So Tim,
You're talking about a larger friction/brake kind of device that you bolt to side of the hitch, correct? Do you also use a WD hitch? If so, just to be clear, you're saying that with just the WD hitch, you still had a lot of sway?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I'd like to get as clear a picture as I can of what might be working and what might not.

 

Jeb, no worry on asking questions, I wished I could have found out more before I spent all the money and ended up with something that works. The first two did not work. This one does.

Yes I do use WD and not the friction devise:
With the frontal are of my trailer it still had a lot of sway with the WD, the WD is not designed to stop sway, maybe a little not enough to matter.
.
What I have is a Reese brand called a “Hi-Performance Trunnion” type coupled with the “Dual Cam Sway Control PN 26000.” I have put a picture of the unit in my gallery, double click and view away.

There are a couple of sway control types, both have the same effect and one does not drill holes though the frame of the trailer. I elected not to drill and went with the U-bolts. I do not believe one is better than the other is, just different.

Critical point to the unit working properly, and I have fixed 15 to “make-work” as advertised. It seems very easy to assemble and install, even easy to hook up, but follow the directions carefully.

Once completed take the rig to somewhere, with a long straight road. Keep your eyes focused way down the road and come to a stop, keeping the vehicle dead straight.
Jump out, go back to the hitch, see if the WD bars are exactly lined up on their respective sway control cams. If not make a visual measurement. One needs to go forward and one maybe back. on the trailer frame rail. Get out of the middle of the road, pull over, make the adjustment, by loosing the u-bolts, and move the right, left, or both to line up with the WD bars. Repeat the entire process again and again until when stopping straight they are exactly lined up.

It has been said that it can be a bit off, what I have found and proven to the other 15 is that if they are exact there is no mechanical advantage to either bar while traveling down the road. (from riding up on the cam, remember these bars can have as much as 700lbs on them) If there is it has a tendency to spring the tow vehicle back in one direction or another. This is magnified when passing a semi, what the unit was supposed to stop. Finally the only way I could prove it was critical was to do it to a bunch of them and wait until they came back from a trip.
ALL Happy. One told me he had the hitch for 5 years and it never towed as well. Its all the attention to detail.

hope this helps

 

Thanks. I see it in your gallery photo.

The thing that bothers me about this setup is that, according to you and it does make sense, the WD hitch doesn't do much if anything for the sway problem. But I'd need a WD hitch to use the trunnion device that did fix the sway for you. So I'd basically be wasting the first $300 or so to get the WD hitch.

I'm starting to lean more and more towards some kind of inflatable air bag helper system but I appreciate the input and explanation.

 

But I'd need a WD hitch to use the trunnion device that did fix the sway for you.
the trunnion device is the WD

So I'd basically be wasting the first $300 or so to get the WD hitch.
explain


I'm starting to lean more and more towards some kind of inflatable air bag helper system but I appreciate the input and explanation.

How big of trailer and what is the toung weight

 

See the first post in this thread for my trailer specs. Not very big, really.

 

If you go with the bags let me know how they work

 

Jeb, LandYot hit the nail on the head. DO you have a rear anti sway bar? Hellwig is the one you need if not($140). When the air forces the trailer to move it responds by pushing the "X". With no sway bar the first thing that gives is those soft leaf springs. With a sway bar when the force of the trailer pushes the "X" to the left the sway bar distributes that push to both sides thus reduceing sway. I also tow a 30ft camper and that is a must have.


The reese dual cam is another awesome WD hitch that stops sway before it starts($300). The friction bars are sway "reducers"($90). So the sway will still be there but now you have friction to counter act the sway. You also "MUST" remove the friction bars before you back up or you will throw them away. So the answer is there, now you must pick one. A band aid or a stich. Remember there are millions of others on those same highways.

 

Yes, I have the factory sway bar on mine.

I did my first oil change today and rotated the tires, too. They are E rated tires so I'll try blowing them up closer to full pressure in the back and level the trailer before I tow next time to see if that has any impact.

An interesting note on oil. I went to buy 10-30w Rotella T to put in for winter but it does NOT have the CI-4 rating. The 15-40w of the same oil does, though. I stuck the 15-40w in. No problem installing the fumoto valve.

 

Bilstein shocks and air bags worked for my bronco and my expy both trucks where lifted also