Short Shank

[Dennis2]

Hello

I have an issue with a little trailer sway that I don’t like. My weight distribution hitch is a husky with torsion bars. This was my first tow with the truck, Ram 1500, crew cab, 5.7, short bed, 4x4, and at about 60 mph the trailer starts to sway a bit not much but more than I would like. I don’t know if it’s the coil springs on the truck or improper WDH set up. To me it looks like the trailer may be not level and tips to the back very slightly. When I hook up the trailer the truck bed drops about 2 inches and the front stays the same. The problem there is no more adjustment in the WDH. A new shank with more holes is need I think. If I where to get a new shank I would also like to get a longer one so my tail gate would open with the trailer attached. Any advice would be appreciated. Dennis2

 

[14hemiexpress]

Couple things off the top. 1 I wouldnt think you would want to stick the hitch out any further that will only give the trailer more leverage than it already has. 2 hows the air pressure in your tires? And lastly sense everyone else is going to want to know what's the weight of the trailer and have you put it on a scale to see if its balanced.

If the truck squats 2 inches and the front stays the same that sounds like the right amount of weight on the truck but that doesnt mean that's the right amount of tounge weight for the trailer.

 

[Dennis2]

The tire pressure on all the trailer tires is 65 psi and the trailer weighs about 6200 pounds. My truck weighs 6120 pounds with wife and full tank of gas. That only leaves me with 980 pounds cargo capacity not quite what I expected. So much for over 11000 pounds tow capacity and 17,000 combined.
The truck tires are 45 psi cold. They are on/off road 7 ply tire. Not sure if I was to follow the tire pressure recommendations on tires or truck post readings. I’m new to all this as you might guess.
The scales only show my steer axle weight and drive axle but no trailer axle. Really don’t know how to position trailer on scales. I use the cat scales at truck stops.
I don’t know the hitch weight or how to measure it.

 

[392DevilDog]

At the scales there are 3 pads.

Steer
Drive
Trailer.

It does sound like you have a properly matched trailer to your truck.

The slight amount of sway is most likely because your trailer weighs more than the truck.

I find the ESC based trailer sway control works fine on my setup.

I have no trailer sway and I do not use a WDH with my setup.

Granted I have way more truck than trailer.

65 seems awfully high for trailer tires...but I am guessing that is what it calls for.

As you can see here...this is a proper CAT scale slip.

One with just the Truck (loaded with camp wood)

And one with the truck and trailer

When you pull on the pads look like 3 seperate sections of concrete.

Pull on til your front are on the first and your rear are just past the 2nd.

As you can tell my truck is very planted when towing. My trailer barely weighs more than my drive axle weight.

I have very relaxed tows

 

[392DevilDog]

To measure your hitch weight you do 3 weighs.

The order doesnt matter but you need all 3

1st just truck

2nd truck with WDH disconnected.

3rd truck with WDH hooked up.

First pay is usually 12 bucks then each one after for 24 hours is 2 bucks.

 

[392DevilDog]

Is your truck a 5th Gen DT with 3.92 rear gear?

 

[Dennis2]

The truck is 5th gen with 3.92 rear axle ratio

This is the second weighing I did which doesn’t make sense to me.

Steer axle 3700 pounds
Drive axle 6160
Trailer axle 2400
Gross weight 12260 pounds

How can the trailer axle weight be only 2400 pounds the trailer dry weight is over 4000 pounds. I thought I had both the trailer axles on the third pad. But come to think of it now one axle may have been on the drive pad. I think I was trying to weigh each axle separately. I was in a hurry as we were heading to the campsite.

time to weigh again I guess.

 

[Dennis2]

392devildog

not sure what you mean. I have the truck weight without the WDH. You say weigh with and without WDH. Is that with the trailer attached? Sorry but I don’t understand.

 

[392DevilDog]

Without the bars attached.

So you can see how much weight you need to transfer back to the steer axle and how much you have.

Then it is just simple math

Take the truck only numbers and then the truck and trailer WDH bars unhooked.

Subtract the axle weights and you got the tongue weight.

Once you get the numbers we can help with the math.

If you have any other questions ask. Hope this is clearer. I will explain how I do it in the next post

 

[392DevilDog]

At home set up trailer and truck to haul how you always would.

Drive to CAT scales.

Drive onto scale. Steer, drive, trailer axle on each of the 3 pads.

Drive to parking lot and unhook the trailer. Go get scale slip.

Drive onto scale with truck and hitch and bars.

Drive back to trailer. Get slip. Hook trailer back up. Do not connect the bars.

