Loose receiver. Shim ?

[TNRIVERSIDE]

My Equalizer drop hitch seems loose in the recover. The hitch is a factory F150 2009. The Equalizer hitch is relatively new. Maybe 200 miles. With the hitch in the reciver there is some movement. It's the left to right movement that concerns me. The gap is not much. Maybe 1/32". But it seems like this is enough to let the trailer move or drift. Has anyone used shims to reduce or eliminate this movement?

[mthockeydad]

Charles2222 wrote:
I drilled and tapped 1/2 bolt holes on both sides and bottom of reciever(sic) and use grade 8 bolts with lock nuts.Have used this for many years instead of welding.This will allow you to use different hitches.Each 2x2 has a few 1/1000 vitations.

This is a great solution. Another solution I've seen is a 1/2" hole and a Gr8 nut welded to a corner of the receiver tubing. Tighten with a Gr8 bolt and you can take the slop out of both vertical and horizontal at the same time.

[Charles2222]

I drilled and tapped 1/2 bolt holes on both sides and bottom of reciever(sic) and use grade 8 bolts with lock nuts.Have used this for many years instead of welding.This will allow you to use different hitches.Each 2x2 has a few 1/1000 vitations.Sorry I didn't mention I also welded nuts to the reciever also to give more strength to the thread area.i

[spike99]

.

I use J-Pin and it works great.

re: - click here -

[mosseater]

I shimmed mine with banding strips and hold them onto the stinger with a hose clamp. It's works pretty well for a low-tech repair. I used banding as wide as the tubing and once I got them in to the right spot and was still able to slide it in and out, I drilled the hole for the pin and ran a hose clamp arount the whole mess to hold them in position. Been running it like that for several years now.

[TNRIVERSIDE]

Thanks for the comments. I'll put them to ues.

[Bull_Rider]

Find someone with a MIG welder and have them hit a couple of small tack welds on each side of the stinger. Test for fit, grind with a flap disk if too tight and you're good to go. If it's moving vertically I would do the same but just to the top of the receiver. It would take all of 15 minutes for a permanent fix.

[the_bear_II]

Usually the tongue weight will nullify any slop in the receiver. However for lighter tongue weight trailers I have used shims...usually a large diameter washer pounded into place beneath the hitch shaft works.

[djsamuel]

This may help:

Roadmaster Quiet Hitch