Sway bar Needed?

[Kbrock]

I just purchased a 2013 Tracer Ultra Lite 2700RES about 6,000lbs. I will be pulling with a 2020 Chevy Trail Boss with a 6.2, should i install a sway bar and what is a good brand? Curt, B&W, Husky, Equalizer

[Refugee99]

I would. I don’t know that the brand is as important as getting it setup correctly. When I got mine, I looked at the equal-I-zer and Centerline. Went with the Centerline because that’s what the dealer stocked. Have put 1200 freeway miles on in high wind and I’ll tell you what, having it on there and balanced seemed to make a huge difference. Plus, peace of mind for me. After that drive, if I wouldn’t have had one on there I would be putting one on now. When those trucks would go by with the wind at just the wrong angle, we really got moved around. Good thing is, with the Centerline on there, we seemed to move more as one unit rather than two.

Take it for what it’s worth. I’m fairly new to this, but I wouldn’t dare tow something over 4000 lbs without one.

[TXiceman]

Actually what you need is an equalizer hitch with sway control. The bars are weight distributing bars. On a smaller trailer, you can use a friction type sway control.

The weight bars transfer some of the weight from the trailer tongue to the tow vehicle front axle to help level the vehicle and improve ride and handling.

With a properly balanced trailer, the weight distribution and sway control may not be necessary.....UNTIL you get that one wind gust and starts the rig to swaying.

Ken

[move on]

Some trailer sway is normal and not dangerous. The SAE actually has a standard for acceptable trailer sway. When a sway disturbance is induced into the rig the sway oscillations are measured and the tow vehicle has to dampen them at a damping ratio of 0.1 or greater at a speed of 100 kph. What this means is that the trailer sway will diminish until after 3 or 4 oscillations it is mostly gone. The number 0.1 was chosen because it was determined that most people are still comfortable with a damping ratio of 0.07. The sway doesn't actually become deadly until the damping ratio approaches zero. Below this point each oscillation is greater than the previous one, leading to the type of accidents that we've all seen in the YouTube videos. This typically is caused by a combination of a badly loaded trailer, an undersized tow vehicle and too much speed.

[xc-mark]

Originally Posted by Kbrock

I just purchased a 2013 Tracer Ultra Lite 2700RES about 6,000lbs. I will be pulling with a 2020 Chevy Trail Boss with a 6.2, should i install a sway bar and what is a good brand? Curt, B&W, Husky, Equalizer

100% your going to want a sway control on a 1/2 ton truck pulling 7500lbs! I would suggest getting a hitch like the equalizer or something similar. I don't suggest the old friction style your going to want something that prevents sway more then the old brake style can provide. The Curt copy or the Ox blue would work. the only thing I don't like about any of the equalizer style is the fact you need to jack the back of the truck/ trailer up to get the bars on. The ox blue use a chain crank up that seams to be a better idea, sometimes you need a block of wood under the jack and flat ground the other style.

that trailer is 6000lbs with NOTHING in it . no battery ,no water , No propane no gear , no food , no beer ,ect.