When and Why Should a Friction Sway Control Bar be Disconnected from a Trailer

Updated 08/13/2018 | Published 08/10/2018

Question:

Under what conditions should I disconnect my Curt sway bar on my Casita trailer? I thought I read that the sway bar should be disconnected when going in reverse. If so, why? What happens if I dont.

asked by: Steve97520

Expert Reply:

If you are backing up in a straight line then you would not have to disconnect the Curt friction sway control bar # 17200. But if you are backing up at an angle then you would need to disconnect it. Also you would need to disconnect it in inclement weather.

The issue with backing up is that force is applied to the bar differently than when it is fighting trailer sway. The result can be damage to the bar, the trailer, or both. There is some complicated physics and math involved to explain how the force applied is different but it is all Greek to me!

For inclement weather the sway bar can actually make sway worse. Inclement weather would include freezing rain, snow, and sometimes rain though it really depends on road conditions in terms of rain.

expert reply by: Michael H