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Author Topic:   Movement Between Hitch and Receiver

tjxtreme posted 06-28-2010 11:27 AM ET (US)
After returning home last night after a somewhat bumpy tow, I noticed some up and down movement of of the hitch jiggling within the receiver. There is no front to back movement, and no movement of the receiver. Of course, I hadn't taken the time to study this before, so it could be my paranoia. Is this movement normal and acceptable?
Hitch: 1 1/4"
Boat: 13 foot Whaler
Thanks
brisboats posted 06-28-2010 12:07 PM ET (US)
Yes, If you had no movement whatsoever it would be impossible to slide in the receiver.
David Pendleton posted 06-28-2010 12:43 PM ET (US)
A small amount of movement is normal. Slop some grease on the ball mount and slide it back in.
jimh posted 06-28-2010 01:05 PM ET (US)
Purchase a gallon of homogenized fresh whole milk sold in a plastic jug. Consume the milk; retain the jug. Wash the jug in cold water, draining the waste water into a settling pond to evaporate. Take the used but clean plastic milk jug and cut it into small strips or pieces to use as shims between the hitch receptacle and the draw bar.
BQUICK posted 06-28-2010 01:29 PM ET (US)
Jim, that makes no sense. 1% would work alot better.......
contender posted 06-28-2010 05:11 PM ET (US)
How about just tighten the nut that holds the fork that goes under the trailer ball, could have a bad fork, could have the wrong size trailer ball...I have just used a rag in an emergency...
hauptjm posted 06-28-2010 06:00 PM ET (US)
The drawbar should have a little movement vertically, horizontally and fore and aft. In fact, my receiver has a hard rubber bushing inside that the drawbar "pushes" into when braking, softening the stopping moment.
Contender, where/what is the fork?
contender posted 06-28-2010 07:33 PM ET (US)
Sorry, I do not know the proper word/terminology for the part that holds on the ball. I figure tjxtreme is talking about a small trailer (13 whaler) not one with a brake set up on the receiver.
David Pendleton posted 06-28-2010 09:56 PM ET (US)
The correct term is ball mount.
A drawbar is not completely incorrect, but drawbars look nothing like a ball mount and are commonly found on tractors.
hauptjm posted 06-29-2010 10:37 AM ET (US)
Contender, I was speaking of the tow vehicle braking, not the trailer. My trailer is without brakes.
jimh posted 06-29-2010 05:35 PM ET (US)
I don't know what authoritative source Dave is quoting regarding the use of the term drawbar in connection with the typical boat trailer hitch, but it seems to be in very wide usage in that sense. Compare
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n:15737461&page=1
David Pendleton posted 06-29-2010 08:29 PM ET (US)
Both terms are widely used. I maintain that the more correct term is ball mount. A true drawbar is designed to be used with a pin instead of a hitch ball.
I don't care what you call it. If someone asks for the correct term, I'm going to tell them it's ball mount.
number9 posted 06-30-2010 03:00 AM ET (US)
It's a combination of the two terms, Ball Mount Drawbar. It does uses a hitch pin or similar device on one end.
Bill http://www.a1-autoracks.com/drawbar-ballmount.html
Martino posted 06-30-2010 06:52 AM ET (US)
Wooden shims work fine too. Duct tape would be another good choice. You can "fine tune" the fit based on the number of layers.
Don88outrage posted 07-03-2010 09:45 AM ET (US)
As said, it's a normal thing, but, that clunking sound just drives me nuts, something loose?, broke?, not the kind of thing I want to think about when towing. I've been using our Captain's idea of the poly milk jug strips with a little grease, lasts longer than tape and doesn't tend to get stuck in the receiver.
DeeVee posted 07-04-2010 12:01 PM ET (US)
If you have the correct amount of tongue weight there should be no clunking sound. Weight should stay on the ball.
Doug Vazquez
Tom Hemphill posted 07-04-2010 08:44 PM ET (US)
I disagree, Doug. The tongue weight of a properly-loaded trailer towing a 13-foot Whaler is very small, so a bump in the road or even a gust of wind can cause it to become unweighted.
DeeVee posted 07-04-2010 09:12 PM ET (US)
Tom,
It has been many, many years since I towed my old 13' sport. That being said, my memory may not be 100% accurate. For the life of me, I cannot remember ever hearing my receiver/ball mount assembly clunking while towing the 13.
From about the same time frame, I do remember my father-in-law's boat trailer with his 18' Starcraft in tow behind my 1982 3/4 ton Ford (the same truck that I towed the 13 Sport behind). The tongue weight was pretty light. It clunked on most sizable bumps in the road. My brother-in-law and I adjusted the axle rearward as soon as we had time.
Doug Vazquez
Don88outrage posted 07-05-2010 11:30 AM ET (US)
With proper tongue weight there should be no movement between the ball and hitch that could cause any clunking, if there we're it may be a problem with the hitch. The clunking I've had towing an 18 Outrage came from the receiver, the tongue weight is substantial. The fit of the pin that locks the ball assembly into the hitch receiver is not a perfect fit allowing some axial sliding, along with some radial movement within the receiver tube. Add acceleration or braking while towing and you may hear it.
