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Garyl53's avatar
Garyl53
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015

Acceptable movement of Sidewinder at hitch?

In process of purchasing used truck and 5ver with already installed Sidewinder using 16k Reese hitch. I noticed during the test drive that the Sidewinder pivots at least 10 to 15 degrees at the hitch when turning in addition to expected pivoting at the pin box coupler of the Sidewinder. Is this correct? Does this mean that the king pin wedge needs adjustment or is incorrectly installed?

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  • Garyl53's avatar
    Garyl53
    Explorer
    Jul 15, 2015
    Can the wedge be made too tight to the hitch causing hitching difficulty? Or is this not a concern by just tapping as far forward as possible?
    Thx
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Jul 15, 2015
    ALL movement/pivoting is done at turret.

    Wedge stops any movement at king pin.

    Wedge MUST be properly adjusted for hitch being used

    When hitching up wedge bolts are loose.then wedge is tapped as far forward as it will go then bolts tightened (150 #/ft torque)

    Wedge goes on differently depending on which hitch.

    That wedge needs adjustment or it is not flipped the correct way for that particular hitch

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