Hitch moans and groans

Being a tool & die maker, and having worked on things mechanical my whole life, the idea of using steel on steel for friction rubs me the wrong way. :(

beemerphile1 wrote:
I like the popping and creaking, it is proof that the system is intact and working.

Within reason. ;) I ran an Equal-i-zer for 6 yrs so I'm quite familiar with it's operation and didn't mind a bit of creak but a friend who was also running an EQ but who had made no effort to mitigate the noise could always easily be heard entering the campground by all the popping and creaking. :E It may be "proof" the system is working but that amount of racket is unnecessary ... even the manufacturer recognizes this fact by offering their own High Performance Lubricant and Sway Bracket Jackets which are both designed specifically to minimize the noise this WD system can make.

I like the popping and creaking, it is proof that the system is intact and working.

If he has an Equalizer brand hitch, there are areas on the hitch itself that require lubrication according to Equalizer. The main area is the upper and lower surface of the sockets where the bars connect. The ball should also have a light coating of grease. I've had my Equalizer brand hitch for over a year now, and if I keep it lubricated properly, there is little to no noise. I also have the rubber inserts on the "L" brackets. I clean and lube my hitch before every trip.
Happy travels!

geoedgerton wrote:
Equal-i-zer hitch actually offers a neoprene type pad that goes on the "L" bracket where the bars ride. We have used the pad and it does reduce noise and does not seem to negatively affect sway control.

Earl E wrote:
Did I miss something? He has chains. That's not the Equal-i-zer. He has an equalizer, brand unnamed.

What the OP said in his original post - "I have an Equalizer WDH with the friction style anti sway bars with retaining pins vice hanging chains."

What the OP should have said in his original post - "I have an Equal-i-zer WDH with weight distribution spring bars which ride in a pair of L brackets mounted to the trailer's A frame vs spring bars suspended from hanging chains."

That said, most who responded have read through the OP's poorly written description and interpreted it to mean he indeed has an Equal-i-zer brand weight distribution system, in which case the suggestions offered were quite valid. At the time I owned one I used dry graphite spray lubricant on the bars and L brackets and found that to work quite well at reducing the noise without adversing affecting the Equal-i-zer's ability to also control sway.

geoedgerton wrote:
Equal-i-zer hitch actually offers a neoprene type pad that goes on the "L" bracket where the bars ride. We have used the pad and it does reduce noise and does not seem to negatively affect sway control.

Did I miss something? He has chains. That's not the Equal-i-zer. He has an equalizer, brand unnamed.

Mine used to "moan and groan" until I figured out the secret.After you hook it up sometime, check to see if the L brackets are perpendicular with the bars with a carpenters square. Most are set up to be perpendicular with the trailer frame. What happens is if not perpendicular, the bars ride on one "edge" of the L brackets and the symphony happens. Loosen the L brackets and square them with the bars when fully loaded and ready to travel and the noise will go away.

Chappy and Junker wrote:
Thanks for the quick responses and valuable info. I will use heavier grease in the proper locations and clean the other areas. And I will only apply it to the hitch, not my personal body parts as suggested. ;)

I want to know how you make your hitch moan and groan? Mine only creaks and clunks.

Thanks for the quick responses and valuable info. I will use heavier grease in the proper locations and clean the other areas. And I will only apply it to the hitch, not my personal body parts as suggested. ;)

Metal grinding on metal, annoying but totally normal for that hitch. It's how you know it's working. As mentioned, you can by pads to go on the L brackets to reduce the noise.