WD Sway Bars - what would you do

[Fredc]

Pull this thing on long hauls with no wdh. Truck pulls like a beast. 0.0 need for WDH. Got the truck in mid March already have 3,000 miles on it and almost 1/2 is towing this.

So you are not using a WDH. What about the sway control bars? Doesn’t look like it. I am still learning about the whole subject - seems like sway bars always come with the WDH.

 

[JimmyG79]

So you are not using a WDH. What about the sway control bars? Doesn’t look like it. I am still learning about the whole subject - seems like sway bars always come with the WDH.

All i use is a B&W hitch. No sway bars no weight distribution. I used to pull that same trailer with a 2015 suburban and had the WDH and sway bars. The only problem I run into is finding myself going to fast. I don’t like to go faster than 70 but I could easily find myself going with the flow of traffic and hitting the upper limits of the speed rating on the trailer tires.

 

[TIME]

I don't have any specific recommendation at this point, but we are working with Eaz Lift and a kit to work with the McHitch couplers, called the Quick Lift. We specialize in McHitch articulating couplers that are excellent for off road use, or for ease in connecting. McHitch.com.au. The Tremors use the 6 tonne automatic model and we sell a lot of them.

Equalizer is a brand I see a lot, but i'm not totally sold on them because the bars sit in a bracket that makes a lot of noise as it adds sway control. The sway control is not adjustable either. Blue Ox is another brand that a lot of people really like.

Go to etrailer and look for sway control devices. The telescoping units work well and are adjustable.

It's important to separate sway control from weight distribution. Two entirely separate functions. I don't like the idea of buying a WDH in order to get sway control and then not having it be adjustable. It just doesn't make sense.

I've been involved indirectly with Anderson hitches for about 5 years, as that is the brand used on Oliver trailers. They are used because they fit without cutting fiberglass, but there doesn't seem to be any other advantage. I have never liked them or the company. And they are especially bad for off-road, or rough road use.

Sorry I can't be more specific with a model at this point.

@Raspy have you seen the Weigh Safe True Tow WDH? I've never used it but am strongly considering it since it will allow me to dial in how much weight I'm distributing to the front based on the trailer's current load.

Also, I thought the Anderson was supposed to be good (or at least better) for off-roading? My understanding is that since they are using a chain system combined with Urethane bushings, there was more give when going over uneven terrain/rocks, etc (vs a bar set up with no give at all).

 

[Raspy]

@Raspy have you seen the Weigh Safe True Tow WDH? I've never used it but am strongly considering it since it will allow me to dial in how much weight I'm distributing to the front based on the trailer's current load.

Also, I thought the Anderson was supposed to be good (or at least better) for off-roading? My understanding is that since they are using a chain system combined with Urethane bushings, there was more give when going over uneven terrain/rocks, etc (vs a bar set up with no give at all).

I'll take a look at the Weigh Safe True Tow. It's basically, an expensive Equalizer with an adjustment and gauge. The ball is moved way aft. I'd just go with a simpler system. Like a standard Equalizer or a Blue Ox. But I don't need one. In my thinking, too many guys think they need one when they probably don't. I'll avoid them if possible. The only exception to that was my toy hauler that had a 100 gallon water tank in the front. I had to have one when the tank was full. Bit in that case, the trailer was a terrible design, and I was not happy having to allow for the poor design by using WDH. I dumped that trailer. My theory is get enough truck in the first place.

The Anderson is worse than bending bars. The bars are springs that can bend a long way with a linear increase in resistance. They are not rigid. The chains on the Anderson only have short urethane bushings that can only be compressed so far. The force is delivered in a different way with the Anderson. A "forward on the ball, reverse on the bat wing" concept. The spring bars try to lever the hitch head such that it rotates the receiver to lower in the front and higher in the back. The main thing the Anderson has going for it is that it works on Oliver fiberglass trailers without cutting any fiberglass. So it's OK on the highway, on a 1/2 tone truck. But they have been a controversial company and hitch for years. I got one included with my Oliver trailer and never bothered to install it. Obviously, it was a bogus system and I had a heavy duty Ram that did not need a WDH anyway.

 

[TIME]

I'll take a look at the Weigh Safe True Tow.

The Anderson is worse than bending bars. The bars are springs that can bend a long way with a linear increase in resistance. They are not rigid. The chains on the Anderson only have short urethane bushings that can only be compressed so far. The force is delivered in a different way with the Anderson. A "forward on the ball, reverse on the bat wing" concept. The spring bars try to lever the hitch head such that it rotates the receiver to lower in the front and higher in the back. The main thing the Anderson has going for it is that it works on Oliver fiberglass trailers without cutting any fiberglass. So it's OK on the highway, on a 1/2 tone truck. But they have been a controversial company and hitch for years. I got one included with my Oliver trailer and never bothered to install it. Obviously, it was a bogus system and I had a heavy duty Ram that did not need a WDH anyway.

Thank you for the explanation. I'd be curious to know what your thoughts are of the Weigh Safe WD after reviewing it.

Cheers

 

[Raspy]

So you are not using a WDH. What about the sway control bars? Doesn’t look like it. I am still learning about the whole subject - seems like sway bars always come with the WDH.

The bars are the weight distribution part of the system, they are not primarily for sway control. As the rear ends of them get bent up, by tensioning the chains to the tongue, the force is applied to the hitch head to rotate the front of the truck down. This force is applied through the receiver socket. The sway control, if it exists in certain hitches, is the friction of the bar sliding in its bracket, back by the trailer tongue, or in the bars where they rotate in the hitch head during sway. Or friction in some other part of the system, like the extreme load on the ball. Weight distribution and sway control are two entirely separate functions. Don't buy weight distribution, just to get sway control. There are very simple and good sway control devices available that have nothing to do with weight distribution.

 

[stufarmer]

I've never done this, just thinking, If I were to take a Travel Trailer for miles into the back country, I'd probably release my sway control. Your speeds will be low, the only large trucks you'll pass will be loggers. Between sharp turns and unstable roads, sway control may only complicate things.