I usually have to fight with hooking my trailer up. Sometimes I have to drop it on the ball 4-5 times to get to go on. I’ve sprayed the hitch with lube, but don’t want a lot of grease on the ball.
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I usually have to fight with hooking my trailer up. Sometimes I have to drop it on the ball 4-5 times to get to go on. I’ve sprayed the hitch with lube, but don’t want a lot of grease on the ball.
Make sure the release/holding clamp mechanism is opening up enough to allow the trailer cap to drop down on the ball without getting in the way.
One thing I do is to crank the 3rd wheel down until the cap's front edge is resting on the ball (sufficiently enough so that it won't slide off when I continue to crank the 3rd wheel up several more inches). Once I have the 3rd wheel far enough off the ground, I simply pull the boat forward until the cap drops down over the ball. That way the holding clamp is pushed "back" by the curvature of the ball, and not pressure pinned against the ball by the tongue weight of the trailer. Then I lift the holding clamp trigger and set it down into position to put the lock back in place.
OR -
When you lift the trigger release in the cap end of the trailer ... put your finger in there and push the retainer clamp back against the cap, and then see if it isn't easier to drop the trailer cap onto the ball. When they get rusty or grease residue traps dirt inside the cap ... that trigger/clamp mechanism tends to want to hang up and not open fully, not allowing the ball to easily slip into the cap. Been there :Doh:
Are you sure the ball is the proper size for the coupler? I see people mistake the ball size all the time.
Climb under the hitch and look up in there. You should see a nut or bolt through the latch. Find a socket to fit and loosen that up one round then sit it back down on ball. May take a couple of times to get it right. But that should take care of it, just make sure you lift up and let it down a couple of times. You don’t want it to be to loose.
Does the ball have a hex base? I had this problem and replaced the hex base ball, no more problem.
[QUOTE=CrappiePappy;3837462]Make sure the release/holding clamp mechanism is opening up enough to allow the trailer cap to drop down on the ball without getting in the way.
One thing I do is to crank the 3rd wheel down until the cap's front edge is resting on the ball (sufficiently enough so that it won't slide off when I continue to crank the 3rd wheel up several more inches). Once I have the 3rd wheel far enough off the ground, I simply pull the boat forward until the cap drops down over the ball. That way the holding clamp is pushed "back" by the curvature of the ball, and not pressure pinned against the ball by the tongue weight of the trailer. Then I lift the holding clamp trigger and set it down into position to put the lock back in.
OR -
When you lift the trigger release in the cap end of the trailer ... put your finger in there and push the retainer clamp back against the cap, and then see if it isn't easier to drop the trailer cap onto the ball. When they get rusty or grease residue traps dirt inside the cap ... that trigger/clamp mechanism tends to want to hang up and not open fully, not allowing the ball to easily slip into the cap. Been there :Doh:[/QUOTE)
The first suggestion worked without a .......hitch��
I felt for the latch before trying this and could feel no looseness forward or backward. I will try loosening it as one suggested and see if that helps.
Thanks for your help.
What Cray said.
Beat me to the punch!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cray
You can also buy the replacement guts if you find that you cannot adjust them. I've had to cut them out with an angle grinder before.
Before I connect any trailer to my truck, I flip the hitch lever up, grab it and pull up a couple of times to feel the spring and make sure all is moving around in there properly. Then when I go to lower the trailer down on the ball, I like to let the front of the cup come down on the side of the ball and kinda pull the trailer forward a little as it goes down to latch. I can see it when it does right in the hitch lever. I lube it every once in a while as needed, no need to make a greasy mess.
Good to find a routine that works for you, and stick with it.
My Dad used to stick His finger up in the cup and fool around with the tab, and get His fingers nasty. When I would joke Him about it, He would say, "It will wash off, Son". One day He reached up in one, and to His surprise it had a wasp nest in it. I saw Him holler and run off a little ways, and as He was rubbing away, He told me what happened. I said "Now that might not wash off, Dad".:Rofl
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGrandPoohBah
Been there on sticking finger and met YellowJackets... Cray go it most likely but only not mentioned or I missed..Verify Ball size and Hitch Size......need to be same
if ball is correct do what cray said.done
I wish they would have made only one ball size. 2" and 1 7/8" are just to closefor these old eyes to know the difference. So I painted the hitches and balls the same color so I would know before I messed up. 2" yellow and 1 7/8" hot pink lol.
Though the latch is a common source of trouble, the hex base hitch balls are a problem as well, and sometimes you see the front of the coupler bent from being backed into making the opening egg-shaped.