Can and Should you Use a Sway Control without a Weight Distribution System

Question:

I am still trying to determine if I should just add sway control w/o a Weight Distribution Hitch or if I should get a Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Control.

asked by: Daniel Z

Expert Reply:

If you are perfectly happy with how your 2017 Ram 1500 is handling the weight of your trailer and you only want to address the sway, we definitely have a sway control for you.

It's the Curt Friction Sway Control, part # 17200. This includes the piece to mount to your trailer frame and the piece to weld onto your ball mount along with everything needed to get this working. It can be mounted to either side of the trailer frame and uses friction to control the sway.

I've linked to a video review of this sway control for you to look at.

expert reply by: Kef G

Daniel Z.

2/15/2021

I am still trying to determine if I should just add sway control w/o a Weight Distribution Hitch or if I should get a Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Control.

Kef G.

2/15/2021

If you are still wondering if you should get a WD hitch with sway control or just the sway control alone, I recommend going with a full WD hitch. The reason for this is because it will help with that squatting problem. Even if the truck is squatting evenly, it's still under a load that prevents optimum performance. The WD hitch will alleviate some of that squatting, giving you even better control of your truck and trailer. Another benefit is not having to weld anything on since any good WD hitch will have integrated sway control that's much easier to hook up. Looking at the Blue Ox TrackPro, part # BLU36FR, which I highly recommend as it fits your application's weight perfectly, you can see that the sway control comes from the sliding arms that clamp around the trailer's frame. There is no welding, and it fits right into your 2" receiver. This is the best way to go. The only thing you need to ensure is that your hitch is rated for a WD system.