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crazylev · 05-10-2004, 02:50 PM

Greetings.

A question for all of you Equilizer hitch owners:

I've noticed that there is a lot of creaking, metal sounds coming from the back of the van. When I heard it for the first time, I was with a service tech guy and he said that is normal hitch sound, and promised that I wasn't pulling the back axel off the V-Dub.

These sounds seem to be much more noticeable at low speed, and turning.

The Equilizer instructions say to use axel grease where the arms connect to the big knuckle thing and to also aplly grease where the bars go through the loops on the A-frame. Also, there is a note about lubing the ball as well.

Will this help if I just lube the crap out of this thing. I know I'll end up with a hell of mess. Gloves will be in order.

Please thrill me with your genius-ness!!!

Joanthan

**jcanavera** · 05-10-2004, 03:33 PM

Yep the sound is normal. I used to have a Reese dual-cam prior to my Equal-i-zer and it creaked, popped, and moaned in low speed manuvers.

I've been told that Equal-i-zer has been trying out teflon coated L brakets. You might give them a call and see if they are available. Personally I won't grease mine. I'll deal with the noise. You can grease the top and bottom surfaces of the recepticle that the bar slides into. Also remember to watch the torque setting for the bolts which hold the recepticle. 45 lbs. is the recommendation. They come from the factory over torqued at 60 lbs. but loosen up quickly.

Jack

troubleskeep · 05-10-2004, 03:48 PM

I have a trunnion style hitch, but it seems fairly simular and it was creaking also. What I found was that the tension chains (for your's the tension brackets) were not perpendicular to the frame. Once I moved the clamps, the creaking went away.

I don't know if this'll help, but it's an idea anyway.

cosmotini · 05-10-2004, 04:21 PM

Crazylev,

I notice that mine makes less noise now than when it was very new. I think that as it is used, it will quiet down some but not completely. Either that or I have lost my hearing!

Dennis

bryanl · 05-10-2004, 04:42 PM

Any load leveling hitch will make noise when turning enough to push the spring bars around. Since this is usually a pretty good turn, the speed is usually slow. At slow speeds, you often have less other noise to drown hitch noises out, too.

For the Equal-i-zer you can lubricate it as specified in the owner's manual and that usually takes care of the noise. Most is from the spring bars sliding over the L brackets which is why the teflon L brackets idea came up as an alternative to lubrication.

The Reese and EAZ type spring bars use chains for tension and these will rub on the bracket and make noise. You should lubricate the part of the spring bars that goes into the trailer ball mount socket to help with wear as well as noise there.

The Reese Dual-Cam mechanism also has lubrication instructions which should be followed to reduce noise and wear.

crazylev · 05-10-2004, 07:48 PM

Thank you all for your responses.

Jack: I did call Equilizer today and they are now beta testing the new L brackets. There are available now for $30.00. Which the fellow on the phone said was a pretty good deal.

He did add that the brackets have only been tested for less than a year, so they don't know how they will stand the test of time.

In the mean time, it sounds like wheel bearing grease here and there, and hope that they do "break in" like Cosmotini has aluded.

Jonathan

dmac · 05-11-2004, 08:41 AM

You really should grease the bars where they contact the L brackets, above the bar sockets where they rub the bottom of the trunion casting, and the ball - per the Equal-i-zer instructions. Without grease you will get both noise and excess wear. Each time I hitch up I use WD-40 and paper towels to clean off the old grease and dirt, and apply some fresh grease. Only a small amount of grease is needed at each spot.

Perhaps Teflon anti-friction pad material could be attached to existing weight distribution bars, or to the L brackets, to eliminate the need for grease in those spots.

I have not been able to find a socket that will fit the ball nut, but be thin-walled enough to clear the trunion casting. Anyone have a source for this? I have jammed a wrench between the nut and the trunion to hold the nut, then used a large open end wrench to turn the ball to tighten it. I can't determine the torque setting this way - and am probably not tight enough. I have had the ball loosen up several times, partly due to my inability to torque it properly, and partly due to the lack of machined surfaces where the ball and nut contact the casting. The rough surface has paint and casting debris that appear to crush over time, loosening a previously tight ball.

crazylev · 05-11-2004, 08:54 AM

Dan.

