Does Trailer Hitch Ball And Sway Control Ball Need To Be Level

Question:

Im planning to order a Curt 17200 friction sway control to use with the Curt D320 ball mount with factory-welded sway control ball mounting tab, along with a Curt C40033 2inch ball with a 1inch rise on the base of the ball. My trailer has dual torsion axles, and I need the 1inch rise ball combined with the 2inch ball mount to get the trailer absolutely level - important since it doesnt have leaf spring equalizers. My concern is that the 1inch rise of the hitch ball will raise it above the mounting level of the sway control ball by 1, which means that the sway control device wont be level - it will slope downwards by 1inch toward the front of the tongue. Im guessing that this will marginally reduce the effectiveness of the sway control, but should be able to compensate for that by increasing the friction setting. Will this 1inch slope cause any problems that I might not be thinking of? Thanks.

asked by: Mcphee314

Expert Reply:

The Curt Friction Sway Control, part # 17200 has a mounting plate for the trailer that can be moved either up or down to let you install the sway control unit level.

I called my contact at Curt and they told me that installing the unit and having a 1 inch difference will not affect the performance and will work just fine. You do not want to increase the friction setting too much or you could have problems. You always want to adjust the tension by 1/4 turns.

You should always remember to disconnect the sway control when backing up as well.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L