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Topic ClosedSway bar bending mount plate?
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TylerK9 View Drop Down
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Joined: 20 Jun 2016
Location: Santa Fe, NM
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Posts: 35 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Sway bar bending mount plate?
    Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 8:47am
Just returned from an Easter weekend camping trip at Bear Creek Lake Park outside Denver. That's about 350 miles each way, and by the time we got back to the New Mexico border, the Curt sway control bar had bent the mounting plate as shown below. Forunately we had an extra ball mount with us!

Towing an RP-180 with a 2006 F-150. We did hit some high winds (25 MPH) on I-25 near Raton, but I would think a sway control should be able to handle that easily. Am I using it incorrectly? Any thoughts on what might cause this? Thanks!
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Craneman View Drop Down
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Posts: 387 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 9:00am
Mine did the same thing, I was able to use my buddies hyd press to straighten it back to normal. Twice!!!!!  I backed up with out unhooking the sway bar,no problem since

            Moe
Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150

Jo and Gary
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TylerK9 View Drop Down
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Posts: 35 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 10:36am
Thanks Craneman. I'm concerned that the degree of bending may have compromised the integrity of the metal plate to the point where it could shear off. I wound up ordering a different mount (link) that looks a bit sturdier than the setup I had before. My challenge has been finding a sway-control mount that has the 3" rise I need, since most (including our backup mount) seem to feature a drop, which has us towing with the trailer nose down more than I'd like. 
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 10:58am
I would NOT straighten that, and put it back on!!. That metal is fatigued now, and surely has stress cracks in it. It appears the weld on the small gusset underneath the sway ball has failed. Did you back up with the sway bar on? I cant think of a reason that should have happened otherwise. It took alot of force obviously, and unless you were in hurricaine winds, you sway bar should not be exerting that much force. 
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 2:12pm
Looks like what happens if you back up with the sway bar on.
Mike Carter
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 2:37pm
TylerK9,

The hitch from etrailer is excellent, I have a couple of tow vehicles and it makes it easy to move from one to another with one hitch, also you are correct the sway bar mount is heavy duty.
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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TylerK9 View Drop Down
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Posts: 35 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 3:08pm
Yeah, mjlrpod, there's no way I'm putting that back on! (My wife said she'd take an Uber to our next campground if I did!)

We did back up once with the sway bar on, but that was a couple days ago when we arrived and everything seemed fine when I hitched up after that for the drive home. We did have to take a couple VERY sharp turns navigating a crowded gas station, but no backing.

Lesson learned: don't cheap out on your hitch equipment. The one that bent was a relatively inexpensive model I bought on Amazon. Glad to hear from Mike Carter that the replacement one on order is worth the additional cost!
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fonseca179 View Drop Down
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Posts: 38 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 7:54am
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fonseca179 View Drop Down
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Posts: 38 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 7:55am
If you didn't back up with it than it was most likely too tight.  I over tightened mine once and bent it just like that.  I replaced it with a new.
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mtdave View Drop Down
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Posts: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 5:00pm
I have this ball mount with sway control tab. I haven't had it long but have made one 1,700 mile trip with it and it worked great.
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