Friction sway bar help

[Mammoth]

hello all, i have a friction sway bar on my trailer but i have a little problem. when we were camping this weekend i had the bar off the hitch while i was getting things settled and my 3 year old decided to back out the tension bolt and on/off bar all the way out. both the bolt and bar were completely removed from the sway bar. my question is how i get the bolt back to the correct tension? the instructions are pretty vague and im not sure exactly how tight it should be now. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Witch Doctor]

I think your going to have to drive, if you sway stop and tighten it some more, only way I know of. No real set rule that I know of.

[Thurman]

Not sure which type sway bar you have. On my friction type sway bar the instructions state to tighten the bolt, using the attached handle, all the way until it runs out of threads. I've never actually tightened it this much. I tighten it down until is gets hard to tighten and then position the handle at the 9:00 o'clock position by choice. All seems to work well there and yes I do get some moaning and groaning when I make slow turns.

[crunchman12001]

Tighten as tight as you can with one index finger.

[KansasJohn]

I've always subscribed to the "trial and error" method of tightening my friction sway bar. Tighten it as much as you can easily with one hand (give it some pressure, but don't really lay into it), then back it off about half a turn. That should be just right. Some moaning and groaning in tight turns is OK, but if it seems like it's really stiff, back it off a little more.

I know it's a very un-scientific method, but that's what I've always done, and it's worked perfectly for over 12,000 miles of towing over the last two seasons.

[Mammoth]

Thanks all that makes sense. The instructions say to bottom out the thread on the handle and adjust the nut. But I tried that and it didn't feel right. So I made it as tight as I thought it was before. I guess ill have to tweek it in

[thebrakeman]

Thurman and Mammoth have quoted the correct instructions, although it seems they are not following the instructions. You are supposed to use the adjuster bolt to make adjustments. The handle is called an on/off handle, because that is what you use to set it to the same point every time.


Bottoming out the handle's threads to the body will leave the handle at or near the horizontal position (by design). If you can't get it that tight (or it just seems too tight when bottomed out), it's likely that the adjuster bolt needs to be loosened.


To the OP, note that the adjuster bolt and the on/off handle are basically 2 threaded joints on either side of the friction bar/plate. I recommend you:
1. Hand-start both just to get the unit assembled again.
2. Tighten down the on/off handle until it bottoms out against the main body. You don't need to wrench down hard at this point...just be sure it makes contact. At this point, the handle should be parallel to the main body, or slightly angled up or down.
3. Try tightening the adjuster bolt. If it still spins freely, take out all of the slop, then go ½-turn more. That's my purely arbitrary recommendation. Usually, this would be factory set to some starting point.
4. At this point, you should start running trials:
a. Take for a test-tow, on a calm day, making sure you have 10-15% total trailer weight on the ball.
b. Get up to 65mph if possible. If you experience sway that does not correct itself, pull over and tighten adjuster bolt 1/4-turn.
c. Repeat step B, until the trailer tracks straight.
d. Again, get up to 65mph in the right lane. If stable, and traffic allows, flick the steering wheel quickly to the right, then correct back to lane-center. You are trying to induce some oscillation. If the trailer, swings to the right, then a bit to the left, then falls back in line on it's own, you are good to go.
e. If step d creates oscillation that goes back and forth 2 or more times (right-left-right-left or more), pull over, tighten adjuster bolt 1/4-turn. Repeat step D.
f. Get back up to 65mph, make sure lanes are clear, then try jerking the wheel a bit harder. Same drill: Trailer should have minimal oscillation before falling back in line. Adjust in 1/4-increments only, to avoid ove-rtightening.
g. Keep a wrench with you the next few times out. If, during higher winds, or passing semi trucks, you feel that it just is not as stable as it should be, give it another 1/4-turn.

This process may seem tedious. But once completed, the next time, you will simply tighten the handle all the way down, and you will know it's set properly.


PS - A child having such curiosity toward taking things apart, making modifications, etc, is a clear indication they are leaning toward becoming an engineer. My dad has stories of me:
1. Taking apart his tape measure. BOING!! Learned about clock springs that day.
2. Sharpening ALL of his flat-blade screwdrivers on a grinder. (I thought they were dull, and was doing him a favor). Learned about bearing surfaces that day.

[youroo]

First thing is I am NOT going to "Arm Wrestle" with your 3 year old! Next the friction adjustment lever is to be screwed all the way down "Tight" this is the "Gray Area" in your case let your 3 YO tighten it! Youroo!!

[JimMorrell]

I recently asked my RV Repairman about this same thing. He said that tension should be "snugged up", but don't tighten to extreme. Obviously, if it's loose, it won't do any good. There is no "magic" torque number.

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

PS - A child having such curiosity toward taking things apart, making modifications, etc, is a clear indication they are leaning toward becoming an engineer. My dad has stories of me:
1. Taking apart his tape measure. BOING!! Learned about clock springs that day.
2. Sharpening ALL of his flat-blade screwdrivers on a grinder. (I thought they were dull, and was doing him a favor). Learned about bearing surfaces that day.

When I was little I noticed the teeth on my dad's saw were not in line. Thought this was a problem so I hammered them in line. Didn't go over too well but dad gave me credit for getting involved.

[Mammoth]

Originally Posted by youroo

First thing is I am NOT going to "Arm Wrestle" with your 3 year old! Next the friction adjustment lever is to be screwed all the way down "Tight" this is the "Gray Area" in your case let your 3 YO tighten it! Youroo!!

Ha! Na I had the on/ off lever loose so there was play in both the lever and bolt. I guess once she removed the lever the bolt was loose enough to back out. I found her squatting next to it holding the pieces. Can't leave a 3 year old alone for a second

[Mammoth]

So I emailed the company, and here's the exact response I received.

"There isn't typically a standard starting point for our friction sway control units, but in your case for a great starting point you will want to loosen the tension bolt till it no longer makes contact with the unit, now tighten it up right till the unit starts to make contact. From there tighten it two complete revolutions and you will have a great starting point."

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Mammoth

So I emailed the company, and here's the exact response I received.

"There isn't typically a standard starting point for our friction sway control units, but in your case for a great starting point you will want to loosen the tension bolt till it no longer makes contact with the unit, now tighten it up right till the unit starts to make contact. From there tighten it two complete revolutions and you will have a great starting point."

That is good advice, not any set rule that I know of. Each unit is different, you just have to drive it, when it sways, stop and tighten it up 1/4 turn and drive again, different driving conditions require different tightness. Woo, no more Wheaties for her....

[TKPINSC]

Originally Posted by Mammoth

Thanks all that makes sense. The instructions say to bottom out the thread on the handle and adjust the nut. But I tried that and it didn't feel right. So I made it as tight as I thought it was before. I guess ill have to tweek it in

first I wouldn't worry how the dealer or former owner adjusted it.

The instructions are sort of correct. It needs to be quite tight to be effective. You probably can't get it too tight by hand, and you probably can't bottom the threads until the friction material has been worn down awhile. If you can move the ends together or pull apart by hand and you are not an olympic weight lifter it isn't tight enough.