New Equal-I-Zer Hitch Issue

[SWFL_FlyFisher]

Received my new 10k Equali-i-zer hitch yesterday and started the install today. Ran into a glitch right off the bat. I ordered both the hitch and ball at the same time, from the same place and received a 2-5/16" Equal-i-zer brand ball. Went to mount it and found that it required a socket to tighten the nut as it's recessed into the hitch head (unlike others that you can get a wrench on). OK, no big deal I'll just take it to the trailer shop down the road. No dice. They had sockets, but nothing they had (or the automotive shop next door) could get onto the nut in the recess.

So I came back home and called Equal-i-zer. Got voice mail but received a call back just a few minutes later. Spoke with Joey there and he advised that it is a common issue and that I need a special 1-7/8" thin wall socket to get on the nut. They just happen to sell them (list price $83, but I could get it for $68).

Wow. Talk about a surprise. I told him I wasn't really hot on spending almost $100 on a ball and the socket to install it and he said that another option would be to go with a lighter duty ball with a 1" shank (instead of the 1-1/4" that was matched to my hitch) and to use a bushing. This would have a smaller nut and allow the use of a standard socket to tighten it.

Has anybody run into this before? What do you do and what would you recommend?

Right now I'm still hunting for somebody around who has the right socket and can do it before I shell out another $80 for a one-time tool. (their closest dealer is almost 2 hours away)...

[TKW]

This is exactly the same one I bought from etrailer with the hitch. I have no problem installing the hitch ball onto a 12k head with it. Wonder why it doesn't fit yours. You might have to move the spring bar socket slightly to make room for the socket. You also need an extension for the 3/4" drive.

[SWFL_FlyFisher]

2 many 2 wrote:
Powerbuilt 643216 3/4-Inch Drive 12 Point 1-7/8-Inch Socket
Amazon

Even though I was able to get the ball torqued at my local CW, I went ahead and ordered this socket from Amazon so I'd have it on hand and be able to re-tighten if necessary. Socket came today and unfortunately it does NOT fit into the Equal-i-Zer head.

[mikefos]

2012Oudoorsman wrote:

SWFL FlyFisher wrote:

3oaks wrote:
... Tractor supply did have pretty much the same set for 100$ wish I bought that one. Can't confirm if that would work though.

That's where I got mine years ago :B Bought just the one socket for about 20 bucks.

[dodge_guy]

Glad you got it done. But I certainly hope that you have the wording on the ball oriented properly! It makes a difference! To me anyway!!!! 😉

[TKW]

Etrailer.com sells the OEM socket for around $50 and a generic brand for about 1/2 the price. I bought my Equal-i-zer WD hitch from them last fall & installed myself with a borrowed torque wrench.
I wasn't aware that I could get the version with the ball installed. I certainly would have jumped on the offer instead of on the wrench to get the 430 ft-lb to spec.

[drsteve]

Huntindog wrote:


Search here is about useless. There have been changes made to the site that prevent MANY older posts including a lot of mine from being found..

X2. The best way to search this site (and many others with lame search functions) is to use Google. Type "site: rv.net" with NO SPACE and without the quotes, then a space, then your search terms. Google will search rv.net way better than the on site engine.

[2012Oudoorsman]

SWFL FlyFisher wrote:

3oaks wrote:
Then there is Harbor Freight. A whole set of 3/4" drive sockets, $60.00, which includes the 1-7/8" socket you can use.

Harbor Freight 3/4" drive socket set

.

Thanks for the link. Have you actually tried the 1-7/8" in this set and can confirm that it fit fit in the recess of the Equal-i-zer hitch head? I found today (at a couple of trailer shops) that regular 3/4" and 1" drive sockets will not fit due to interference from the hitch head body.

The set for harbor freight worked in my 12k equalizer 4pt. Used it for 4 years, sold hitch last year when we went to a 5er. Still have the harbor freight set. It's of pretty poor quality but it did work for this. Tractor supply did have pretty much the same set for 100$ wish I bought that one. Can't confirm if that would work though.

[Huntindog]

SWFL FlyFisher wrote:

bikendan wrote:
There are hundreds of posts here, that detail the need for a thin wall socket to install the ball.

