Can Any Weight Distribution Shank and Head be Used with Any Brand of Spring Bar

Question:

I recently purchased a used Trailet NYorker trailer that came with sway bars and welded brackets on the trailer for the chains. What do I need to purchase to be able to utilize the sway bars that I have. Pulling with a toyota sequoia. Many thanks!

asked by: Donna

Expert Reply:

To determine if any of the weight distribution heads and shanks are going to work with the brackets that are welded to the trailer frame you will need to determine the brand of the bars and brackets. Or, if that is not feasible I would need to know what the distance is from the center of the ball cavity of the coupler back along the frame to the center point of the welded-on brackets.

The sway bars, which are actually spring bars (sway bars are something else), for each system are different meaning that you can't use any spring bar in any weight distribution head.

Shanks are more universal but you will still want to match up the head and the shank. Since you need a head and a shank, and possibly new bars and/or brackets, it would be easier and might even cost about he same to get a new system.

I would be happy to make some recommendations if you can tell me the total tongue weight of the set up. This is calculated by taking the tongue weight of the trailer, when loaded and ready to tow, and adding to that the weight of anything loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. I have included some links that should help.

expert reply by: Michael H