once again, the questions are not answered. The point I am making is, I tow a LARGE trailer right now. I don't have sway at all! I had minor sway from the factory passenger car tires that Ford put on the truck stock. I put real truck tires on it and no more problems. Why fix something that isn't broken? Why complicate a simple task with a gyro.... we aren't flying a helicopter.... we are driving a simple truck towing a trailer. It has been around for quite a while and It hasn't really changed a whole lot. There is NO PROBLEM simple or not. Why try to re-invent the wheel on a useless modification from Ford?
Ok....well i congratulate you on your trailer....but how much did you spend on that hitch? and what if you have two trailers? now you have to buy two of them.......plus its a bit more work hooking it up and unhooking it......and for those of us that don't put on 100,000 trailer towing miles a year.....I'd rather hook up and not worry about it. Its an option....and ford won't make you buy it....for the rest of us who think it might be a good idea....more power too us.
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2007 Lariat screw - tri coat met - chrome package - Black leather captains chairs - sunroof - audiophile
You obviously know nothing about how it works. The hitch is $400. It can be moved from trailer to trailer and can be used on different trailers with just another set of brackets to mount to the second trailers frame. It can be used in and with any truck and it completely removes from the truck and trailer when not in use. Like I said, why would Ford try to re-invent something that isn't broken. ANY trailer with a tounge weight over 500# needs to have a weight distribution hitch anyway. Thats all the hitch on the truck is rated for in dead weight capacity. Even if it was rated higher, it would unload the front wheels of the truck and make for very light steering and poor braking. I am NOT just talking about MY trailer. I am talking about every trailer on the road with a tounge weight over 500#. I know you see them all the time, the guys that have their back bumper on the ground towing a 20' enclosed tandem axle haulmark. They are pushing the limits of safety and driveability. If they set up their hitch correctly... or better yet, if they would use the PROPER hitch they could easily tow the trailer that they are towing right now CORRECTLY. This concept has been around since the late 50's/ early 60's. IT IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT. All these little trailers that you see people hauling around do not qualify. Any trailer that you can pick up with your hands and drop onto the back of the truck does not qualify. Even if 2 people can pick it up and put it on the back of the truck, it does not qualify. Do some more research on Weight distribution hitch or the brand name hitches I listed earlier. You might be surprised at what you learn. You also might realize that a TRUCK does NOT control sway, nor can it prevent sway. If the truck itself had a sway problem maybe.... IE: sway bars, they have been on vehicles for a very long time. This doesn't have anything to do with trailer sway.
towing can be quite easy, if you drive the right truck, and you feel you are able to drive that truck. id only trust ford for my hauls, buts thats me.
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1999 Ford F-150 Reg Cab, Green, 8 ft Box, HD Suspension, 300,000 kms+ tough life Built Ford Tough!
1998 Ford F-150 Ex Cab XL 4.2L 3.55 460,948+kms
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1994 F-150 XL 300 I6 S/Cab 303,184kms 5 Speed
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You obviously know nothing about how it works. The hitch is $400. It can be moved from trailer to trailer and can be used on different trailers with just another set of brackets to mount to the second trailers frame. It can be used in and with any truck and it completely removes from the truck and trailer when not in use. Like I said, why would Ford try to re-invent something that isn't broken. ANY trailer with a tounge weight over 500# needs to have a weight distribution hitch anyway. Thats all the hitch on the truck is rated for in dead weight capacity. Even if it was rated higher, it would unload the front wheels of the truck and make for very light steering and poor braking. I am NOT just talking about MY trailer. I am talking about every trailer on the road with a tounge weight over 500#. I know you see them all the time, the guys that have their back bumper on the ground towing a 20' enclosed tandem axle haulmark. They are pushing the limits of safety and driveability. If they set up their hitch correctly... or better yet, if they would use the PROPER hitch they could easily tow the trailer that they are towing right now CORRECTLY. This concept has been around since the late 50's/ early 60's. IT IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT. All these little trailers that you see people hauling around do not qualify. Any trailer that you can pick up with your hands and drop onto the back of the truck does not qualify. Even if 2 people can pick it up and put it on the back of the truck, it does not qualify. Do some more research on Weight distribution hitch or the brand name hitches I listed earlier. You might be surprised at what you learn. You also might realize that a TRUCK does NOT control sway, nor can it prevent sway. If the truck itself had a sway problem maybe.... IE: sway bars, they have been on vehicles for a very long time. This doesn't have anything to do with trailer sway.
I had a weight distributing hitch on the car hauler that i used to use regularly, and yes it worked good. But i'd much rather not have to worry about hooking it up all the time. Clearly your not willing to read up on the sway control, and clearly you think ford is lying out their teeth when they say they've designed something new....so only one question remains....why are you still here?
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2007 Lariat screw - tri coat met - chrome package - Black leather captains chairs - sunroof - audiophile
sensors don't have to be mounted in the hitch....we use gyro sensors to measure gforce to control airbags....no reason we can't use gyros to measure truck sway
That is exactly what they are doing. The same as Roll Stability Control (electronic stability control, whatever you call it)
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Originally Posted by Ryan50hrl
.....maybe its time you figure out there might be engineers who are a bit smarter and paid a bit more than you to figure out problems like this.....
