O/T Trailer sway bars

Can someone explain to me just how the sway bars operate for a trailer. There are two bars going back from the hitch, and chained to the trailer frame. Now there is a bar that is connected to the truck hitch,by a small ball. and back to one of the trailer frame rails, with a small ball. Is this bar necessary? What does it all do? Thanks stan

It takes the weight off the rear bumper. I think it distributes it to the front wheels of the truck. I have only seen them and never used them

37 Cheif;

The small bar is a sway control device. There is a friction adjustment on that bar that hinders the sideways movement that comes with sway.
Not all systems use that mechanism. Some use cams etc.

Vern

You have a load leveling hitch the large bars are adjusted so that the trailer and tow vehicle set level when they are correct. Some have a smaller sway bar that has a control to stop or limit the sway. These were used when most Rec. trailers were pulled by a large car or van. it was thought that you needed 800 lbs on the hitch to keep the trailer from swaying. Actually the sway was caused by the pull vehicle not having enough spring to handle the load. also a lot had coil springs on the rear that had no side holding ability. Not many of these around today as most large trailers are towed by large heavy pickups and most of the cars that could tow them are to old to use or in the junk yards. If you have a pickup they are most likely not needed.
Walt

Sorry but most truck manufactures say to use equalizer bars if the trailer weights over 3000 lbs. it's not that the truck won't handle weight, But they put weight back on the front wheels for better control of steering. If you are pulling a boat or utility trailer. you don't need the sway part of that hitch but if you are pulling a travel trailer you need it . I found out the hard way . I was going down a hill on I-64 " close to Moorehead KY running about 60 MPH when two semi's passed me the next thing I new I was sideways, grabbed the trailer brakes ended up in the medium headed the right direction but had to wipe my rear. The next trip out I had both equalizer and sway control would not pull a TT with out it.
Some 40 years later I still use equalizer and sway "Reese with duel cam" on my TT even though I pull it with a 3/4 ton truck.

What Walt said is correct about the sway bars "leveling" the vehicle and the trailer, but they do more than level. The two large bars, when adjusted properly, are used to distribute weight from the rear axle of the tow vehicle to the front wheels of tow vehicle and to the trailer axle(s). This keeps from overloading the rear of the tow vehicle. I used one back in the 70s to pull a tandem axle 20 or 24 foot travel trailer with my 1976 International Scout Traveller. Pulled and drove like a dream from Tennessee to California and back. Tom

When I used to pull a travel trailer, I used the two equalizer bars plus I added a sway bar on each side. The sway bars will keep any sway from starting. They are adjustable and you can get them too tight so that you can feel it affecting your steering as it tries to keep you going straight. I use one sway bar on my car hauler even when it is empty.

When they first came out with that Reese weight distributing hitch they hooked up an Olds Tornado and then removed the rear wheels and tires and away they went.
I use one with the Ram and about 10,000 pounds on an econoline tilt bumper pull. The bar and 2 5/16 ball are reated at 10,ooo ounds also,
Get that chain short and tight and it will really eliminate any front end bouncing.

Gordo

agree 100% if you got 'em use 'em makes the whole thing handle sooo much better. we pull 30ft TT alot of times to campground only 25mi. away got in ahurry once and didn't use equalizer or sway bar. won't do that again,3/4ton pu

Stan, I'm not sure anyone answered your question on how to use them. I used one with my 22' travel trailer behind my 93 ford exploder 6 banger. The two bars and chains are for the load leveling equilizer hitch and the anti-sway bar is to stop the sway. Two different functions.

Jack the trailer down on the ball on the equilizer hitch and tighten up the ball. Jack it back up so the ball and rear end of the vehicle come up a little. Hook up the two bars, one on each side, and hook the chains up (onto the brackets mounted on the trailer) as tight as you can get them. When you jack the trailer back down till you pulled the jack up to its limit for traveling, the weight of the trailer and hitch will be on the bars and chains. If you don't think the bars are taking enough weight or if you are close to getting another chain link to hook, then just jack the rear end up a little higher (after the hitch ball is engaged of course).

The little ball is for a flat bar style "anti-sway bar". One end fits over the ball and the other end hooks onto the side of the trailer tongue where the bracket for it is. Then tighten up the tightening screw lever on the anti-sway bar. They can be a life saver when a big travel trailer starts getting wind whipped around or when you are passed by a semi on a windy day.

The equalizer hitch should have adjustment holes so that the trailer is level when all hooked up.

I pulled that trailer all over the mountains and up to Jellystone Nat. Park with that kind of hitch and couldn't have done it without it.

Seems like the hitch and bars weight a hundred pounds by themselves.

Good luck.