Equalizer ???

[BradW]

I just bought a "new to me" ,26 foot Flagstaff. It has the normal two sway bars, but also has double equalizers.
My question is, how tight do I adjust those eQ's when I put them on. I have never had a TT that has these, so this is new to me.
Also, I have been told that you cannot back up with these on......does that mean AT ALL, you can't, or minimally?
Thanks guys.

[bikendan]

Equal-i-zer is a brand of WDH. the Equalizer only has a hitch head and square weight bars and no anti-sway bars. not sure what you're talking about unless you're talking about anti-sway friction bars.
those are not "Equalizers".

some people use the term "Equalizer" to describe any WDH, when in reality, it is a specific brand of WDH, just like the Reese Dual-Cam.

here's a pic of the real Equal-i-zer:

[thebrakeman]

His term "Equilizer" is probably referring to the spring bars, since he already referred to the sway controllers separately.

Do a search on WDH setup, and you should find plenty.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by BradW

My question is, how tight do I adjust those eQ's when I put them on.

Also, I have been told that you cannot back up with these on......does that mean AT ALL, you can't, or minimally?

Thanks guys.

1) See attached Manuals for bar torque setting (45 to 65 Ft Pounds).

2) I have backed up with my hitch bars installed and they work just as well in reverse as in forward. If you plan on very sharp turns in the campground they can get pretty noisy, so I used to take them off and rotate them to parallel the bumper.

[rbarrieau]

I pop my sway control off for backing in on any angle at a camp site..

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by rbarrieau

I pop my sway control off for backing in on any angle at a camp site..

As may be, but there is nothing in the manual that requires it.

[grhodes50]

If he is referring the friction anti-sway bar and if I remember correctly, the instructions do say to remove the friction bar when backing up and when making sharp turns while moving forward.
It has been a few years since I had one, but I do believe this is correct.

[BradW]

Gentlemen,
I DID mess up on my terminology.... it is my anti- sway friction control on my Reese hitch....
when I put them on, how do tight do I adjust the lever adjuster?

[TURBS]

on mine when I had a wdh I tightened them tight and then backed them off a 1/4 to half turn .

[TURBS]

similar to this ?

[BradW]

Exactly turbo...THANK YOU MUCH......That's what I will try 1st then and see how that works. I had an extremely short tow when I brought it home, so I only used the spring bars and left the sway control off. Point being that I was not educated on how to hook them up.
Thanks for the advise.

[TURBS]

You'll find playing with the tightness of the friction bar makes a difference .
like I said try tight then back off a 1/2 turn if it seems like it swaying tighten a little.
I all ways took them off before backing or turning very sharp on a pull through site as well as the wdh bars .
When I pulled in to a cg I immediately took sway bars and wdh bars of as to not bind them when backing or turning sharp .

[BradW]

TYVM turbo..... I will heed your advice.....very helpful and much appreciated.

[thebrakeman]

The owners manual for friction sway controller will tell you to tighten the "on/off" bar all the way! It actually states that you should "bottom out the threads". That bar is not an adjustment feature. It's the on/off feature. Adjustment is made with the adjuster screw/bolt, which is about 2" above or below the on/off lever.

As far as removing before backing, that is not required. The instructions state that you should know your limits. If you don't know the limits, then it says the unit can be removed. Big difference. People think that backing and turning will damage the unit. This is not so. As long as you don't bottom out the unit in an extreme jacknife, there are no differences in forces on the unit when backing than when turning forward. It's when you bottom out the slider in the main housing that the unit acts like a solid beam, and can either damage itself, or part of the hitch head/drawbar.

When I used a friction sway controller with our old popup/minivan combo, I never removed it, and it never suffered any damage.

[cbenslay]

I need to look at my directions... My Dealer/Installer said to tighten the On/Off lever "2 finger tight"plus a little more! LOL, whatever that means! Thanks!

[TURBS]

i just read an article from propride about adjusting friction sway control .



1. SWAY CONTROL CANNOT BE USED ON TRAILERS WITH SURGE BRAKES. DO NOT USE SWAY
CONTROL ON CLASS I OR II HITCHES. USE ON CLASS III OR IV ONLY.

2. Trailer loading: Proper trailer loading is your first-line defense against dangerous instability and sway.
Heavy items should be placed on the floor in front of the axle. The load should be balanced side-to-side and
secured to prevent shifting. Tongue weight should be about 10-15 percent of gross trailer weight for most
trailers. Too low a percentage of tongue weight can cause sway. Load the trailer heavier in front.

3. The handle is an on/off device. The bolt below is for adjustment only.

4. When towing during slippery conditions such as wet, icy, or snow-covered roads or on loose gravel, turn
on/off handle counterclockwise until all tension is removed from unit. Failure to do so could prevent tow
vehicle and trailer from turning properly.

5. Do not speed up if sway occurs. Sway increases with speed. Do not continue to operate a swaying vehicle.
Check trailer loading, sway control adjustment and all other equipment until the cause of sway has been
determined and corrected.

6. Never paint or lubricate slide bar.


HOOK-UP

a. Lubricate both balls with a small amount of grease, place socket of slide bar over ball and secure with
clip. Loosen handle until the slide bar can be moved. Extend sway control assembly and place
socket over ball on trailer, secure with other clip.

b. Retighten handle until it stops (handle should be in its original level position). The sway control assembly is
preset at the factory with a tension suitable for most light trailers.

c. On some installations, damage to the sway control may occur during extremely sharp turning maneuvers.
This can be checked by slowly backing vehicle into a jackknife position while someone is watching. Do not
allow slide bar to contract completely (bottom out) or bumper to contact sway control. If it looks as thought
contact will be made or the sway control will bottom out then the sway control must be removed before
backing trailer.

ADJUSTMENT

a. Trailer configurations and loading, road and weather conditions, towing speed, tire condition and pressure,
and center of gravity of trailer all affect towing. To get maximum benefits from the sway control assembly, a
series of road tests should be taken with the loaded trailer. During the first road test try the sway control at
the factory preset force. On subsequent trips increase or decrease tension by turning the adjusting bolt in
1/4 turn increments in the direction shown on the label until the desired control is achieved. For large
trailers, it may be necessary to install a second sway control unit.

b. After about 1000 miles of towing, remove the slide bar from the sway control and clean the friction surfaces
with a wire brush. Repeat this cleaning procedure about every 10,000 miles.

[thebrakeman]

Those are the exact instructions that come with the standard Reese/Drawtite friction sway controller.

Notice that removal of the sway controller for backing is only if you must jacknife to the extent that it would bottom the unit or interfere with a bumper or other object. Normal backing maneuvers will not damage a thing.