When I saw the set-up for the ball attaching to the trunion thing, I just couldn't believe that Equilizer did not come up with something better to be able to tighten the nut for the ball. The guys at the service place had the right size bit, but it couldn't slide over the nut thing!!! As you said, who knows if you could ever tell if it is tightened apropriately.

I am not sure how they finally got it attached, as I think that was one of those times I was off throwing up somewhere!!!

Jonathan

bryanl · 05-11-2004, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmac

I have not been able to find a socket that will fit the ball nut, but be thin-walled enough to clear the trunion casting.

I found one at the local Tru Value hardware store. It was a standard 3/4 drive socket. I thought it rather tight but the friend with the impact wrench was able to use it to tighten the ball nut.

**jcanavera** · 05-11-2004, 11:00 AM

I asked my dealer and was told that he ground his socket down to fit the opening.

I will preface the greasing issue with the fact that many folks do not clean the areas they grease. What you end up is picking up more grime and stuff that sticks to the grease, thus countering what you are attempting to do in the first place.

If you are going to grease it, keep it clean, otherwise you probably are better going greaseless.

Jack

hjlincoln · 05-04-2009, 01:29 PM

Scaring your fellow RV'ers and passers-by to death as your Equal-i-zer hitch pops and groans?

Friction & noise-reducing nylon pads (Sway Bracket Jacket) are available directly from Equal-i-zer and come as a pair for $19.95. I have been pleased with the first set I ordered, and have just ordered a second pair to replace them after towing approx 10K miles using them. I tow a 2009 23' Int'l Signature Series CCD (700lb hitch weight) with a 2005 4.7L V8 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab 4x4.

Here is the link to review and purchase the pads:
Equal-i-zer Hitch Store: Sway Bracket Jacket (pair)

"Silence is golden ..." (and easier on everyone's nerves too ...)

Happy Camping! John Lincoln

Relentless · 05-04-2009, 03:32 PM

I, too, have been using the nylon pads for the last 8,000 or so miles. They worked great for the first 6,000 but are now worn to the point they are about useless. I will order another pair.

Also, using some WD-40 helps a lot. However, this is pretty much to reduce noise and some wear. If the noise doesn't bother you, some light greasing is all that's required every few thousand miles.

John

TBRich · 05-04-2009, 04:03 PM

We helped test the "Bracket Jackets" for Equal-I-zer and have used them since we got the Bambi in Mar 07. At first they broke too easily, but Equal-I-zer" modified the design (as a result of the testing) and now they are holding up just fine. We like them a lot. They easy to use, add no time to your hitch-up time...and are well with it.

pilgrim · 05-04-2009, 07:06 PM

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. When we purchased our AS, the dealer told us to expect the NOISE and to get used to it. We grease and spray regularly and as we go into our second year of 'streaming, we find it so much quieter than it had been before. I don't expect it to completely go away but it is so much better now. It certainly isn't bothersome to us or to anyone else.....any more.

Gene · 05-04-2009, 09:10 PM

I don't lubricate either end of the bar as friction is what makes it work at the L brackets and at the other end, I just forget to do it. Besides, grease attracts dirt and dirty grease means wear too. The noise is music to us because it means it is doing what it is supposed to. We do get some funny looks sometimes, but who cares?

The top bolt on the hitch head wasn't tight enough—it takes a 1 1/8 socket, so I tightened it. They didn't give me all the washers and I may need another one eventually when I get around to going through all the adjustments. I got the washers tight when I tightened that bolt, but though I know the truck is level, not sure about the trailer as I never seem to get a perfectly level campsite. It looked good the other day on what seemed like a level parking place at a rest stop. I think until you set it up yourself, it's hard to really understand how to adjust it. The instructions on the company website are more thorough than I got from the company (the Airstream dealer didn't give me the instructions either).

