Ed Kutsko

Question for you guys. I just saw on a different thread someone saying it took him 2 hours of driving to get used to the built in sway control. He suggested that it might be better for people to just turn it off since a lot of people can't get used to it. After reading whats been going on with my truck does anyone think this might be my issue? Should I pull my trailer out again tomorrow and turn off the sway control. Will this be a magic bullet for me? I kind of doubt it but at this point I don't think there is anything else I can try.

acdii

Well, saw my name mentioned, thanks Apples. I feel the OP's pain here. Even with a Blue Ox, perfectly setup to return 100% to the front axle, it is still no where near as good towing as my 2014 RWD was. It is ultra sensitive to steering input even when empty, and I have had two alignments done and 3 different sets of tires. Any little push on the back of the trailer is transmitted to the front of the truck, and it will feel like a boat on the water.

On mine, Bilstein 5100 all around, Sumo Springs on the rear, replaced the hitch, and adjusted it several times to get 100% back up front and it is still overly sensitive.

I know it is the truck, not the trailer since I can get horse supplies that equal the weight the trailer puts on the tail, and load it all behind the axle and bingo, does the exact same thing.

Another thing I noticed, after making a turn, the steering wheel will be canted, if I make a right, the wheel cants to the right, and make a left and it cants to the left.

Wish I knew how to fix it, or even best describe it to get it fixed. I have had sway issues with my 2014 the first time I towed my trailer home, setup the hitch by the book and never had sway after that, with a Husky Round bar and single sway bar. I got the expected push/pull from passing semi's, BUT the difference is, it moved the way it should, but the 16, no matter what I do, it does not move like it should, and even small cars will push it around. So yeah, your not the only one.

acdii

This is one of those things that if you don't understand how it functions, you might point to it. The sway control uses braking and engine management to control sway, Once it starts! It does not prevent sway from starting, nor does it do anything with the truck to counter act the hitch sway control. When it does activate, the screen lights up and the dash dinger sounds. I know since I purposely activated it by inducing sway, and it does work.

It cuts throttle input and activates brakes on one wheel or the other to counteract the sway, I don't know if it will activate trailer brakes in any way since I did it with a small trailer without brakes.


https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/vehic...y-control.html

Ed Kutsko

Thanks for the explanation of how it works. The thread where I found it didn't explain. The poster made it seem like it was doing stuff all the time. I don't think this will help me. As far as the steering goes I have that exact problem as well. Make a hard turn with the trailer and then straighten out and the truck still seem to pull in the direction I just turned like it's massively out of alignment.

dodgeman1

Just thinking out loud, but I wonder if a good front end alignement guy could help with the problem. Set the toe in and camber to one side or the other of the spec or even a little outside the spec.

2015rubyFX4

my 15 screw 5.5 bed 5.0 towed a 8000 trailer last month without a WE hitch and w/o timbrens and had no issue. I did feel the sucking you speak of with huge semis though but it was not unnerving. And they had to be blasting by me at 10-15 mph faster.

MrGame

When I had my 2015, the Reese Strait-Line hitch setup made an enormous difference in how the truck handled the trailer. It still wasn't as sure-footed as my '13, but it was 1000x better. It may be worth exploring.

acdii

This particular case isnt a WDH issue, a tire issue, or a spring supplement(Sumo, air bag, timbren) issue, but a steering issue.

Not all trucks are having this issue, the problem though is that we dont know what the issue is, but it is in the steering as I can duplicate the same problem without a trailer hooked up just by loading 1000 pounds in the bed to mimic the way the truck loads with a trailer, and it will act exactly the same.

Apples

Dagnabbit! I agree!

Now where's that SSM or whatever it is for the electronic steering controls' reflash?

8100hd

Yes the shank for the Equalizer. It’s only inserted far enough for the pin hole to align with the hole in the receiver. The question is does the end of the shank go all the way through the receiver when the pin is aligned? I use the Equalizer and experience the tow vehicle pulling to one side or the other at times when hitched. What solved that problem was reducing the play in the receiver both horizontal and vertical. Drilling a new hole in the shank that’s 5 inches from the back allows it to be inserted further, doing so greatly reduced the play.