Loose balls

GhostOrchid

GhostOrchid

Junior Ranger
Anybody else get loose balls?

On our last outing, I noticed lurching and bucking of the TD on the hitch ball that seemed to get progressively worse. Had experienced a bit of that before, which Cary attributed to our 550 being on the light end of the optimum weight and weight distribution spectrum.

But we were doing a lot of in-town towing on this trip, so I was thinking it was just bad city streets and a light trailer, since we weren't loading up the cabin b/c we wanted to be able to do naps or spontaneous Wal-mart overnights without a lot of rearranging.

Upon returning home and pulling the hitch shank out of the receiver, I was aghast to find the ball nut so loose it was about ready to fall off!

Lesson to all: retorque your balls! I was amazed it could work itself that loose. Although I tighten it down in a vise as hard as I can with a long wrench, I'm wondering if I should take it somewhere to have it torqued down harder than I can do it by hand.

And, BTW, yes, I grease my ball (lightly) before each trip.
 
Do you have a lock washer under the nut? If there is it might need replacing to have nice sharp tips. If not, get one immediately before any more towing.

I have done a lot of towing and never had a ball come loose. I recently removed the nut on one and see the lock washer has dug into both the draw bar and nut which will prevent any surprises such as yours.
 
Wow...ok, I am staying well away from this one...

While you tee up that ball discussion perfectly, it has disaster written all over it.
 
Our experience has been that most people do not have the tools necessary to fully torque the nut on the ball. Anyone here who has seen us mount a ball for them and saw the tools we use to install will know what I mean. It takes a pretty high torque for a nut that size. I just looked it up on Draw-Tite's website. A ball with the 3/4" stud needs 160 ft lb. The balls with the 1" studs need 250 ft lb. You are not going to get those torque numbers with an adjustable wrench or large ratchet handle. Even a small breaker bar will be too light duty for the 1" ball studs.

Many years ago I had a nut come off on the hitch on my truck pulling a large trailer full of firewood. Scared the you know what out of me when I saw it. I honestly did not sleep that night. Ever since then I have drilled and cotter pinned the nuts on my hitches. Just to be safe. Some balls come drilled and have a cotter pin but most do not.

Cary
 
Indeed Sue, one cannot read anything anyone has said in this thread so far without giggling, squirming or making a "that's what she said" joke.

Cary
 
The punny stuff allows me to stave off the terror that seizes me when I consider what could have happened.

Yes, rotus8, I had a lock nut on there; the one that came with the ball.

Cary, thanks for your input. Informative as always.

Someone in a different forum suggested a hack for torquing that nut down to 160 ft-lbs or more: Turn the draw bar 90 degrees and insert it into the receiver. Then, stand on the wrench and tighten with your body weight, like you would a lug nut.

Me? I'm getting one of these.http://accessories.etrailer.com/sea...ep:balls&nf=&isort=score&method=and&view=list
Less than 10 bucks for peace of mind.
 
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That is partly how we tighten the nuts here. We have a pair of receiver tubes (1 1/4" and 2") welded to a large plate that is bolted to the side of a section of warehouse racking here. Then like you said we slip the ball mount into the appropriate tube sideways to hold it when we apply the torque with the mega wrench we use for the job.

Cary
 
Cary said:
That is partly how we tighten the nuts here. We have a pair of receiver tubes (1 1/4" and 2") welded to a large plate that is bolted to the side of a section of warehouse racking here. Then like you said we slip the ball mount into the appropriate tube sideways to hold it when we apply the torque with the mega wrench we use for the job.

Cary
Click to expand...

Wow Cary thanks for the info. GhostOrchid so glad you did not have a catastrophe. This really got me thinking about the ball on our hitch. I put the hitch in the receiver and used my 1/2" breaker bar with a pipe attached and was able to get almost another full turn on the nut.
 
I have a reminder on my "Ready to Roll Checklist" to check the ball/nut. I also made a mental note of where the nut is situated when fully tightened so that I can detect any signs that it is coming loose during my checklist inspection.

Some have mentioned concerns getting the nut on tight enough. That has been a concern of mine too. I recently asked my vehicle mechanic if that is something they'll check for me to make sure it is on good and tight and they are willing to do that for me. I thought I'd mention this in case it's an option others might want to consider.
 
Our Porsche Cayenne has the tow package. They require the OEM (Porsche/VW) Stinger with 2" ball (factory tightened) in order for the warranty to be in effect.
When you turn over the Stinger & look at the threads & nut of the ball you find this thick red paint. If the seal of the paint is broken, the nut has moved.
 
Is your "ready to roll" checklist somewhere on the forum? We'll be teardroppers in April and a checklist from someone experienced would be so great to have! Thanks!
 
Re: Checklists

Chuckwagon said:
I too would love to see your checklist. We hope to pick up our 560 in a few weeks weather permitting.
Click to expand...

Hello Diane/Michael and Chuckwagon. It brought a smile to my face to see your comments about the new adventures that are awaiting you both with your trailers.

I believe that my ready to roll? checklist is an adaptation of the checklist on the back of the owner's manual that was supplied by Camp-Inn (I would grab it from the trailer to confirm that is accurate but . . . well . . the trailer is kind of nestled under a blanket of snow for the next 5 months and I'd rather not).

I see Karyn has since posted the link to Bear's characteristically thorough checklist, which I am sure will be very helpful to you. It is a bit of an uncomfortable thing to be adding my own checklist when Bear has such a wealth of experience to draw from. But because my checklist has been requested, I'll oblige.

The Ready to Roll? Checklist applies to that wonderful interval between having everything packed/loaded and those final moments when your chomping at the bit to get your horses out on the open road (my apologies, Bear's horse/stagecoach references seem to be catchy). If anything, the checklist helps to curb what (for me) can be a potentially hazardous and hasty moment of impatience when you just want to get moving. The checklist may be used at the start of a new trip, in-between campsites or partially used when stopped for gas/highway rest.

Keep in mind when you read my Ready to Roll? Checklist that it has been modified for my own purposes and is not by any means a complete checklist.

READY TO ROLL? CHECKLIST
o Gear stowed safely
o Cabin and kitchen lights turned off
o Water pump and TV switches turned off
o Check ball/nut
o Check hitch pin/lock
o Check Rocktamers
o Coupler lowered fully onto the hitch ball
o Coupler lever down and locked
o Safety chains crossed and hooked
o Break-away cord attached
o Check tires (air pressure/signs of bearing issues)
o Propane tank turned off
o Levelling jacks all the way UP
o Wheel chocks removed and stowed
o Hatch and all doors locked
o Highway lights working properly
o Record odometer

Hopefully this will help.

Happy (and safe) travels!
 
Towbert said:
Our Porsche Cayenne has the tow package. They require the OEM (Porsche/VW) Stinger with 2" ball (factory tightened) in order for the warranty to be in effect.
When you turn over the Stinger & look at the threads & nut of the ball you find this thick red paint. If the seal of the paint is broken, the nut has moved.
Click to expand...

I think that is a good feature that Porsche is providing on their vehicles. I would like to see more brands offering this.
 
Re: Checklists

Hi! Thanks so much for your checklist. It is very helpful and we will include it with Bear's once we are rolling!
 
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