Various parts will wear off the paint and periodically, they need to have the rust removed and repainted. I haven't done the bars since it seems fruitless, but will get around to that someday.

The aluminum L parts bend backwards under stress and the company told me that's normal and they will not break. I was told the washers will loosen over time. I think they compress. There's an adjusting nut underneath the hitch head to take up the slack when the washers get loose. They also told me regular washers will get crushed and either to get the ones they use or some other kind that is especially hard, though I can't remember what kind. Get the Equalizer ones from a dealer.

I use wheel bearing grease on the ball and clean it off and renew every couple of days when we unhitch. Since I generally leave the hitch head on when we drive around town, it quickly picks up dirt.

I seem to buy clothes that have some substance that attracts grease to them no matter how careful I am and have no solution to that problem. My hands also attract grease, so maybe the grease on my clothes is trying to get to my skin.

Gene

myoung · 05-05-2009, 12:03 AM

Here's our solution to the noise problem that works 90% of the time: rubber bands of the kind that women use to tie their hair in ponytails.

I find that the noise when cornering at low speed is the result of binding of the L-brackets (the solid, square brackets that hold the weight-distribution bars in place) against the weight-distribution bars. When the L-brackets are bent over they get jammed and make noise as the weight-distribution bars pinch against them. So, the simple solution is to hold the L-bracket upright so that there is more play and movement. Do this by looping the rubber bands over the ends of the cotter pin and then over the supporting bracket. This has the effect of holding the L-brackets more loosely in the upright position. The extra flexibility is all that is needed to eliminate the squealing.

Sorry, I don't have a picture handy that shows the arrangement, but I hope the explanation makes enough sense. Try it, you'll like it. A packet of those rubber bands that will last years costs about $1 at drug stores.

Gene · 05-05-2009, 05:20 AM

But, if friction is what makes the Equalizer work, don't you want things to bind?

Gene

myoung · 05-05-2009, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

But, if friction is what makes the Equalizer work, don't you want things to bind?

Gene

There is friction between the weight-distribution bars and the brackets on which they rest. What I'm talking about is keeping the L-shaped retainer pins that are held in place by cotter pins upright.

Gene · 05-05-2009, 08:34 AM

We're talking about the same pins or brackets—can't remember the exact name for them. As I see it, and maybe I'm wrong, these and the black L brackets provide the friction at the rear of the bars. Since there's some give on the aluminum L's (they bend to fit the particular towing combo), it seems they must be engineered to do what they do. The black L's also move a bit—rotating a little—and I believe they are supposed to do that too. So the two L's both move. If they didn't there would be considerably friction and I believe like an earthquake fault, tension would build and build until something snapped—either one of the L's would break or the bars would suddenly slide very fast and provide a shocking change and a bad ride. That's why I think these parts are supposed to move as they do with the aluminum L being the weakest part for a reason—so it can bend.

Equalizer sells a lubricant to put there to reduce noise and says it may reduce friction, but I can't understand why anyone would want to reduce the friction unless the noise makes them crazy.

It seems that over time the bars and the other parts will wear and get both a little smaller and smoother, thus reducing friction a little. The paint wears off fast and that reduces noise as well.

Even more mysterious to me is setting up the hitch head properly. I think someday I'll have to take the whole thing apart and start over. First I need to find somewhere that is actually level, something my property lacks. Then I'll have to go through the whole process. Tinkering with it only goes so far. The good thing is that it works fine and I never have any trouble towing.

Gene

myoung · 05-05-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

We're talking about the same pins or brackets—can't remember the exact name for them. As I see it, and maybe I'm wrong, these and the black L brackets provide the friction at the rear of the bars. Since there's some give on the aluminum L's (they bend to fit the particular towing combo), it seems they must be engineered to do what they do.
Gene

Gene,

The aluminum L-brackets simply keep the weight-distribution bars from sliding off the black L-brackets. They are just retainers, but they are also the principal, if not the sole, cause of the popping noise that people are trying to eliminate or mitigage. All the intended friction in the Equal-i-zer hitch is between the black L-brackets and the weight-distribution bars.