How Did I Manage to Destroy My Anti-Sway Bar?

[planecrashlaw]

Just made our “maiden” voyage in out new 33.5 foot Salem 241 RKSS-having just traded in our 26 foot 2017 QBXL Cruise Lite. After a 2.5 hour drive down very straight highways and freeways, I arrive to find my anti-sway bar handging off the hitch attach point. The frame attach point was bent almost 45 degrees out, with the 2 aft heavy self tapping screws pulled. The only turn I made was a left hand at our storage lot, which was somewhat tight but not close to jackknifing.

I’ll get this fixed, but can someone help me understand how this might have happened so I can avoid a repeat? Did I have the bar too tight? That is the only thing I consciously changed due to increases weight and the fact we were on I-75 with a 75 MPH limit and lots of trucks. Same hitch as before.

Thanks.

[bshort]

Too tight or backed up with it.

[TitanMike]

Was the ball installed in the right position? If too far forward he moving bar would have bottomed out and the the ball had to move or break.

When getting it fixed make sure to check to see if it's in the right position. Check manual for proper dimensions.

[BriaBeck]

Also, the self tapping screws may not be the best fasteners for the job.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

Also, the self tapping screws may not be the best fasteners for the job.

But wouldn't a better fastener do more damage to the frame? Sometimes it's better to have a sacrificial part.

[BriaBeck]

This is true... but whomever installed this bracket could have overtorqued the self tappers, thereby weakening them. The OP may actually have done nothing at all wrong, and just had two weak self tappers. Next weakest link in the chain is the bracket where it bent.

[Kaadk]

It definitely looks like that left turn is what did it for you. However, I have doubts it's just from hand tightening it. Even without the missing set of self tappers, it'd take a lot of force to bend that steel. The friction pad on the anti-sway should have failed first between those two. The way the plate is rotated, the ball is farther back from the tongue, so it might be possible the anti-sway reached it's maximum distance and then when it couldn't extend anymore, something had to give. I'd be looking at your measurements compared to the the specs and making sure it was installed in the right location. You may need to flip that plate over and install the ball closer to the tongue (provided that plate/ball can be salvaged.)

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by bshort

Too tight or backed up with it.

X2

[IsleDog]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

It definitely looks like that left turn is what did it for you. However, I have doubts it's just from hand tightening it. Even without the missing set of self tappers, it'd take a lot of force to bend that steel. The friction pad on the anti-sway should have failed first between those two. The way the plate is rotated, the ball is farther back from the tongue, so it might be possible the anti-sway reached it's maximum distance and then when it couldn't extend anymore, something had to give. I'd be looking at your measurements compared to the the specs and making sure it was installed in the right location. You may need to flip that plate over and install the ball closer to the tongue (provided that plate/ball can be salvaged.)

You cant really over extend them. i thought the same with mine, as i was worried. If you loosen that bar all the way, it comes out, there is nothing holding it in. i would suspect stripped out threads from the install, wrong location, or backing up. any welding shop can weld that on for you.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

You cant really over extend them. i thought the same with mine, as i was worried. If you loosen that bar all the way, it comes out, there is nothing holding it in. i would suspect stripped out threads from the install, wrong location, or backing up. any welding shop can weld that on for you.

I've pulled mine out and hit what felt like a 'stop'. Maybe if it was looser, it'd fall out, but at the 'just able to slide it by hand' tightness I had it at, it stopped. Course I didn't try to force it either, I was just pulling it out to hook it up.

I don't see how backing up could have done this, unless it was backed to the left. Normally, the damage from backing up is caused on the side that goes short, when it can't collapse anymore, and then the ball would be forced rearward, not pulled forward.

