How to Eliminate Rattle Between Ball Mount and Receiver While Towing

Question:

i have a 2 inch ball and 2 inch coupler and the ball moves quite a bit up and down maybe like a half inch to an inch that causes alot of banging around. how much play should be in the coupler and ball?

asked by: Luis

Expert Reply:

The amount of play or slop you are experiencing between your receiver and ball mount is caused by different manufacturing tolerances between the ball mount and receiver tube that the ball mount slides into. The receiver does not measure exactly 2 inches side to side. A receiver can be a few hundredths of an inch larger or smaller than 2 inches and still be considered within tolerance. The same goes for the shank on the ball mount. The shank is purposely made a bit smaller than 2 inches so that the parts can slide together. However, if you get a receiver that is on the large side and a ball mount that is on the small side, you end up with the movement you are describing.

You can try a different ball mount, and it might or might not fix the situation. Roadmaster makes a product called the Quiet Hitch, part # RM-061. I have used it myself, and without a doubt works as advertised. The product works by clamping the ball mount tightly against the receiver and prohibiting movement.

Increasing the tongue weight of the trailer might help, as well. Adding more weight forward of the trailer axle will increase the tongue weight. The additional force applied to the ballmount will alleviate some of the movement.

I have linked you to a product demonstration video featuring the Quiet Hitch, as well as a link that shows our other anti-rattle option.

expert reply by: Mike L