New Hitch Ball

[demarko210]

Anyone ever use this hitch ball before? Installed it on my truck yesterday and will give it a try tonight.

 

[briangcc]

Which one? The link is for a bunch of hitch balls on Amazon...

If its the one with the rubber insulator...no. What are you trying to fix? Slop in the draw bar? If so, got a J bolt hitch? Use a J bolt then...

Draw-Tite J-Pin Anti-Rattle Pin & Barrel Lockset for 2" Sq. Receivers

J-Pin Anti-Rattle Pin & Barrel Lockset for 2" Sq. Receivers

www.towuniverse.com

**Iboats doesn't sell these, I checked first.

 

[demarko210]

Which one? The link is for a bunch of hitch balls on Amazon...

If its the one with the rubber insulator...no. What are you trying to fix? Slop in the draw bar? If so, got a J bolt hitch? Use a J bolt then...

Draw-Tite J-Pin Anti-Rattle Pin & Barrel Lockset for 2" Sq. Receivers

J-Pin Anti-Rattle Pin & Barrel Lockset for 2" Sq. Receivers

www.towuniverse.com

**Iboats doesn't sell these, I checked first.

I guess it was the wrong link. Here is the updated link. Its the Rocker Ball.

 

[poconojoe]

I don't have any experience with those. They look interesting, but what is the specific problem you are having? Is there play in the contact between the trailer tongue and ball? If so, you should be able to tighten the locking mechanism to get a better bite.

My hitch/ball/trailer tongue doesn't rattle or have any play in it.

I don't know if you have surge brakes, but...
I used to get a whole lot of slapping during start and stop due to the surge brake mechanism sliding, but that was the surge actuator, not the contact with the ball. I switched to all electric brakes and put a bolt through the surge slide mechanism. It's all smooth and quiet now.

 

[PreachRick]

I don't quite understand the need for such a ball. I'm not sure I would want any play in the ball. I'm from the old school "hook em tight and go"!

 

[demarko210]

I don't have any experience with those. They look interesting, but what is the specific problem you are having? Is there play in the contact between the trailer tongue and ball? If so, you should be able to tighten the locking mechanism to get a better bite.

I was looking for a longer insert so I would not have to back down in the water so far and found this item and thought it would help. Yes I have surge brakes on the trailer. I was trying to reduce the jerking when hitting bumps down the highway and the weird feeling you get when you take off as if you can feel the brakes on the trailer disengaging.

 

[poconojoe]

I was looking for a longer insert so I would not have to back down in the water so far and found this item and thought it would help. Yes I have surge brakes on the trailer. I was trying to reduce the jerking when hitting bumps down the highway and the weird feeling you get when you take off as if you can feel the brakes on the trailer disengaging.

If you're looking for more height, just get the correct ball mount for your receiver.
There's no guarantee that one (that rocks back and forth) will fit your needs.

They make all kinds of hitch ball mounts. Every height you can think of, or you can get an adjustable one.

 

[H20Rat]

**doublepost**

 

[H20Rat]

I was looking for a longer insert so I would not have to back down in the water so far and found this item and thought it would help. Yes I have surge brakes on the trailer. I was trying to reduce the jerking when hitting bumps down the highway and the weird feeling you get when you take off as if you can feel the brakes on the trailer disengaging.

I've been running that for about a year, got it for exactly the reasons you mention. The effect is very subtle, it isn't like you can push on it and move it. I does make a slight difference on a trailer with surge brakes as well as really crappy roads with expansion joins. It takes the edge off the trailer slamming into the hitch. It isn't a miracle device, but it does work.

The added benefit for me is that when I park the trailer, the trailer is level but the vehicle is on a downhill slope. That tended to be a pain to unhook as the tongue would hit the base of the ball and bind up. This ball is a little higher off the base and the tongue clears without issue. (its not a height issue, but the geometry of the ball vs the base, the tongue would wedge itself onto the base of a standard ball because of the angle.)

 

[demarko210]

I've been running that for about a year, got it for exactly the reasons you mention. The effect is very subtle, it isn't like you can push on it and move it. I does make a slight difference on a trailer with surge brakes as well as really crappy roads with expansion joins. It takes the edge off the trailer slamming into the hitch. It isn't a miracle device, but it does work.

The added benefit for me is that when I park the trailer, the trailer is level but the vehicle is on a downhill slope. That tended to be a pain to unhook as the tongue would hit the base of the ball and bind up. This ball is a little higher off the base and the tongue clears without issue. (its not a height issue, but the geometry of the ball vs the base, the tongue would wedge itself onto the base of a standard ball because of the angle.)

Thanks H20Rat I was just wondering if anyone used this and there experience with it that's all. What's purchased is purchased I was just shopping around for an extension and saw this ball. My initial problem was just finding a longer extension that would keep my back wheels out of the water so i would not have to rinse them off before going down the road. I did not want to get a extension but was looking for one solid insert that was long enough. I thought the ball would be useful in towing so I picked it up. I was not looking for it to preform miracles like increasing gas miles.

 

[roscoe]

If you want an extension, get an extension.
I think you can get them from 6 - 18" long, maybe 24" long.

Now, its not likely to make much difference when launching and loading, but it will put more space between the tow vehicle and the trailer winch post, giving you space to open the tailgate or rear hatch.

 

[demarko210]

If you want an extension, get an extension.
I think you can get them from 6 - 18" long, maybe 24" long.

Now, its not likely to make much difference when launching and loading, but it will put more space between the tow vehicle and the trailer winch post, giving you space to open the tailgate or rear hatch.

Yes I was looking at one of those and started to realize the more pins the more rattle I would get. So I look at something more like this.

It has a longer shank but I would then need to replace my tow chains as they are not long enough.

 

[Horigan]

Realize that when you use an extension, the tongue load capability of the tow vehicle goes down. Extensions increase the torque (moment) applied to the hitch receiver and support structure of the vehicle.

 

[demarko210]

So the Rocker Ball seems to work very well compared to the standard ball. I have a 02 Mercury Mountaineer V8 pulling 23 foo Sea Fox. Not as much jerking when hitting those joints when crossing overpasses at 60. Seems to absorb some of the blow when hitting bumps. Honestly I did not hear any rattling you normally hear when going over dips on the highway. Ii did raise the height up about 1" but that was fine.