Equalizer L- brackets Bending

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
Reply from the company when we inquired about the same issue:

I wanted to send you some information on our L-pins and what will happen to them over time. http://help/cswiki/images/thumb/a/af/Both_pins_compared_to_new.jpg/350px-Both_pins_compared_to_new.jpgFirst of all, to put your mind at ease, remember that the L-pins are there to keep the bars from coming off the side of the brackets. With proper weight distribution, you would not see the bars lift up off the brackets in normal driving conditions. Even if the pins are on the outer 1/4" or 1/2" of the bar, as long as they rest on top, there’s no reason for concern. This picture is to show the wear patterns as the L-pins wear over time.


The one on the left here is factory-fresh. The others are showing more and more wear. Most well-used L-pins resemble the one on the far right. The reason you’ve seen some wear like the two L-pins that have worn is the fact that hitches have a break in period, and during that period, the forces exerted on the L-pins by the spring arms are at their greatest.


When the hitch is manufactured in our Provo, UT plant, we set the torque for the bolts that keep the sockets in the hitch head to 90-110 ft/lbs. We do this to allow the hitch head to wear in well, and provide as even a surface as possible after the breaking-in period has completed. Because of this extra torque, there is extra pressure, keeping the spring arms from moving side to side. Because of that, there is more pent-up energy which releases when you complete turns. This excess energy is transferred to the one place it can go, the L-pins. I’m sure you remember just how much of a pop and boom your hitch made when it was new.


For L-pins that have been with the same hitch from the beginning, it’s expected to see both the wear marks and deformation. If you were to purchase new L-pins today to replace those you currently have, I would expect to see similar wear and deformation appear over time. Your friction levels are lower at this point because your torque is quite likely lower (45-60 ft/lbs) and the hitch head should now have smooth movement tracks that allow you to move the arms easily from side to side.


With that said, we’ve spoken with a good number of our customers, some with nearly a million miles on their hitch. They’ve traveled around the country through 4 tow vehicles and 4 different trailers, and still using the same hitch—and the same L-pins. From this point onward, if you keep your current L-pins instead of buying new ones, I doubt you would see any significant wearing from where they are today.


Another way to determine wear of the L-pin is to pull the L-pin back away from the spring arm, if the L-pin still touches the spring arm then your hitch is experiencing normal wear. If you have a digital camera what I suggest you do is take several pictures of your L-pins and send them to me so that I can better assess your situation. Please take pictures of the L-pin while they are attached to your L-brackets, also take pictures of the L-pins while they are detached from your L-brackets and laying on a flat surface. Having these pictures will really help me better understand your situation, and would be much appreciated.



Thanks For Contacting Progress Mfg. regarding your


Jason Binks
Inside Sales Manager
jdbinks@progressmfg.com
Office (800) 478-5578 x113

See our other trailer product at: www.equalizerhitch.com & www.fastwaytrailer.com

Well that assessment sort of confirms what I was saying in my prior post. For those that have actually had the spring bars "POP" out of the "L" pin holding area I still believe that their tension on their spring bars might be misadjusted to the "LIGHT" side. I'm not saying it's impossible, but to get the TV-TT orientation such as to lift that spring bar enough off the "L" bracket so it can slip over the "L" pin would be such a "RARE" occurrance that I'm not sure it's worth worrying about and even an undeformed "L" pin might not hold the spring bar in place anyway.

I do agree that those "L" pins fit too loosely in that hole in the "L" bracket and the "L" bracket should have a square tube extension slightly below the bottom of the "L" bracket to hold that "L" pin more in a vertical orientation. To satisfy me I have made a couple of shims that I slip along side two sides of each "L" pin that take all that slop out of the "L" pins and keep them more vertical. I did this mainly so that those "L" pins would not "WALLOW" out the hole in the "L" bracket more over time by restricting movement of them in the hole in the "L" bracket. Looking at the newer "L" pins my system accomplishes basically the same thing, but IMO a more robust manner. Below are a couple of pics of those shims that I use.





Larry