Equalizer Hitch: SLOP of Shank into Receiver

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Tried last week to order a 2 1/2" hitch to convert from my current 2" hitch.

Etrailer.com is out of stock of the EQ90-02-4700 and will have stock by the end of September 2016. ($139.95 'free shipping')

One may be found on EBay or some other source, but I am patient and will sit on this until they become available.

Ray,

Have you done a Google search for the Eq part number? That's how I found mine, and the price was better too.

One source -
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/90-02...-p/14-5621.htm



Al

[Ray Eklund]

Al... Thank you.

Saved myself nearly $8.00, enough for a Double Cheeseburger and Fries! Apparently they have them in stock.

Mfg. P/N: 90-02-4700 ($139.00)- 2 1/2" Shank, 3" Drop, 7" Rise, 12" length

Their Product Code: 14-5621 ($131.16)

Soon I will have less slop and will be anxious to relay anything new...

[Al and Missy]

Ray,

I thought the in stock was probably important, the $8 less so.

I don't recall what I paid or where I got mine, but it made a huge difference over the adapter I tried first.

Al

[Adiredneck]

Originally Posted by Adiredneck

I, too, had a lot of slop in the 2.5" receiver in my '15 Ram 3500. This was greatly exaggerated by the fact that I have an AirSafe/Equalizer combination that puts the ball about 14" back from the receiver. The AirSafe shank was a 2"; and most of the slop came from between the reducer and the shank. After using shims for two 3,000 mile trips, I had the reducer sleeve welded to the shank, and also got the u-bolt shown in previous post. It seems to work, as there is little movement and no rattle on the most recent 3,000 trip. I am still curious as to how much actual weight distribution is being accomplished, but I would have to guess more than was happening before with the sloppy fit. I will check on that some time when I have some transit time on my hands and can tie up a CAT scale for 20 minutes or more...

OK - finally got around to taking photo and doing measurements. It is 18" from the collar welded on the shank of the AirSafe (where it stops when inserting into the receiver) and TDC on the ball of the Equalizer. A bit long, but the TT/TV do not seem to notice. But you can see how that much weight and length really emphasized the sloppy fitting on the sleeve/shank. I literally had almost 2" play at the ball before the weld job and clamp. I still need to use the CAT scale to determine how much weight distribution I'm actually getting out of the Equalizer; but with that big Cummins up front, there is no danger of the front wheels lifting off the ground...

[Ray Eklund]

UPS just dropped off my 2 1/2" shank. I could hear the iron being left on our doorstep.

The shipper does not put it into a carton, but attaches a shipping label to it and tosses it into the UPS truck. I am anxious to get this transferred to my 2 1/2" hitch and see how much slop is left to... whine about.

For anyone swapping the 2" out to the 2 1/2"... I do all of the work with the shank attached to the truck's hitch. I can torque everything down and rotate it in four directions to do it. If you do it on a work bench, the torque will move the work bench...

The weight is enough to make one groan. When I get this swapped out... I can make one final post and consider this... Case Closed.

[GCinSC2]

Ray,

A hitch question and case closed?

Inconceivable!!!!!!

Hope it works out.

Gary

[Ray Eklund]

Well Gary... as they said in the Wizard of Oz... 'we are not in Kansas anymore...'.

There are more variables in doing this on YOUR Equalizer... than the one used in their video to show how easy it is to set up!

If you watch the Equalizer Hitch being adjusted on their website, they obviously selected the shank and assembly from the shelf that went together... very easy. Mine took some 2x4 lumber and a small sledgehammer to get mine off... and was nothing close to the video!

There are some differences in the 2 1/2" shank and the 2" shank.

The length of the shank that fits into the hitch:

- 2" shank: 10" from the vertical shaft to end of shank
- 2 1/2" shank: 11 3/4" from the vertical shaft to end of shank

The distance from the center of a 'vertical' adjustment hole to where the pin secures the hitch and the shank are both 8". This was to confirm that the shanks shared a common distance. What the 2 1/2" shank has is an extra 1 3/4" of length that slides further into the vehicle's hitch assembly. This 'extra length' of steel, I believe, is significant. When towing a larger trailer it may come into play... somewhere, somehow.

The assembled weight of the 2 1/2" shank will be noticed!

The slop of the 2 1/2" shank into the receiver is about that of a nickel. US or Canadian. You pick. I have this thin steel shim I will slide into the top I used before and see how hammered it gets with the new shank installed.

All of this can be done while using your tow vehicle's receiver. The torque of the tow ball is said to be 430#. I used a 19" long breaker bar socket wrench and did what I could. It uses a 1 7/8" socket CR-V on the nut with lock washer.

Torqued the two swivel bolts that hold the bars to 45# as on the 'spring arms' sticker. If you move the swivels a bit, you will find that you may have to torque it again to 45#. There is obviously some play in the swivel units.

Angle set bolt- uses a 5/8" socket when needed to secure the washer/head. I needed a wood block and light sledge hammer to coax the assembly snug agains the washer pin. Then tightened the Angle Set Bolt, checking the washer pin assembly was secure to the Shank.

To tighten the two Shank Bolts, a 28mm socket. A 1 1/8" US or 29mm socket is loose fitting but would work in a pinch. Torqued them where the lock washer was flat and snug. No torque is given in the Owner's Manual.

