Installing ball on new Equalizer?

[Alphonse]

Bought a new Equalizer hitch and need to install the ball. I discovered that my 1 7/8 socket will not fit between the sockets that hold the WD bars.

Thought about trying to remove the sockets but looks like they are friction fit in place and would be a bear to remove and put back.

I have a Camping World nearby, perhaps the best answer is to get them to install it.

Another option is to order the thin wall socket that Equalizer sells but I am not convinced that it will clear either on this 1200# set up.

Any tips would be appreciated.

[overlander63]

Get a big wrench that will fit the hex on the ball, put the head of the hitch on your truck, and crank the ball on with the wrench. It's supposed to be "torqued" to somewhere around 350 pounds, so you may even need a piece of pipe or something similar for you to get enough leverage.
Probably the wrench will cost about the same as the labor for Camping World to do the work.

[idroba]

What Overlander63 says, and even a pipe wrench may work if you don't mind the cosmetic damage to the ball base. To hold the nut from turning, if it tries to, wedge a screwdriver or piece of metal between the nut and the tubes.

At least that is the way I changed out mine last year.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Alphonse

Bought a new Equalizer hitch and need to install the ball. I discovered that my 1 7/8 socket will not fit between the sockets that hold the WD bars.

Thought about trying to remove the sockets but looks like they are friction fit in place and would be a bear to remove and put back.

I have a Camping World nearby, perhaps the best answer is to get them to install it.

Another option is to order the thin wall socket that Equalizer sells but I am not convinced that it will clear either on this 1200# set up.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Buy the socket they recommend.

You will want to be able to tightened it regularly anyway.

Also, you can reposition the bar sockets using the bars as a lever when hitch head is in the receiver on the TV. That may give you enough room.

Ken

[68 TWind]

I had to pivot the sockets a bit using the bars but had no problem getting a socket on the nut. I did use the Equalizer brand ball. I turned the assembly upside down and put in into the receiver on my truck for easier access. If that doesn't work, buy the socket. Proper tools make most hard jobs easy.

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Get a big wrench that will fit the hex on the ball, put the head of the hitch on your truck, and crank the ball on with the wrench. It's supposed to be "torqued" to somewhere around 350 pounds, so you may even need a piece of pipe or something similar for you to get enough leverage.
Probably the wrench will cost about the same as the labor for Camping World to do the work.

No problem with the tools, I have some adjustable wrenches large enough to fit the flats on the ball and also cheaters made out of chrome moly tubing with knurled handles so they don't slip. May give this a try if I can't rotate the sockets out of the way so my socket fits.
Thanks

[JimGolden]

I just took mine to a shop that works on diesel trucks and they had a thin wall high strength socket that fit in there just fine. They also had an air ratchet that torqued it to 450 ft-lbs no problem. In fact, their gun could tighten to something like 900 ft-lbs and it could loosen up to 1300 ft-lbs. It took all of about two minutes to do. They did it for free.

I agree, the right tools make all the difference