Question about equalizer hitch

[OurNewEra]

Check the equalizer manual do not use grease, and the Teflon pads defeat the purpose of the sway control. the metal on metal is how the sway control works. The noise is normal.

If I don't use the pads I get noise from the hitch and noise from the DW. If I use the pads I don't get noise from either.

I will be using the pads unless I feel sway control has been affected. On our trip home this last Monday it was pretty windy and I didn't notice any reduction in sway control.

[jleonard]

I turn the stereo up a little and that silences my hitch.
I'm surprised that was not in the instruction manual.

[Malco1]

If I don't use the pads I get noise from the hitch and noise from the DW. If I use the pads I don't get noise from either.

I will be using the pads unless I feel sway control has been affected. On our trip home this last Monday it was pretty windy and I didn't notice any reduction in sway control.

Use your head, the sway control works by using friction tame the sway, eliminate the friction and loose sway control. The sway control is not needed until it's needed and then you won't have it. It' s your life, but personally I can put up with a little noise for my own safety and the safety of others on the road.

[huntindog]

Use your head, the sway control works by using friction tame the sway, eliminate the friction and loose sway control. The sway control is not needed until it's needed and then you won't have it. It' s your life, but personally I can put up with a little noise for my own safety and the safety of others on the road.

According to your logic, we should be using steel brake pads, so we would have metal to metal friction.... The point is that many materials can provide the needed friction.... The pads that EQUALIZER sells do just that.

I have used the pads for 10 years and over 100,000 miles of towing in some very nasty conditions. The pads work as designed.
I would not grease the L brackets though, if for no other reason than the mess it would make.

[carlmill47]

According to your logic, we should be using steel brake pads, so we would have metal to metal friction.... The point is that many materials can provide the needed friction.... The pads that EQUALIZER sells do just that.

I have used the pads for 10 years and over 100,000 miles of towing in some very nasty conditions. The pads work as designed.
I would not grease the L brackets though, if for no other reason than the mess it would make.

Very simply, the anti-sway works by friction between the bottom of the sprung bar and the L bracket. If you lubricate that bearing surface, you will get less noise but also, LESS anti-sway protection.

Carl

[huntindog]

Very simply, the anti-sway works by friction between the bottom of the sprung bar and the L bracket. If you lubricate that bearing surface, you will get less noise but also, LESS anti-sway protection.

Carl

Please reread my entire post..... Slowly.

I will try to explain it, using an extreme example.
If more friction than needed is better, then why not go for the most friction possible? Break out the welder and weld the bars to the "L" brackets!


Whats that you say, It cannot work that way as the bars MUST slide thru the L brackets! Right O.
But that means that it is not necessary or desireable to have more friction than is needed to acomplish the goal..... Stopping sway. So even "if" the jacket pads do reduce friction, it is irelavant, as the hitch still has more than enough friction to do it's job.

The pads that EQUALIZER sells do just that. They work as designed.

[jleonard]

2 posts said the pads were teflon. The description in Amazon says they are nylon.
Teflon has a very low coefficient of friction ie it is slippery. It is often used to make things slide easier. If it was impregnated with some friction material then I could see it working.
Nylon is also slippery but there are so many variations that it could have some friction qualities and could wear well also.
So far the noise doesn't bother me, but if it gets to that point I'd try the pads.