Reese shim question
After reading something here, I realized that I needed a shim for the shank/hitch head (Reese #58207) on our DC WDH. I installed one but here is still some play. I bought a 2nd one just in case bit ...
Forum Discussion
Hi Red,
Here is the sheet explaining the shim
That sheet came with all steel cast head I bought a few years ago. The current day HP Trunion bar head.
I also have the 3 piece welded head in my collection of Reese parts. Prior to this 3 piece vintage was an older all cast steel head. Time frame approx. year 2,000 ish. During that time frame some heads cracked potentially due to the fit up to the shank. Some folks where not using or did not know to shim, so they over tightened to try and compress the clevis. The result in some cases was reported to lead to a cracked head. There was also "talk" of a casting issue in some cases however an official recall was never issued that I am aware of.
From this sequence of events the new 3 piece HP hitch head was born around approx. 2002 to 2003 time period and the older all cast head part numbers were discontinued. I have 3 of 3 piece those heads. They have a mild steel clevis welded to forged top bottom trunnion sockets. The softer steel conformed to the shank very easy.
As time progresses, Reese came back with the all cast steel head which is now offered. It was an updated design. The shim paper comes with some but not all, don't know why, dealer may loose the paperwork etc.
I myself would not over torque the bolts trying to compress an all cast steel head. I called Reese on the shim and tech service told me the head can be used as the flyer I posted and the clevis can flex enough to make the shim work but to not over do it not using the shim. The shim was 0.042" the tech had told me. That may help in understand of the distances.
A call to tech service may give an updated version of the shimming process if it has changed in the last few years.
Hope this helps.
John
Here is the sheet explaining the shim
That sheet came with all steel cast head I bought a few years ago. The current day HP Trunion bar head.
I also have the 3 piece welded head in my collection of Reese parts. Prior to this 3 piece vintage was an older all cast steel head. Time frame approx. year 2,000 ish. During that time frame some heads cracked potentially due to the fit up to the shank. Some folks where not using or did not know to shim, so they over tightened to try and compress the clevis. The result in some cases was reported to lead to a cracked head. There was also "talk" of a casting issue in some cases however an official recall was never issued that I am aware of.
From this sequence of events the new 3 piece HP hitch head was born around approx. 2002 to 2003 time period and the older all cast head part numbers were discontinued. I have 3 of 3 piece those heads. They have a mild steel clevis welded to forged top bottom trunnion sockets. The softer steel conformed to the shank very easy.
As time progresses, Reese came back with the all cast steel head which is now offered. It was an updated design. The shim paper comes with some but not all, don't know why, dealer may loose the paperwork etc.
I myself would not over torque the bolts trying to compress an all cast steel head. I called Reese on the shim and tech service told me the head can be used as the flyer I posted and the clevis can flex enough to make the shim work but to not over do it not using the shim. The shim was 0.042" the tech had told me. That may help in understand of the distances.
A call to tech service may give an updated version of the shimming process if it has changed in the last few years.
Hope this helps.
John