The pin that holds my five washers to adjust the ball seemed to be a bit irregular on diameter. I do not know if that is what they look like, or it is soft metal and I need to keep a good look at it when towing.

It might have taken me thirty minutes to round up tools and some lumber to set the hitch and some to use as blocks to hammer this thing to cooperate. Took about an hour and fifteen minutes... but it includes time to clean the surfaces with WD40 and grease them.

[GCinSC2]

Ray,

I am a believer in not having slop between receiver and shank. It just makes sense. Also believe in a full length shim on as many sides as possible as req'd is a bandaid but a worthy effort. No, I've never tried any hitch clamp just don't see how its possible to clamp on one spot and tighten it up.

YMMV

Now go look behind the Wizards curtain!

[m.hony]

The hitch tightener/anti-rattle device really works.
Been using the Stowaway Hitch Tightener 4 years.


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Ray Eklund]

I slid some shims along the sides and top of the 2" sleeve into the 2 1/2" receiver for a trial run. Did a couple miles to see how they did. All were missing.

I had a neighbor cut a thin steel sheet to slide into my Ford's receiver and this time made it six inches or so in length an rolled up one edge so it fit up against the vertical part of the Shank that sticks up an inch or two. Lasted TWO weeks on the Wyoming Adventure and fit securely.

Looked at it today and it was 'hammered' around the 2" sleeve edges. It was thin, like the aluminum skin on an Airstream. It looked like someone hammered it to fit over and around the 2" sleeve edges. Did not affect the metal on the 2" sleeve, although there were two spots where the black paint was worn off and the rest... no sign of wear. I will check that again.

I still have a nickel's worth of slop in the receiver. This would be top/bottom and left/right. So as GCinSC2 says... shim it up. The nickel's worth would be at the entry of the receiver. As you get further into the receiver I expect it to tighten up. That I will check.

At one time I had it shimmed to the point where I needed my bumper jack and some wood to pull the Shank out of the receiver when having the 2" sleeve in the 2 1/2" receiver.

The Equalizer people say the slop is needed to remove and install the shank, keeping it from getting stuck from... rust? If I see someone with a hitch tightener, I will look it over real close.

I already have too much stuff on the shelf that is useless and questionable. Mostly my wife's stuff, but I have about 150 pounds of bolts, nuts, screws, washers and other useful items in a large plastic container that seems to fit nothing I own today.

[GCinSC2]

Ray,

YMMV but I made my shims out of a SS door kick plate. That stuff was tough to work with. One shim covered bottom and left side with a hole for the hitch pin. I hammered it out mostly starting on an old stinger and a very stout vise. To make the top that was a single sided shim. On the front stinger end a 3/8" bend down and on receiver end 3/8" bend up that locks it in place can't go in or come out. I haven't been able to make the fourth side yet. Too tight needs to be thinner stock.

The SS is holding up very well and the full length is spreading out the load. I really feel that w/o all that beating and banging the receiver has not taken as bad a beating and it has stayed about as tight as it was when first made.

If I lost them on a trip the next weekend i'd be making a new set.

Gary

[Al and Missy]

Ray,

It must be a tolerance or truck thing. My new shank fits so well in the receiver on my Ram that if it has dust on it it won't fit (slight exaggeration). There is virtually no slop with no shims. It fits so well that it makes inserting it a little bit of a chore. I have to get it aligned just right or it won't go in. I guess I got lucky. Also got lucky on the fit of the head to the new shank - tight but didn't have to use a hammer.

Hope it works out for you. The SS door kick plate for shim material sounds like a good idea.

Al

[AtomicNo13]

Hitchrider.com
use one with my Reese and oversized Ford receiver.

[Ray Eklund]

How I reduced my 'slop' to just barely having room to insert the shim of steel.

A neighbor cut this strip from a sheet of thin steel about the width of the 2 1/2" shank. You will also note that the shank DOES exert pressure onto the Receiver. Look how the sheet of steel has been hammered while towing.

This is probably about the best and easiest way to reduce the slop of the shank in the receiver. If someone says the 'slop' is not an issue... well, maybe this piece of sheet metal is an example of how much pressure is applied while towing.

[GCinSC2]

Ray,

I did something similar using a piece of stainless steel from a door kick plate. I cover 3 sides, one is a 90 deg piece too. Tough stuff to cut.

It has been used now for maybe 4 seasons and it does show some hammering it has not deformed.

My opinion it has calmed things down further by almost eliminating the shank slop.

My value of it? If I lost it my task the next weekend would be to make a new set.

Gary

[m.hony]

Or use a hitch tightener or ant-rattle device.
If it doesn't move it can't beat anything up.

[GCinSC2]

My fix works for me it's on 3 sides full shank length.

I saw a hitch clamp equipped stinger on a members truck. The front of the stinger was beating and banging inside the receiver. It's got a lot of leverage to resist twisting against.

Do what you think works for you.

[m.hony]

If you use a shin, seems like a shim on the side and Top would help.
There is tremendous force there.
10,000# snatching, jerking, banging, bumping, twisting against 6,000# as you go along our bad roads.

[GCinSC2]

My set covers 3 sides.