[A/S] Re: Towing questions

[Tony Turner <tsturner@xxxxxxxx>]

  Umm  Brad,  there seems to be some confusion about terminology here.
The sway bar on the rear suspension of your truck is an important safety
related device, however, it has only a minor effect on trailer towing 
stability.
It's there to prevent excessive body role of the tow vehicle.

The anti-sway devices to prevent trailer sway (fishtailing) should be called
anti-yaw devices.  There function is to control the trailer and keep it from
jackknifing or up setting the directional stability of the tow vehicle.
There are several types of such devices.  The most common is the is the
friction sway control which uses the rubbing of two or more surfaces
together as the hitch moves from side to side, to convert any fishtailing
energy into heat.  Some do this with a bar and pads others use the hitch's
spring bars rubbing on cams.  The "Pull-right" hitch does it by moving the
pivot point very close to the rear axle of the tow vehicle (like a fifth wheel
trailer).  The Hensley hitch does it with a mechanical linkage that simulates
moving the pivot point close to the rear axle.

I hope this helps clear things up,

Tony  KC9BTA
'00 28' Airstream Excella
'03 Chevy 2500 Duramax/Allison
Hensley Arrow hitch