EAZ Sway Control problem!

[Boilermaker59]

What did I do wrong? Apparently the sway control seized up and ripped the ball off the frame mount. This is my 11th trip with the sway control, and I hooked it up the same as I always do. I was shocked when I saw this! It was really windy this day. Wind about 15-20 mph, but I would think that's when you actually need a sway control. We were driving about 65 mph down the interstate. I did not make any tight turns that I can remember, and I didn't even hear this happen. Any thoughts before I buy another one and destroy it too?

[youroo]

Sharp left hand turn,and you "Won't Hear it"! Double check your Install distance,Ball to Ball! Youroo!!

[Boilermaker59]

Originally Posted by youroo

Sharp left hand turn,and you "Won't Hear it"! Double check your Install distance,Ball to Ball! Youroo!!

That was my first thought too, but wouldn't a right hand turn make the ball sheer off the other direction? Towards the rear of the trailer. This is a right hand sway control. Mounted on the passenger side of the trailer.

I'll double check the install distance.

[mwdilday]

Originally Posted by youroo

Sharp left hand turn,and you "Won't Hear it"! Double check your Install distance,Ball to Ball! Youroo!!

Ditto

[thebrakeman]

I've never seen nor heard of that happening on any forum. Typically, damage is done when somebody turns to sharp in the closing direction, bottoms out the unit, and it acts like a solid bar.

However, in the above scenario, the usual result is a bent plate up at the receiver end (usually NOT a WDH head, but the little add-on plate to a standard drawbar). Again, I've never seen the swayball plate damaged. I can tell you, as an engineer, that this is not a faulty weld. Note that that weld remained intact (as it should) and the pulled "parent material" from the base plate. That is how a weld should behave when pulled apart.

So, I would either say:
a. The baseplate is not the correct material. This would take you a lot of money to prove, not worth it, and likely not the case.
b. Baseplate not installed in the correct location (as others have speculated already). I doubt this is the case, as it's not difficult to measure. But you should confirm.

c. This is my guess. You have somehow managed to over-tighten the sway controller such that under straight-line towing, the bar is not moving thru the clamp section. In other words, during a turn, there is enough force to overcome the tremendous clamp force. But driving straight, the relatively small side-to-side sway on the highway is not enough side-force to overcome the clamp. Instead, the small side-to-side forces are going straight thru the sway controller, and putting that ball into constant fatigue loading. If you could send a close-up picture of the tear zone in the plate, I might be able to confirm fatigue loading.

My recommendations. Either:
A. Buy a new WDH with integrated sway control, or
B. Replace the friction sway control ball with a new plate/ball. Then, be sure to set up the sway controller properly with the instructions.


You should have the on/off handle tightened all the way, but you need to have the adjuster bolt (which is 2-3 inches from the handle) ONLY tight enough to prevent sway, and no more. This requires several test drives, taking a wrench with you for adjustments.

[thebrakeman]

Nevermind. The picture you provided is enough to confirm fatigue loading.
See the rust on the outer portion of the tear-zone, yet the inner portion is shiny?


That indicates that the fracture occurred over time. The initial crack opened up during one of the earlier trips. It kept opening up more and more with every mile driven. During that time, moisture entered the crack, and started corroding. When the crack was large enough, the remaining material could no longer support the load, and it ripped the rest of the way thru (the shiny part).


If this had happened due to a single overload event, there would be no corrosion.

[Boilermaker59]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

Nevermind. The picture you provided is enough to confirm fatigue loading.
See the rust on the outer portion of the tear-zone, yet the inner portion is shiny?


That indicates that the fracture occurred over time. The initial crack opened up during one of the earlier trips. It kept opening up more and more with every mile driven. During that time, moisture entered the crack, and started corroding. When the crack was large enough, the remaining material could no longer support the load, and it ripped the rest of the way thru (the shiny part).

Thanks for your analysis! That was my suspicion that I had it to tight some how. I did read the manual, but it just mentions "bottoming out the bolt" when tightening it. I was cranking it pretty hard to get it tight. I guess too tight. I drove it once with factory setting, and it had too much sway. I tightened the adjustment bolt 1/4 turn and that's it. Seemed to take the sway out.

What you are saying makes a lot of sense to me. I won't crank as hard on the on/off lever in the future.

[CaptnJohn]

JMO but I'd not sell it or even give it away. I would get an Equalizer 4 point with sway control built in.

[510Rick]

Some times there's just a crappy weld . Sometimes its not your fault .

[Boilermaker59]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

JMO but I'd not sell it or even give it away. I would get an Equalizer 4 point with sway control built in.

I'd love an Equalizer 4 point! Would you like to fund my new WDH?

[Evereddie]

This happened to me also a month ago. On mine though I attributed it to an earlier trip when the trailer fell off the ball after just starting to move when leaving the campsite. For the life of me I can't figure out how the trailer came off the ball. I'm sure it weakened the sway bar ball and in the next trip it broke free.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by 510Rick

Some times there's just a crappy weld . Sometimes its not your fault .

The weld did not fail. The fatigue fracture was the base-plate. if you look, you can see that every bit of the weld is still in 1 piece, and has the full thickness of baseplate fused to the weld.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Boilermaker59

I'd love an Equalizer 4 point! Would you like to fund my new WDH?

Should have asked 4 months ago when I gave one away while cleaning out the garage.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

The weld did not fail. The fatigue fracture was the base-plate. if you look, you can see that every bit of the weld is still in 1 piece, and has the full thickness of baseplate fused to the weld.

X 2. Now we have 2 like failures.

[pdqparalegal1]

Take it to a good welding shop have them hammer it back in place and redo the weld. Stronger than new. This type of repair is not rocket surgery or brain science