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P&M 
Senior Member 
Joined: 13 Aug 2012 Location: Spokane, WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 454 |
 Topic: Hitch groans loudly when turningPosted: 05 Nov 2012 at 1:59pm |
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Noticed that when we are turning, like in going around a corner on a side street, that something in the hitch or the anti-sway bar groans very loudly (well, loudly to us). Is this normal? M said that her dad used to use vaseline on the ball of his hitch back when they used to go out in the 70's, but I'm thinking it may be coming more from the anti-sway bar than the ball'n'coupler. Is that a sign that I may have tightened it too much?
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P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
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bhamster
Senior Member
Joined: 19 May 2011 Location: Washington Online Status: Offline Posts: 165 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 5:55pm |
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It's probably the anti-sway bar. Our's does that when it's wet or when it needs to be cleaned. Of course loosening it will also reduce the noise, but then it won't be as effective.
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marwayne
Senior Member
Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Location: Edmonton AB Can Online Status: Offline Posts: 1003 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 6:52pm |
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When you have friction metal on metal plus weight, and it moves it will make a noise. When I bought my equalizer hitch with sway control, I was told that it would be noisy. It's normal.
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If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
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TIDALWAVE
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2009 Location: MINNESOTA Online Status: Offline Posts: 315 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 6:55pm |
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You can put a small dab of axle grease on the tow ball before you attach the Pod. The instructions on my sway bars also said that I could apply a small amount of axle grease onto the contact points where the sway bars rub against the tongue brackets. But looking at the sway bars it appears that friction helps cut down the side to side sway when the bars move back and forth through their brackets. So I have not lubed the sway bars but do inspect them for wear.
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TIDALWAVE
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dsmiths
Senior Member
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Location: Southern Ind Online Status: Offline Posts: 866 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 6:59pm |
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If you have a friction type antisway bar that you can turn the handle to increase or decrease the clamping force, that is what you are hearing, ours moans when turning, after I get near the campgrounds and or at the check in point, I get out during check in and store it, that way I dont forget and try to back with it on and buckle or damage it.
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Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
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marwayne
Senior Member
Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Location: Edmonton AB Can Online Status: Offline Posts: 1003 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 7:02pm |
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If you use axle grease you defeat the purpose of the friction, my dealer told me to use a little vaseline.
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If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp 
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 7:13pm |
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I guarantee it is your friction bar. In 26 years of towing I've never found it necessary to lube the ball. That would be an easy mess if you did, or you have to go to extra lengths to keep it from getting all over you and the TV (when removed from the receiver). Someone mentioned cleaning the bar, I had to do that once in a while by taking a file to the bar. Also read your bar's instructions to see how tight to make it. The one I had for our popup had them printed right on the bar, and I think it was supposed to be turned no more than 1 full turn after initial contact. While you can lube the mini balls on either end (I wouldn't and didn't, they don't make any noise) you never want to lube the bar. If you have an Equalizer or E2 you have to be careful about what you lubricate. You can lube the pockets on the head where the spring bars mount, but you should not lubricate the bars themselves where they rub on the L brackets. That is where the anti-sway friction is created. |
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sammycamper
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Oct 2012 Location: Minnesota Online Status: Offline Posts: 111 |
Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 9:08pm |
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I'll defer to techntrek's advise about not lubricating the antisway bars; but, when I had vulgar sounds coming from the weight distribution hitch that we used on our previous camper, I sprayed WD40 on everything that looked like it might rub on something else, and it went away. Sam |
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P&M
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Aug 2012 Location: Spokane, WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 454 |
Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 10:58am |
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Thanks everyone! I am positive now that it is the friction anti-sway bar, and something we'll just get used to. Ours clearly states on the label on it to never lubricate the bars, and I'll take another look to see if it has any direction on how much to tighten it.
And DSmiths, thanks for the tip of removing it at check-in!
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P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
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Racer|X|
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Mar 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 7:50pm |
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My sway bar did this when I over tightened it.
X
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Hitch groans loudly when turning