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maxwell11's avatar
maxwell11
Explorer
Jul 14, 2015

Receiver Hitch noise

Receiver Hitch noise:

sometimes when I stop, then start forward with my 26ft trailer hooked, I hear a clunk noise coming from the trailer hitch area.

I checked all connections with the trailer hooked up, no looseness found.

However, after unhooking the trailer, I noticed that the hitch bar has some free play in the receiver of the truck. The hitch is a heavy duty solid bar designed to pull my trailer weight 6500#.

Being the redneck that I am, as a temporary fix, think I could wrap some black electrical tape around the hitch bar at the point just inside the receiver, this tape would insulate the two pieces of metal for a short while.
as least until I can come up with a long term solution.

I guess the solution is to weld a piece of thin flat stock onto the top the hitch shaft and to the side of the hitch shaft, filling in the looseness.

or placing welding beads down the side and top of the hitch bar, then grinding the beads down to fit, taking up the slack.

I have had this hitch since 2000, this is the second trailer it has been used one, so it may be wearing down some.

any suggestions, have any of you had this problem?
Tow Vehicles

10 Replies

  • mosseater's avatar
    mosseater
    Explorer II
    Jul 14, 2015
    I measured the difference between the receiver and the stinger and made up shims with wide banding strips. I drilled the shims to match the pin hole, installed the whole mess, complete with pin, then wrapped a hose clamp around nice and tight to hold them in position. I can take the whole mess in and out without disturbing the shim setup. The hose clamp is the stop point for insertion. Works great! Been like that for over three years now.
  • bud121156's avatar
    bud121156
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2015
    I simply wedged a washer under the drawbar,as a shim when I had the same issue with the previously owned pop up.
  • maxwell11's avatar
    maxwell11
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2015
    thanks for your reply's.
    I may not have had the torsion bars pulled tight enough.

    I will correct that problem the next time I pull the trailer, see if it makes a difference.

    the trailer/truck did appeared to have a bit more up down motion, so I must not have had the torsion bars tight enough,

    latch was in the last chain rung, I can tighten them up two more rungs.

    hope this helps.

    otherwise, the torsion bars could be sprung and no longer serviceable.
  • Perrysburg_Dodg's avatar
    Perrysburg_Dodg
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2015
    Or remove the receiver, drill a 3/8" hole in the top one inch in from the furthest point of the hitch. Weld a 3/8X24 nut over the hole and then all you have to do is tighten the bolt down onto the hitch. This will keep it from tipping up and down. Also check to see how much slop is in the pin hole on both the hitch and the receiver. If there is too much you can drill out the hitch and sleeve it for a loose slip fit on the pin (measure the pin and add +.005 to the diameter). For the receiver you can weld a thick washer to it over the existing hole.

    Don
  • bcbouy's avatar
    bcbouy
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2015
    reese makes an anti rattle pin,and you can also get an insert that you screw an anti theft pin through.i have 3 of them on my truck.they work pretty good.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Jul 14, 2015
    Terryallan wrote:
    I'm guessing, you are NOT using a WDH? there is play in mine until I pull the spring bars. After that. It has too much pressure on it to klunk. When we had the pup, and didn't use a WDH. I had a klunk


    Same here. If the spring bars aren't even tight enough to keep the draw bar from moving then they may not be doing much else.
  • Terryallan's avatar
    Terryallan
    Explorer II
    Jul 14, 2015
    I'm guessing, you are NOT using a WDH? there is play in mine until I pull the spring bars. After that. It has too much pressure on it to klunk. When we had the pup, and didn't use a WDH. I had a klunk
  • naturist's avatar
    naturist
    Nomad
    Jul 14, 2015
    You have to have enough clearance to insert and remove the bar into/out of the receiver. I suggest beer cans for shim stock. Electrical tape is way too soft and will extrude under pressure, won't stop the clunking, and will ball up and thwart attempts at removing the bar from the receiver when you go to do that.

    Beer cans are made of thin aluminum. Easily cut, tough enough to hold their space, and the price is certainly right.

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