Trailer Swaying Trouble Shooting Tips

When you are hauling a trailer, the last thing you want it to do is sway. Not only can a semi-hinged or unsecured trailer pose hazards to surrounding drivers, pedestrians, and structures, it can also put your cargo at risk of being damaged. So, if you’ve experienced problems with trailer swaying in the past, it is important to review some of the top trailer towing safety tips before hitting the road again.

To operate at your safest, you must know how to both prevent and stop trailer swaying. Continue reading get started.

Indianapolis 24 hour Towing 317-247-8484
Indianapolis 24 hour Towing 317-247-8484

Trailer Swaying Prevention

In order to prevent your trailer from becoming a sway hazard, there are strategies to implement both before you hit the road and while you’re on it. First, you must check with your towing vehicle’s owners’ manual for information about proper towing capacity, recommended towing gear, and related towing specifications. When you are hauling too much weight for your particular make and model vehicle, you risk damaging your vehicle, the trailer, and everything its hauling. Furthermore, you are a much higher risk for trailer swaying.

Another vital preparation to make in order to prevent trailer swaying is to have your tires serviced. Be sure both your towing vehicle tires and trailer tires have proper inflation. Also be sure your spare is in good condition and properly inflated. To prevent trailer swaying, always load your trailer evenly. Proper weight distribution is key to maintaining full control over your trailer.

If you have too much weight on one side, your trailer can sway, shift, or ride lopsided, all of which can pose several dangers to others. Another effective safety precaution to prevent trailer swaying is to avoid driving in bad weather. Rain, snow, ice, storms, and especially heavy winds can cause trailer swaying no matter how many additional precautions you’ve taken. Avoid using your trailer during times of inclement weather.

When on the road, there is also a lot you can do to prevent trailer swaying. First, do not come to any sudden stops. Give yourself plenty of time to brake slowly and stop in full control. Most importantly, do not speed. In fact, slow down a bit, and drive at a speed just below what you would normally drive at. This will give you more reaction time and control.

How to Stop Trailer Swaying

You never want to look in your rearview mirror and witness your trailer fishtailing, or worse, detaching. If this does happen, there are some maneuvers you can do to help gain back control and prevent any accidents. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommendations, if your trailer starts to sway while you are driving, you should immediately activate the manual brake control override by hand.

DO NOT APPLY THE AUTOMATIC FOOT BRAKES! Using your foot brakes to stop a swaying trailer is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Unless you are in imminent risk of colliding with something or someone, do not use your brakes to stop a swaying trailer. Other times, if a vehicle passes you on the road too closely, or you get hit with sudden crosswinds, it can cause a bit of swaying. When this happens, just keep a firm foot on your accelerator and tight grip on your wheel until the swaying is finished.

24 Hour Towing Service in Indianapolis

Call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for affordable Indianapolis towing and recovery services in you can trust. Our licensed and insured wrecker operators provide punctual and prompt tow truck services throughout all of Central Indiana, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! We also provide a wide range of municipal services, roadside wrecker and recovery services, and much more. Request a free estimate, anytime.

How to Use a Tow Dolly

Indianapolis Towing 317-247-8484

Indianapolis Towing 317-247-8484

There are three primary ways to tow a car: all wheels off the ground, all wheels on the ground, and just two wheels on or off the ground. To tow a vehicle with all four tires off the road, you would use a trailer. To tow a vehicle on all fours, you would require a tow bar. But to tow a vehicle with only two wheels in contact with the road, you would need a tow dolly. The type of tow you use depends on a variety of factors. Continue reading to learn these facts and how to use a tow dolly if it’s the right towing set-up for you.

Using a Tow Dolly

A tow dolly elevates the front two wheels of a vehicle in tow. Whether or not a tow dolly is the best option for vehicle towing depends on a few important factors. These factors include the size and weight of the vehicle you wish to tow, whether or not that vehicle has front, rear, four, or all-wheel drive, towing capacity of the vehicle doing the towing, and how much time and money a person is willing to spend setting it all up.

Any front-wheel drive automatic vehicle can be pulled with a tow dolly. This is one of their advantages. And in comparison to using a tow bar (four wheels down), it never adds mileage to the odometer since the front tires never make contact with the road. Some vehicles, if towed with a tow bar, will rack up miles even if the ignition is off. To safely tow a front-wheel drive automatic vehicle with four wheels down, certain towing accessories are generally required, like axle disconnects and lube pumps, in order to avoid damaging the transmission. This makes towing a vehicle on all four wheels more expensive than towing with a tow dolly. And towing with a trailer is even more complicated and expensive. For these reasons, a tow dolly could be the best option for your towing needs.

It is important to keep at least 750 pound weight difference between your towing vehicle and the vehicle being towed. And the width of the vehicle in tow should be within the tow dolly’s maximum width rating. These widths should never be exceeded. It is recommended to review your owners’ manual for recommended towing instructions and guidelines. Or contact a local wrecker service for immediate answers to your towing questions.

Zore’s Inc.

Indianapolis Auto Auctions 317-247-8484

Indianapolis Auto Auctions 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Indy at 317-247-8484 for 24 hour towing services in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our professional tow truck operators are highly trained and licensed to provide a wide range of towing and recovery services in Indiana. We are happy to answer any questions about our wrecker services and more. Call 317-247-8484 for Indianapolis tow truck services you can trust!