · 03-23-2022, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crockettlarry

Agree. Even when rear axle capacity is 4k and tongue weight is 1.5k. Steering happens on the front axle. I've driven a truck that wasn't adjusted correctly with a TT, and it felt like the front axle was on ball bearings (not quite ice).

I disagree with your premise.

With 1.5k of tongue weight on the rear receiver of a 1-ton SRW diesel truck with 4k of rear axle capacity (7k RAWR), there is still 4,800 lbs. of weight on the front axle and approx. 5,000 lbs. on the rear axle. This is near perfect 50/50 weight distribution for handling, steering and braking purposes—-all accomplished without the use of a WDH.

To offer some contrast, this 4,800 lbs. on the front axle is roughly the same weight as a late model, entry level, 1/2-ton F150 pickup truck!

If you drove a truck towing a TT that "felt like the front axle was on ball bearings", I assure there was a LOT more wrong with that tow rig than simply a mal-adjusted WDH, a whole lot more.

crockettlarry · 03-24-2022, 06:51 AM

Nope. Just a Mal-adjusted WDH.

DocBrown · 03-24-2022, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CampNow

The sway bar becomes a band-aid fix and doesn't rectify the root cause of the sway.

As for a sway-bar---also zero need because we had 15% tongue weight. Zero sway--even with 25-30mph cross-winds and close passing semi's. Even shaking the steering wheel back and forth couldn't produce the slightest amount of sway.

Have you had to make an evasive move in heavy traffic moving at 60mph+? Have you had your truck slide out from under you in a heavy rain? Or even a light rain? 15% of tongue will help, as will a 3/4 ton truck, but not prevent sway in those situations. I've had it happen. Without the sway control I'm pretty sure I would have lost the trailer. Of course "shaking" the steering back and forth didn't introduce sway. It can't replicate the violent movement of the things I mentioned above. Subconsciously you won't even get that close in a test like that.

Again, you don't know what you don't know until it happens. It's cheap insurance. You spent probably $100k on your rig. How much is sway control? I sure hope it never happens to you, because it's scary as all get out. My trailers have all typically had a 13%-15% tongue weight. The band-aid is over confidance.

CampNow · 03-24-2022, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crockettlarry

Nope. Just a Mal-adjusted WDH.

Unless you exaggerated with your initial comment, I seriously doubt it was just a mal-adjusted WDH. WDH's don't perform miracles.

crockettlarry · 03-24-2022, 07:11 AM

No exaggeration. I was playing with extremes and every sitting on a weight distribution hitch. It wasn't a miracle. It was just a lack of weight transfer to the front axle.

Happy wife / happy life · 03-24-2022, 07:54 AM

I towed our Hummingbird 16 mrb on it’s maiden voyage without a wdh or sway bar ( dealer said I didn’t need it) on hwy 1 (Pacfic coast hwy)from Tomales Bay to Fort Bragg California. That was one squirrelly,white knuckled trip. If I drive more than 5 miles over 45 mph i use them.

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