Trailer Stability Control

[rollinstone]

2014 Expy Limited with HD Tow Package, including integrated factory brake controller. Does this package include the Trailer Stability Control? How can I verify if it does or doesn't? No help thru SEARCH.

 

[montecarlo31]

yes it does.

 

[rollinstone]

Thanks, Monte...I have a disable button on the dash to disengage the Traction Control System (TCS), but there's nothing for the TSC...so I guess it remains engaged full time when towing.

 

[montecarlo31]

Thanks, Monte...I have a disable button on the dash to disengage the Traction Control System (TCS), but there's nothing for the TSC...so I guess it remains engaged full time when towing.

no. you can disable trailer sway control.

 

[EightIsEnough]

It is in the setup menu on the driver's display the last I looked.

 

[RRILO]

Are you asking so you can disable it? If so,

 

[rollinstone]

Are you asking so you can disable it? If so,

Heehee...nope...why disable a good thing? I was just trying to isolate the system and whether I had it or not. The TCS has a disable button, tho. I am informed above that the TSC shows up in the driver display so it prolly has the <ON> OFF reset feature.

Thanks everyone!

 

[RRILO]

If it's anything like the trailer sway control in my wife's Explorer, I wouldn't put too much stock in it. For all it's sophisticated language that Ford uses to describe the feature, all it basically does in response to sway is apply the brakes causing compression on the hitch, which, except in hard turns or on slick roads, is the exact opposite of what you need. In fact, electronic stability control even cuts power to the engine, which actively prevents the very action (acceleration) that is required in most cases to add tension to the hitch to help mitigate sway. Now if the trailer sway control would apply the trailer brakes, instead of the tow vehicle brakes, that would be nifty but I have yet to see a car manufacturer develop that type of onboard tech.

I started disabling sway control on my wife's Explorer the first time a trucker passed me and my utility trailer began snaking. To it's credit, the feature on the Explorer did what it was supposed to and applied the brakes and cut engine power, but not before the swaying got worse and only got better when the vehicle slowed itself down to a manageable speed where I was no longer oversteering to correct the sway. Had the engine power not been cut, I would have been able to accelerate out of it or if my trailer had electronic brakes, I would have applied those manually from my controller.

 

[montecarlo31]

If it's anything like the trailer sway control in my wife's Explorer, I wouldn't put too much stock in it. For all it's sophisticated language that Ford uses to describe the feature, all it basically does in response to sway is apply the brakes causing compression on the hitch, which, except in hard turns or on slick roads, is the exact opposite of what you need. In fact, electronic stability control even cuts power to the engine, which actively prevents the very action (acceleration) that is required in most cases to add tension to the hitch to help mitigate sway. Now if the trailer sway control would apply the trailer brakes, instead of the tow vehicle brakes, that would be nifty but I have yet to see a car manufacturer develop that type of onboard tech.

I started disabling sway control on my wife's Explorer the first time a trucker passed me and my utility trailer began snaking. To it's credit, the feature on the Explorer did what it was supposed to and applied the brakes and cut engine power, but not before the swaying got worse and only got better when the vehicle slowed itself down to a manageable speed where I was no longer oversteering to correct the sway. Had the engine power not been cut, I would have been able to accelerate out of it or if my trailer had electronic brakes, I would have applied those manually from my controller.

Wow....I don't even know where to start with this post, maybe physics? PLEASE read up on how trailer swap control actually works before posting incorrect and nonfactual information. Trailer sway control has zero interest in adding or reducing pressure on the "hitch" whatever that means. It uses several sensors to decide if sway has occurs and then uses various methods to mitigate the sway. Apparently from the post above it saved your ass and you are still saying it's a bad thing.

 

[RRILO]

Wow....I don't even know where to start with this post, maybe physics? PLEASE read up on how trailer swap control actually works before posting incorrect and nonfactual information. Trailer sway control has zero interest in adding or reducing pressure on the "hitch" whatever that means. It uses several sensors to decide if sway has occurs and then uses various methods to mitigate the sway. Apparently from the post above it saved your ass and you are still saying it's a bad thing.

This is generally the knee jerk reaction for anyone that is first trying to understand how to mitigate sway. I kid you not, my comments are, in fact, based on physics. If you have a few minutes, I invite you to watch the video below that tests the effectiveness of sway control technology on trucks vs. one of trailers.

The testing begins at the 5:18 mark. At 7:15, they do a run with just the truck's sway control system. Does it stop sway? Well, yes, but with little control. The experience that I mentioned earlier was similar. The trailer, because of the truck's sway control system applying the brakes, is compressing the hitch, i.e, the trailer is literally being pushed into the hitch ball, which is the exact opposite of what you want. At 9:15, with the trailer's sway control on, the results are much better because the trailer's brakes are being applied which adds tension to the hitch ball, i.e. pulling away from the truck, which allows for a more controlled method of mitigating sway. In the absence of an independent sway control system installed on the trailer itself, accelerating can also increase tension.

https://youtu.be/cVlXlbU38zA

Apparently from your post above, you were too pre-occupied in shooting the messenger to realize that the terms "compression" and "tension" are ,in fact, rooted in physics, specifically in stress mechanics and the terms are antonyms of one another. So in explaining the physics behind sway, I used the terms most relevant, which did not include "pressure". Never did I use the term "pressure", however, you intimate that I did. So I suppose I could agree with your statement that sway control systems have no interest in "pressure" since I never used it, however, I'm not even sure we have the same definition of "pressure" so I will refrain from acquiescing until such time that you can elaborate and enlighten us with your understanding of the term and the physics behind it, because, after all, that is where you said you were going to start, right? Shall we then?