Very well said. The 4by4freek needs to get off his high horse and realize he does not, in fact, know everything that will ever need to be known about towing or the world in general.
It has been around for quite a while and It hasn't really changed a whole lot. There is NO PROBLEM simple or not. Why try to re-invent the wheel on a useless modification from Ford?
I think they tried that with the Ranger. Doesn't work.
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2000 Excursion Limited 4x4 V10 - soon to not be stock anymore.
2004 F150 XLT screw 4x4 5.4 - 2.5 leveling kit, 34.5" BFGs - Gone
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I had a weight distributing hitch on the car hauler that i used to use regularly, and yes it worked good. But i'd much rather not have to worry about hooking it up all the time. Clearly your not willing to read up on the sway control, and clearly you think ford is lying out their teeth when they say they've designed something new....so only one question remains....why are you still here?
Once again, you are confused between weight distribution and sway control. Weight distribution is needed in all instances where the tounge weight exceeds the hitch manufacturers ratings. ANY trailer over 500# in tounge weight is going to still have to run a Weight distribution hitch anyway. Sway control is totally different. Trailers that are not balanced correctly have a tendancy to sway. I have read nothing on any Ford site about the 09 F-150 having built in TRAILER sway control. Yes the truck will have sway control on it.... FOR THE TRUCK ITSELF. This does nothing for a trailer that is hooked to the truck. I think you need to go and re-read the article. Like I said before..... there is no way possible for a vehicle to control sway that is induced by the trailer that is hooked to it. It is common physics. Sway control on vehicles has been around for about 10+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with any type of trailer being towed. The Explorers ahve been running this system for about 6 years... it is not new technology. It will be new to the F-150, but not new overall. Please re-read carefully. And FWIW, I have no high horse to get off of. I simply want to explain the facts and that is all. Many buy these trucks and never use them for what they were built for. I have 3 in my neighborhood that have never had anything placed in the bed. THe most they haul with them is a set of golf clubs... I can do that with an Explorer or a Focus for that matter. Trucks are more of a status symbol than a truck now. I USE my truck like a truck. It does not have a mark on it, but it still is worked like a truck should be. I just don't want false information put out that a truck is going to control something that has no set points... IE: trailer length, trailer width,trailer height, tounge weight, empty weight (dry) and GVWR. Too many variables for a vehicle manufacturer to control. You can take the same trailer and load it 2 different ways and get 2 totally different towing experiences, a car trailer is a great example. If you load it front first, then you will have more tounge weight and it will tow better. Sure, it will put more weight on the truck but the trailer will have less tendancy to sway. Now, take that same trailer and same car and back it onto the trailer. You will have a totally different towing experience. It will be tounge light which will sway all over the road. You will most likely not be able to go much above 45 MPH without having uncontrollable sway. I hope this puts this in perspective for those of you thinking I am talking out my a$$. If you don't believe me, go to any towing forum and start reading. There will be about 3 days worth so bring plenty of coffee. Or better yet, find a trailer and try it for your self.
I have read nothing on any Ford site about the 09 F-150 having built in TRAILER sway control. Yes the truck will have sway control on it.... FOR THE TRUCK ITSELF. This does nothing for a trailer that is hooked to the truck. I think you need to go and re-read the article. Like I said before..... there is no way possible for a vehicle to control sway that is induced by the trailer that is hooked to it. It is common physics.
The sway control uses the stability sensors to monitor the truck. When they see the truck being pulled back and forth, it will apply braking to one side or the other of the truck to help counteract the sway. It will also apply the trailer brakes (the easiest way to stop the sway) until it straightens out. It's not rocket science. My 20ft dovetail trailer weighs 2500lbs empty and well over 7000lbs when loaded at times and I never had any sway problems just using the factory hitch and no special additions. I bought a load distribution hitch just to keep some tongue weight off of the truck. No sway control, never have needed it. Even @ 80mpg I have no problems loaded or unloaded.
The system is not there to eliminate a small amount of sway, it is to control sway when it gets dangerous to keep an inexperienced driver from losing control and totaling the whole rig.
If your trailer has a swaying problem, then this should be addressed before towing it.
You have to have common sense when towing, or even driving or you shouldn't be behind the wheel.
I still think 1/2tons need to go back to what they were. Gimme an F150 with no 4 banger, good size 6cyl, or the diesel. No 12,000 lbs capacity. Make it jsut for what the 1/2ton series was originally for. The grocery hauling, every day commute vehicle, that had a bed and decent towing cap for the weekend hobbyist to get supplies, or bass angler to haul his rig. Leave the 8glb towing and up for the SD's.
I don't think Ford is maintaining that the sway control eliminates the traditional aftermarket sway control. It is in place to supplement it in the most extreme sway conditions. It only seems logical as the manufactures are putting in the anti roll over technology and this is probably a by product of it. If the govt requires anti roll over measures and you can make it a selling point for trailer towing why not.
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