Can Friction Sway Control Be Used Along with Electronic Sway Control Systems

Updated 04/04/2017 | Published 04/03/2017

Products Featured in This Question

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System w/ 4-Point Sway Control - 10,000 lbs GTW, 1,000 lbs TW

(843)

$700.42

Curt Friction Sway Control for Weight Distribution Systems

(324)

$76.84

Question:

After I install the electronic sway control, is the friction sway control still needed? Should it be removed? Or just leave it for additional control?

asked by: JasonC

Expert Reply:

The main difference between a friction bar sway control unit like # 17200 and an electronic unit is when they will operate on the trailer sway.

The friction units work to stop the trailer from swaying while the electronic systems must wait for sway to start and be detected before they operate to try to correct it. It is possible to use both at once but this combination will not be nearly as effective as a good weight distribution/sway control (WD/SC) hitch set-up.

Rather than use either/both of these items I would use a properly-rated WD/SC system tuned to your fully loaded trailer's actual tongue weight (TW). The key to choosing one is knowing your fully-loaded trailer TW and to this adding the weight of any cargo in the tow vehicle that sits behind the rear axle, such as a full cooler or generator.

With this total effective TW known you can choose a WD/SC system that will give you the desired shift of trailer TW forward to the vehicle front axle (to restore steering and braking performance) but without causing any weird handling side-effects from the system being too stiff. Ideally your total TW will fall into the middle of the operating range for the WD system you select. We offer a TW scale # e99044 but other methods for determining this are outlined in the article linked for you.

I also linked our main page for WD/SC systems that fit a 2-inch hitch. Click on your total TW to see suitable options. For example, the Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System # EQ37100ET works over a TW range from 600- to 1000-lbs. This makes this specific system ideal for an 800-lb total TW.

expert reply by: Adam R