Kingsteven18 posted 07-05-2010 12:09 PM ET (US)
Cushioned 'Ball mounts':
http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Ball_Mounts-co-Cushioned_Shank.aspx
Kingsteven18 posted 07-05-2010 12:12 PM ET (US)
http://www.convert-a-ball.com/ballmounts.htm

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Author	Topic: Movement Between Hitch and Receiver
tjxtreme	posted 06-28-2010 11:27 AM ET (US) After returning home last night after a somewhat bumpy tow, I noticed some up and down movement of of the hitch jiggling within the receiver. There is no front to back movement, and no movement of the receiver. Of course, I hadn't taken the time to study this before, so it could be my paranoia. Is this movement normal and acceptable? Hitch: 1 1/4" Boat: 13 foot Whaler Thanks
brisboats	posted 06-28-2010 12:07 PM ET (US) Yes, If you had no movement whatsoever it would be impossible to slide in the receiver.
David Pendleton	posted 06-28-2010 12:43 PM ET (US) A small amount of movement is normal. Slop some grease on the ball mount and slide it back in.
jimh	posted 06-28-2010 01:05 PM ET (US) Purchase a gallon of homogenized fresh whole milk sold in a plastic jug. Consume the milk; retain the jug. Wash the jug in cold water, draining the waste water into a settling pond to evaporate. Take the used but clean plastic milk jug and cut it into small strips or pieces to use as shims between the hitch receptacle and the draw bar.
BQUICK	posted 06-28-2010 01:29 PM ET (US) Jim, that makes no sense. 1% would work alot better.......
contender	posted 06-28-2010 05:11 PM ET (US) How about just tighten the nut that holds the fork that goes under the trailer ball, could have a bad fork, could have the wrong size trailer ball...I have just used a rag in an emergency...
hauptjm	posted 06-28-2010 06:00 PM ET (US) The drawbar should have a little movement vertically, horizontally and fore and aft. In fact, my receiver has a hard rubber bushing inside that the drawbar "pushes" into when braking, softening the stopping moment. Contender, where/what is the fork?
contender	posted 06-28-2010 07:33 PM ET (US) Sorry, I do not know the proper word/terminology for the part that holds on the ball. I figure tjxtreme is talking about a small trailer (13 whaler) not one with a brake set up on the receiver.
David Pendleton	posted 06-28-2010 09:56 PM ET (US) The correct term is ball mount. A drawbar is not completely incorrect, but drawbars look nothing like a ball mount and are commonly found on tractors.
hauptjm	posted 06-29-2010 10:37 AM ET (US) Contender, I was speaking of the tow vehicle braking, not the trailer. My trailer is without brakes.
jimh	posted 06-29-2010 05:35 PM ET (US) I don't know what authoritative source Dave is quoting regarding the use of the term drawbar in connection with the typical boat trailer hitch, but it seems to be in very wide usage in that sense. Compare http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n:15737461&page=1
David Pendleton	posted 06-29-2010 08:29 PM ET (US) Both terms are widely used. I maintain that the more correct term is ball mount. A true drawbar is designed to be used with a pin instead of a hitch ball. I don't care what you call it. If someone asks for the correct term, I'm going to tell them it's ball mount.
number9	posted 06-30-2010 03:00 AM ET (US) It's a combination of the two terms, Ball Mount Drawbar. It does uses a hitch pin or similar device on one end. Bill http://www.a1-autoracks.com/drawbar-ballmount.html
Martino	posted 06-30-2010 06:52 AM ET (US) Wooden shims work fine too. Duct tape would be another good choice. You can "fine tune" the fit based on the number of layers.
Don88outrage	posted 07-03-2010 09:45 AM ET (US) As said, it's a normal thing, but, that clunking sound just drives me nuts, something loose?, broke?, not the kind of thing I want to think about when towing. I've been using our Captain's idea of the poly milk jug strips with a little grease, lasts longer than tape and doesn't tend to get stuck in the receiver.
DeeVee	posted 07-04-2010 12:01 PM ET (US) If you have the correct amount of tongue weight there should be no clunking sound. Weight should stay on the ball. Doug Vazquez
Tom Hemphill	posted 07-04-2010 08:44 PM ET (US) I disagree, Doug. The tongue weight of a properly-loaded trailer towing a 13-foot Whaler is very small, so a bump in the road or even a gust of wind can cause it to become unweighted.
DeeVee	posted 07-04-2010 09:12 PM ET (US) Tom, It has been many, many years since I towed my old 13' sport. That being said, my memory may not be 100% accurate. For the life of me, I cannot remember ever hearing my receiver/ball mount assembly clunking while towing the 13. From about the same time frame, I do remember my father-in-law's boat trailer with his 18' Starcraft in tow behind my 1982 3/4 ton Ford (the same truck that I towed the 13 Sport behind). The tongue weight was pretty light. It clunked on most sizable bumps in the road. My brother-in-law and I adjusted the axle rearward as soon as we had time. Doug Vazquez
Don88outrage	posted 07-05-2010 11:30 AM ET (US) With proper tongue weight there should be no movement between the ball and hitch that could cause any clunking, if there we're it may be a problem with the hitch. The clunking I've had towing an 18 Outrage came from the receiver, the tongue weight is substantial. The fit of the pin that locks the ball assembly into the hitch receiver is not a perfect fit allowing some axial sliding, along with some radial movement within the receiver tube. Add acceleration or braking while towing and you may hear it.
Kingsteven18	posted 07-05-2010 12:09 PM ET (US) Cushioned 'Ball mounts': http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Ball_Mounts-co-Cushioned_Shank.aspx
Kingsteven18	posted 07-05-2010 12:12 PM ET (US) http://www.convert-a-ball.com/ballmounts.htm