Drive back on. Drive off and park and get slip.

Compare the weights. You can wait til the end to get the slips all at once if you prefer

 

[392DevilDog]

Also if the scales are not busy. You could unhook your bars while you are on them and just reweigh then. However is easiest for you

 

[Quyonmob]

Numbers show too much of the trailers weight on the rear axle, and too little being transferred to the front. And too little remaining on the trailers axle itself

Try to get the Trailer level and more tension on the WD bars, then see how it rides.

 

[392DevilDog]

The truck is 5th gen with 3.92 rear axle ratio

This is the second weighing I did which doesn’t make sense to me.

Steer axle 3700 pounds
Drive axle 6160
Trailer axle 2400
Gross weight 12260 pounds

How can the trailer axle weight be only 2400 pounds the trailer dry weight is over 4000 pounds. I thought I had both the trailer axles on the third pad. But come to think of it now one axle may have been on the drive pad. I think I was trying to weigh each axle separately. I was in a hurry as we were heading to the campsite.

time to weigh again I guess.

You must have one of the trailer axles on the 2nd pad.

Your drive axle rating is 4100 pounds.

You pulled too far forward.

 

[392DevilDog]

That is saying your truck weighs 9860...umm my 2500 only weighed that with a full load of wood.

Your front axle is under the 3900 GAWR.

Your rear axle should be under 4100.

Your trailer should weigh more.

You are well under the 17000 GCWR.

You put the steer axle in the right place. You put the drive axle in the right place.

You put the one trailer axle on the 2nd pad and the rear traiker axle where it was supposed to be.

You need to stay back.

Your almost there

I would say you are set up well.

 

[392DevilDog]

Sorry, I didnt see your post with the numbers earlier.

I see you did realize you pulled to far forward.

Front axle of truck on 1st pad.

Rear axle of truck on 2nd pad

Both axles of trailer on 3rd pad

 

[MikeG71]

~this is just my 2 cents I am definitely no towing expert ......

I run 60 psi in our Camper tires (also max cold psi @ 65), our camper's GVW is 7400+ fully loaded. I would definitely air up the truck tires, adding the (camper's) weight to the truck will make the tires flatten down some, which I'm sure that that will cause the ass end of your rig to be skating a little helping to promote the extra sway in the trailer. My comparison doesn't apply since I have a 2500 (and I may not even be doing this "correctly") but... I have 285/70R17 E load rated tires that I usually run at 65 psi. When I'm hooked up to the camper I set the rear tires to 75 psi (max cold is 80). I did pull it a few time last year forgetting to air up since we were in a hurry and I did notice a slight difference in the handling characteristics Definitely make sure the WDH is dialed in so the load is spread evenly (as mentioned above) that will make all the difference. I have pulled a few times is some heavy wind heading to the OR coast, I have never really had any sway. The worst I when the big gusts of wind hit my rig will get pushed to which ever side but I have yet to fight any sway keeping it under control/ in my lane.

 

[Elkman]

Sway is the result of inadequate load support from the springs. I would look at the trailer's suspension first as this is a place where trailer manufacturers tend to cut corners as customers do not see it. I recall reading about spring mounts breaking off on Jayco trailers due to a poor design.

Go to RV.net and other trailer owner websites where there are likely to be subforums for your trailer and see if others have reported the same problem and what they have done to fix the problem.

With rear coil springs on the truck your options are very limited. SumoSprings may help but they have a relatively short warranty period. I recommend if going this route to talk to the people at etrailer.com as I have found them to be both very knowledgeable and very helpful.

 

[Reamer]

I had some sway with my 1500 and trailer combo. I moved some weight (200 lbs) forward in the trailer and no more sway.

 

[jawzs2]

How much higher is the front of the trailer as compared to the back? As stated before, sounds like tongue weight could be your issue. Here's a couple of vids on the effect of too little tongue weight.



My trailer is 33', 7,800 lbs loaded, running a 785 lb tongue weight, Reese WDH with sway control and experience absolutely no sway what so ever, not even when big rigs fly by me. I feel a tiny bit of initial pull from the turbulence, but that's it.

It's probably just your set up that needs fine tuning, nothing a little research, reading, and adjusting shouldn't be able to fix.

 

[Reamer]

I had some sway with my 1500 and trailer combo. I moved some weight (200 lbs) forward in the trailer and no more sway.

I also added a 4” trailer lift, and aligned the axles. The alignment he’d been quite off.
Then I added heavier batteries and solar panels to the front. I think it was the shift in weight and to some extent the alignment that stopped the sway.