On the road question about wd hitch adjuments

[Cdentler]

Hi everyone,
My wife, daughter( 1 yr old), and I started in south Texas and are currently in the smoky mountains in Tn. I noticed that the sway bars weren’t sitting flush on the mounts and that the where the sway bars mount to the hitch is getting uneven wear. I put some grease on the sway bar mounts to see where it was making contact. This is how it was set up when we left the rev dealer...Do y’all think I should move the ball up a notch? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/64eb456f20bebcdf54eae82747a40755.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/4080f14b93284ad6d21072bcf3b01dc1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/57b0c1a7e1f2c4aa0e34bc5fc34e3db7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/197b1aeba809a280f2f27cdb8e47ab02.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/b0cb916e6a7bfb9f54c78fad20b0ad01.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/3b1feaf4c91748b39e68507562999a2f.jpg


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[imenzies76]

Hi there..im not an expert at the wdh but does the weight of the trailer exceed the hitch? When your hooked up are the bars super tight? Could the uneven wear be caused because of an uneven load on the right or left side?
Just throwing stuff out there.

[Gegrad]

The wear on the "L" brackets on the trailer is normal. It only appears you have worn the paint off the brackets, which is completely normal. Those brackets provide the friction that prevents sway. There should not be any grease on the "L" brackets at all= that would defeat the whole purpose of the system.

I am not familiar enough with that hitch setup to comment on the wear on the bars themselves.

[Tbos]

If the bars are parallel to the frame then you may need to adjust the L brackets so they are perpendicular to the frame and bars.


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[Cdentler]

If the bars are parallel to the frame then you may need to adjust the L brackets so they are perpendicular to the frame and bars.


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The man at the dealer had brought the “L” brackets to the top holes because one hole less was really tight and I had to jack my truck a LONG ways up..


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[Cdentler]

I wiped off the grease and this is what I found. The first 2 pics are left side and next 2 are the right side

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/c8675b428aed11afc1c194cd941aa625.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/bbf786b5b6d81f4cb48d9b17b0b61427.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/4ee5b34fef28078ef5e4073a021e1e5c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171205/cbcbd04af658cb2c45ed2551b4b5fd0e.jpg


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[Frank G]

If you do not have the installation instructions for this hitch with you get them off of the internet. Have a safe trip.

[sourdough]

I am not familiar with that hitch but, it very much appears the set up is not correct. There should be wear on the L brackets but it should be across the bracket, not at a severe angle on one edge. I would suggest getting the installation instructions and readjusting. As far as lubricant, I have an equalizer and it calls for lube on the L brackets and the pivot points on the head as well as the ball.

[Gegrad]

Yeah, as Sourdough suggested, the wear should be even across the L brackets, not just on one edge. Something on your setup needs to be adjusted. Check the manual for specific direction on how to adjust. I would think that kind of wear should be a troubleshooting item.

[sourdough]

I am not familiar with that hitch but, it very much appears the set up is not correct. There should be wear on the L brackets but it should be across the bracket, not at a severe angle on one edge. I would suggest getting the installation instructions and readjusting. As far as lubricant, I have an equalizer and it calls for lube on the L brackets and the pivot points on the head as well as the ball.


Reviewing the pics again it looks like it may have been adjusted better in the past by looking at what appears to be more even wear marks on the L bracket. Had it been run in a different position in the past? Are the bars the proper ones for the setup? Moving the head position because the truck had to be jacked up a bit isn't really the way you're supposed to adjust the hitch head. The instructions are going to be the way to get this fixed IMO.

[Cdentler]

Reviewing the pics again it looks like it may have been adjusted better in the past by looking at what appears to be more even wear marks on the L bracket. Had it been run in a different position in the past? Are the bars the proper ones for the setup? Moving the head position because the truck had to be jacked up a bit isn't really the way you're supposed to adjust the hitch head. The instructions are going to be the way to get this fixed IMO.



The L brackets and hitch have never been used in a different position. I was able to find an online manual. We will see what it says when I get time.


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[Ken / Claudia]

Not seeing how the safety chains connect and hang while turning got me thinking to ask. Could the safety chains be in contact with the bars near the hitch causing those rub marks?

[JRTJH]

Your trailer hitch is not adjusted properly. That said, how do you adjust it properly? First, download the hitch installation/user instructions at: http://www.fastwaytrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/e2_roundbar_instructions_0710_small.pdf and read them completely. Then go to your hitch and read them again, "walking through the installation" as you do. Then, after you "understand" how the hitch is supposed to be installed, compare what you see to what the instructions say you "should see". Then, after you have resolved the changes that need to be made, proceed to the adjustment section of the manual. Carefully adjust based on "actual measurements" not on "it was hard to hitch" conditions.

Keep in mind this statement which is on page 8: "The setup may need to be changed slightly at times to accommodate changes in your towing configuration, perhaps even during the same trip."

Now, keep in mind that any suggestions you receive are based on information available and NONE of us have the "luxury" of actually being able to see, touch or adjust your rig. That said, some observations I see from the limited views in the photos you posted.
1. Your hitch head seems to be pointed down more than it should, causing the bars to "angle up" to be level with the trailer A frame. That will cause the wear you're seeing on the bars (where they insert into the hitch head). There are specific instructions in the manual on page 18 on how to adjust the angle by adding/removing spacer washers on the hitch head.
2. Your "L angle" brackets show wear on the front edge. This indicates that the bars are not riding "level" on the surface of the "L angle" bracket. Adjusting the hitch head to be more level AND adjusting the hitch head (either up or down) will allow the WD bars to sit more level on the "L angle" brackets, eliminating the abnormal wear.
3. You have grease on the "L angle" bracket surface. There should be no grease in that area. That is covered on page 14: "It is not necessary to apply lubricant to the joint where the spring arms rest on the L-bracket. This may decrease the amount of friction at this joint which could prevent the hitch from dampening trailer sway as well as possible." Think of it along the same lines as putting grease on your brake shoes to keep them sliding easier. That decreases the ability to provide the friction needed to dampen the sway.

I'd urge you to download the manual, spend a few hours reading and comparing what the manual says and what you see on your hitch. It's apparent that the person who installed and adjusted your hitch/trailer/tow vehicle setup didn't do the best job of getting it "tuned in correctly".

Remember, you may find that you need to make "MINOR" adjustments even during a trip. This is completely normal for some rigs (soft suspension, near max weight limit, large changes in load balance, etc) and may not be necessary on other rigs that have greater tolerances. So, it's more or less a "deal with what you have" kind of situation. If you need to "fidget" with the adjustment more than the guy camped next to you, that doesn't mean your rig is "bad" just not the same as his......

[Cdentler]

I found the first mistake... the trailer coupler on level ground with trailer leveled to the ground is 21” and the ball is at 23 1/2” to the top of ball. Where they should be level per manual. We will see what else I find when I’m able to get outside and do a full investigation and change things up.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171206/26aed298d67ed10257e9e816129768be.jpg


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[JRTJH]

I think you've (as you said) found the "FIRST" mistake... That 2.5 inches of added height is probably just enough to raise the hitch head so that the WD bars won't clear the trailer A frame unless it's angled down with a couple extra washers on the bolt behind the ball. That means the "L angle brackets" won't fit unless they are lowered so you can connect them, which means that when you do raise the trailer hitch jack, the bars rub in the wrong spot on the bracket.... All of that can "add up" a little here and a little there until things just "don't fit right".....

So, I'd urge you to get a comfortable stool, sit down beside the hitch and read, compare, contrast and then scratch your head and start over again.... It'll all come together once you understand the manual, what it's telling you to do and you think about how "part a" fits with "part b"....