[RVPP]

Had mine fail also, but the 'socket' broke. This happened stopping for fuel off I95. Made a heck of a bang. There was a Camping World a few miles north and I bought a replacement. I pay more attention to it now :-)

[kc5mhb]

Originally Posted by planecrashlaw

Just made our “maiden” voyage in out new 33.5 foot Salem 241 RKSS-having just traded in our 26 foot 2017 QBXL Cruise Lite. After a 2.5 hour drive down very straight highways and freeways, I arrive to find my anti-sway bar handging off the hitch attach point. The frame attach point was bent almost 45 degrees out, with the 2 aft heavy self tapping screws pulled. The only turn I made was a left hand at our storage lot, which was somewhat tight but not close to jackknifing.

I’ll get this fixed, but can someone help me understand how this might have happened so I can avoid a repeat? Did I have the bar too tight? That is the only thing I consciously changed due to increases weight and the fact we were on I-75 with a 75 MPH limit and lots of trucks. Same hitch as before.

Thanks.

Someone mentioned welding to the frame. Voids your warranty if the camper is new. I'd suggest moving away from all of that to a 4 point hitch or something better. Those friction ez-sway bars are not the best anymore.

[Bama Rambler]

The way that is bent means that the bar got over extended and pulled the ball mount loose. That means that either the bar was much too tight, or the bracket was possibly mounted too far back on the tongue. I think it was probably tightened too much.

[Thurman]

I'm with others thinking that my sway bar does not have a built-in stop, it will slide all the way out when the clamp bolt is loose. But-who knows? When hooking up for a trip some time back I noticed that four of the self drilling/tapping bolts used for the sway control ball had backed out a bit. When I tried to tighten them down they felt "soft" so I made sure I did not strip them out. After getting home I removed all of them and it did indeed look as if the bolts had been over tightened by the dealer who sold me this TT. I went back with grade 8 bolts that went all the way through the frame and NyLock nuts with flat washers. No problems since. A friend of mine discovered that the part you clamp to the frame for the chains to attach to had been sliding back and forth on the frame even though the bolt was tight. Again bolts all the way through the frame for that one.

[D W]

Originally Posted by bshort

Too tight or backed up with it.

Or a hard jackknife turn to the left going forward. Rod got fully extended and pulled the ball bracket.

[planecrashlaw]

Originally Posted by bshort

Too tight or backed up with it.

No backing involved. I always disconnect the bar when backing, and in this case did not need to when I got to the campground since it was already off by that time.

Will go lighter on the tightening and have the basic installation checked.

Thanks to all

[spydunks]

I would connect it up and make a slow turn in a parking lot to see where it is binding. My suspect is that the left turn caused the hitch to impact the sway control and ripped it laterally away from the frame. The self tapping screws were the weakest link.

[youroo]

We are only seeing part of the equation, really need to see the other ball mount location and the bar itself! Also were the R-clip pins bent? This was a "Foward and Left Injury" No Backing involved! Need Pics of All Parts for "Proper CSI"! Youroo! !

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by planecrashlaw

Just made our “maiden” voyage in out new 33.5 foot Salem 241 RKSS-having just traded in our 26 foot 2017 QBXL Cruise Lite. After a 2.5 hour drive down very straight highways and freeways, I arrive to find my anti-sway bar handging off the hitch attach point. The frame attach point was bent almost 45 degrees out, with the 2 aft heavy self tapping screws pulled. The only turn I made was a left hand at our storage lot, which was somewhat tight but not close to jackknifing.

I’ll get this fixed, but can someone help me understand how this might have happened so I can avoid a repeat? Did I have the bar too tight? That is the only thing I consciously changed due to increases weight and the fact we were on I-75 with a 75 MPH limit and lots of trucks. Same hitch as before.

Thanks.

Make sure who ever installed it set it up right,,, have someone check and see if the distance between balls is right !!! If they are to close all kinds things can get broken !!!

[planecrashlaw]

Originally Posted by youroo

Need Pics of All Parts for "Proper CSI"! Youroo! !

Here is exactly how I found things. Pin still attached. Bar is original position and tightness.