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Old 07-26-2019, 07:12 AM   #1
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Equalizer hitch wear

Im looking at getting a heavy equalizer hitch to replace my current one and I found this one on CR, i have some concerns about the wear of the underside of the hitch. Does this look like average wear or should i have concerns?
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Old 07-26-2019, 07:23 AM   #2
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Looks extremely worn to me. Also the shank of the ball is too long and likely has interfered with the pivoting of the sockets. I would not buy this.
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Old 07-26-2019, 06:50 PM   #3
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I wouldn't take that hitch even if it was free.
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Old 07-26-2019, 08:27 PM   #4
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I wouldn't take that hitch even if it was free.
But it kept that boat from drifting away....
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Old 07-30-2019, 12:42 PM   #5
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I've owned one since 2006. That is the wrong ball for that hitch. It also takes a special socket to install the proper one (thin walled). Should be flush.



I'm only seeing superficial surface rust, residual grease, and minor wear. If "I" were to buy it, I'd take it apart, sandblast it, repaint it, GREASE the moving parts, and reassemble it. The steel on all the parts is very thick, and short of very deep gouging, not a problem. Look at the average 5th wheel coupling plate.

I periodically repaint mine, just as the manufacturer recommends, otherwise it would probably look like that one!

But I'd want a very cheap price to be worth the effort. I did buy a used Roadmaster Falcon 2 towbar from eBay, cleaned it up, tested it, works perfectly. Same goes for the used Roadmaster Even Brake system I purchased.
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Old 07-30-2019, 02:10 PM   #6
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Looks like it was used since new with no grease and looks very deeply gouged to me. Not what I would want to tow my rig with.
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Old 07-30-2019, 02:31 PM   #7
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That thing looks like it was rode hard and put away wet. I had my Equalizer for 3 years and it didn't show any wear like that.
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Old 07-30-2019, 04:58 PM   #8
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That thing looks like it was rode hard and put away wet. I had my Equalizer for 3 years and it didn't show any wear like that.
I've had the same one on three different campers, probably total of almost 10 years. Never put any grease on it, except for the ball.
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Old 08-15-2019, 08:52 AM   #9
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I've had mine for almost 10 years and still looks and works fine. That one looks like it's been left on the vehicle all the time. Quick question I have is do the bars ever need to be replaced? Mine are still pretty straight so I'd assume they still have some life left
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Old 08-15-2019, 08:58 AM   #10
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How much are they asking for it ? Does it include the bars and the brackets ?
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Old 08-15-2019, 09:22 AM   #11
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I've got 18,000 miles on mine. Grease the moving parts and paint it every other year. The bars are still working great as the trailer still rides nice, We do mostly backroads and very little inter-state so the hitch has gotten a work-out. I'd say if you can get it a a good price and it has no cracks just clean it up paint and grease it. Torque the bolts to 45 foot pounds.
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Old 08-15-2019, 04:41 PM   #12
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My Equal-I-zer does not look quite that bad, but it does have gouging close to it. I used mine for several years, greasing as advised, then went 2 years without, resulting in the gouging.


I sent pics to customer service, asking if it could be resurfaced, or just replace the head rebuilding with the same components. I was surprised when they said this was not actually that bad. As long as it was still doing the job, and the socket bolts could be tightened properly to torque, he told me to just start greasing it properly again, and continue using. That was 2 seasons ago, and all is well.


That said, this one looks worse than mine. It's rusty, and should probably be sand-blasted and painted. But I would first bring a torque wrench and some sockets. Ptu the hitch head in a receiver and torque the socket nuts. Manual says 60 ft-lbs minimum, but go to 70-75ft-lbs. Kick the socket moderately. If they seem to move easily, then the wear is likely too deep, and sway control could be significantly diminished.
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