Using Two Friction Sway Control Bars on a 2008 Nissan Xterra Towing a Boat

Question:

Hello,I just bought and installed two, 83660 friction anti sway bars from you. I have not trailered the boat yet, but a guy I know, says that he was told not to use two of them together, because they will work against each other. I dont think so. What do you think? I have one on the left and one on the right side of the trailer.

asked by: Mark E

Expert Reply:

You can definitely use two of the Reese Friction Sway Control Kits, item # 83660, together. The only recommendation I would make is to be aware that when backing the trailer in tight situations you should probably remove the sway controls. This would be true for one as well as two sway controls.

I would like to point out that your best defense against sway is proper trailer loading. Sway is usually caused by not having enough tongue weight and can be dangerous. If you have installed the sway controls to combat sway that occurs due to high wind conditions or passing large vehicles then you are good. If you are installing the sway controls to stop sway that is occurring when a particular speed is reached then you should look into why the trailer is swaying. Usually repositioning the load in the trailer to provide between 10 and 15 percent tongue weight is the answer. If the extra tongue weight causes the rear end of your vehicle to sag, then weight distribution would be a good idea (see link).

expert reply by: Robert G