Many simply take it to a RV shop and pay $5 or $10 bucks for it to be installed.

Curious as to what terms you used to find these "hundreds of posts" as I did several searches before posting. Maybe I used the wrong search terms. I did try

equalizer ball
equal-i-zer ball
equalizer socket
equal-i-zer socket

and NONE of them produced any results. I'm taking the hitch head down to a Camping World tomorrow to see if they can do it (about an hour drive each way) since the closest Equal-i-zer dealer is almost twice that distance.

Search here is about useless. There have been changes made to the site that prevent MANY older posts including a lot of mine from being found..
That said... The thin walled special socket has been discussed here many times in the past.

The new Equalizers I have purchased always had the ball already installed.

[lbrjet]

I know you got it tightened but if anyone else runs into this problem here was my solution. I took off the socket bolts and moved the sockets over a bit (using the bar) so they were out the way. An 8 buck 1 and 7/8 inch socket fits just fine with the hitch head sockets out of the way.

[BenK]

Buddy GMW...no problem...because know you well enough to trust that you are okay and know of what you are doing

But, those who I don't know well enough...I'll stay conservative and advise to stick to the OEM's specifications...especially newbies...

Even at full OEM spec...they sometimes do work loose, so this is not a tighten it and forget it type of thing

Even the horse trailer shop (they both make them and service them) in my area where I bought a 10,000 lb rated ball/shank didn't have a torque wrench that was rated for 450 ft/lbs...after they searched the whole shop and everyone's tool box...finally said how about this 3/4" impact air gun... Their sales guy said okay when made it a requirement to mount the ball on that shank & torqued to the label's 500 ft/lbs as part of the deal

Looked at the guns label and it said 500 ft/lbs at 120 PSI...so okay'd them to use that.

[SWFL_FlyFisher]

Well we ran down to Camping World in Ft. Myers today and they not only had the proper socket, they tightened and torqued it free of charge. Turns out they're an Equal-i-zer dealer, just not listed on the website.

Happy Camper once again...

[gmw_photos]

I keep a 43" breaker bar in the truck for these big high torque bolts and nuts.
I got this particular 3/4" drive breaker bar at Northern Tool, which is kind of like a "slightly better Harbor Freight" place.

At 43" long, it's pretty easy to get something up into the "farmer tight category of 450 lb-ft or so".

( my buddy BenK is cringing right now. Sorry Ben ! )

[DutchmenSport]

Like gmw_photos said, I have a 1 and 13/16 inch nut on my ball hitch and mine is also an Equal-i-zer with that same recessed hole.

We were in South Carolina last year, camped, and I realized the hitch ball was loose. I had nothing to fit it and ended up going to 4 different places before I found a socket that would fit it. I started at Lowes, and ended up at a little mom-and-pop's auto part store who had the perfect socket and I had to buy a large breaker bar for it to snap onto, since I didn't have any ratchets big enough to fit. It cost me over $50 for both socket and breaker, but it worked marvelously. This is the only nut I have to use that socket on, but it was worth every penny spent. I keep it in my RV tool box now.

Since then, I check the nut every time I hitch up now to make sure it's not come loose. As far as torque on the nut, I have no idea. But I figure if it's tight enough I can't make it any tighter myself without additional leverage, it's tight enough. Since that one time, it's never come loose again.

[SoundGuy]

jmtandem wrote:
A lot of RV dealers install Equalizer hitches for customers.

SoundGuy wrote:
For anyone else considering an Equal-i-zer hitch - the popular 1,000 / 10,000 lb model is sold in 2 versions - one without the hitch ball mounted, the second with the hitch ball already mounted on the head, eliminating the need for a torque wrench capable of 430 ft-lbs.

Equal-i-zer Hitch Models

Still doesn't solve the need for a torque wrench that can torque those head shank bolts to 320 ft-lbs. 😉

drsteve wrote:
An extra $50 just for an installed hitch ball...

A properly rated hitch ball, properly torqued to the head, no fuss no muss no effort, no need for a torque wrench capable of 430 ft-lbs, no need to drive anywhere to get one properly mounted ... seems like a deal to me and unquestionably the route I'd go if I were buying another Equal-i-zer. :B