Swapping Hitch Ball just because?

BenK wrote:
Sidecar is spot on...Add that anytime steel is chromed...it needs to have the hydrogen baked out of it using very specific process (how soon after taking it out of the chrome bath, temp and how long in that oven)

Otherwise hydrogen embrittlenemt and no longer as strong...a very bad thing for this application

Ask any OEM selling something that is a safety component/system and is chromed...if it "hydrogen embrittlement" has been taken care of...if they don't know what the heck...don't buy it until they can prove it has been baked right out of the plating tank

Hydrogen embrittlement is a real and not well understood phenomenon. I did work for a supplier of tow truck equipment that had serious failures using plated parts. All I am going to say is; stay way back from tow trucks towing or hauling a vehicle.