Hitch Pin Mushrooming receiver

[jaherbst]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

My Ram has a 2 1/2 inch receiver. The only think I tow using the adaptor is a small landscape trailer. The tolerances between the reducer and hitch are not tight at all and have way to much movement for me to trust it towing anything with any amount of weight. I would think someone would make what you need to ditch the sleeve/adaptor? 10 1/2 inch drop? is your truck lifted?

Truck is not lifted. Low hitch position and high truck.

Jack

[jaherbst]

Well still working on the 2 1/2 hitch. Fastway Trailer has a 2 1/2 hitch but the entire hitch is 2 1/2 X 2 1/2. The Head for the equalizer is made to bolt onto a 2" shank. A 2 1/2" receiver with a 2' shank will probably never happen. These are forged still or else I would make one myself.

Will check with Equalizer to see if a possible 2 1/2" wide mount head is made for the 1400# bars.

This is getting complicated!

I did stop using the locking pin with the 60* bend on the end and now use a locking pin with bolt head ends to solve the mushrooming on the receiver.

Jack

[doc73]

Originally Posted by jaherbst

Well still working on the 2 1/2 hitch. Fastway Trailer has a 2 1/2 hitch but the entire hitch is 2 1/2 X 2 1/2. The Head for the equalizer is made to bolt onto a 2" shank. A 2 1/2" receiver with a 2' shank will probably never happen. These are forged still or else I would make one myself.

Will check with Equalizer to see if a possible 2 1/2" wide mount head is made for the 1400# bars.

This is getting complicated!

I did stop using the locking pin with the 60* bend on the end and now use a locking pin with bolt head ends to solve the mushrooming on the receiver.

Jack

I had a 2.5 hitch with a 2" shank I posted about from equalizer..

[doc73]

There are literally thousands of trucks just like yours towing without the need to super long shanks. I guess I must think "your doing it Wei g" as they say somewhere.

[chaps2018]

I had the mushroomed holes on both of my 3500 RAM DRW trucks . 2” & 2.5" w/sleeve. One truck purchased used one new. Same hitch same trailer. No question my trailer did the elongating.

I put a worm screw clamp on the pin to prevent the bend area from going in the hole. The pin wasn't the source of the problem.

Having had a Travel trailer business, I am very fluent in proper setup of WDH's (for liability purposes).

My guess it was due to 1400# hitch weight and a round bar wdh. (Trailer scaled weight was 9400#)

I did not experience the problem on lighter trailers.

Also don't experience it on my new 5er. :-)

[rockfordroo]

Equalizer makes a 2-1/2" shank for their heads in several rises/drops. Here's the largest one:

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/store...6-drop-10-rise

[andymil]

Originally Posted by CAMPINGADDICT

Sorry. Just hard for me to imagine any movement once WDH is engaged without something being setup wrong or wrong size pin is used. I

It’s hard for me to imagine it not moving if there’s any slop between the hitch/adapter/shank, and there always is, X2 with an adapter. Tension from the WDH won’t stop the movement.

After towing an 8000# tt over 5000 miles with a 2 1/2” x 2” adapter and a 10k Equalizer hitch, I had to use a slide hammer to get the sleeve out of the hitch.

I was going to get the 2 1/2” shank from Equalizer but we went to a 5er.

[whr2nxt]

I switched from a 2012 F250 with a 2" receiver to a 2018 F350 with a 2.5" receiver last spring. After about 10,000 miles towing a 29HFS using a 2" reducer sleeve, I discovered that the receiver pin holes have mushroomed. Its primarily on the side with the bend in the pin. Didn't happen on the F250 with 2" receiver. Same camper, same hitch, same locking hitch pin, about same miles. I think the pin is too short, and the bend is causing more concentrated loads at the receiver hole. I have ordered a new 2.5" hitch and longer hitch pin, but I am pretty wallowed out already.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by whr2nxt

I switched from a 2012 F250 with a 2" receiver to a 2018 F350 with a 2.5" receiver last spring. After about 10,000 miles towing a 29HFS using a 2" reducer sleeve, I discovered that the receiver pin holes have mushroomed. Its primarily on the side with the bend in the pin. Didn't happen on the F250 with 2" receiver. Same camper, same hitch, same locking hitch pin, about same miles. I think the pin is too short, and the bend is causing more concentrated loads at the receiver hole. I have ordered a new 2.5" hitch and longer hitch pin, but I am pretty wallowed out already.

My 2017 F250 with a 2.5" receiver came with an adapter and a pin that is at least 1.5 inches longer than the receiver box tube. If your pin is too short. I'd believe you were given the incorrect pin.

As a side note, I tried a regular 2" pin in my receiver and it looks just like yours. It fits... but just barely.

[CurtPutnam]

Is there enough slip between the sleeve and the receiver to allow the lock pin to slam back & forth or up & down?

[whr2nxt]

I suspect there is play between the hitch shank, sleeve and receiver to allow things to slam around a little. I have ordered a 2.5" shank for my WDH so I can get rid of the sleeve. Seems like if this movement was an issue, Ford would say something about it in their Towing Guide.

The pin is aftermarket (Bolt brand), and it's advertised to work with a 2.5" receiver. It is shorter than the one I got with the truck. I have ordered a longer pin (which also has a knob end instead of a bend) from Gen-Y Hitch to fit my Bolt lock.

But its a little discouraging to get this much mushrooming and hole enlarging when everything is supposed to work OK.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by whr2nxt

I suspect there is play between the hitch shank, sleeve and receiver to allow things to slam around a little. I have ordered a 2.5" shank for my WDH so I can get rid of the sleeve. Seems like if this movement was an issue, Ford would say something about it in their Towing Guide.

The pin is aftermarket (Bolt brand), and it's advertised to work with a 2.5" receiver. It is shorter than the one I got with the truck. I have ordered a longer pin (which also has a knob end instead of a bend) from Gen-Y Hitch to fit my Bolt lock.

But its a little discouraging to get this much mushrooming and hole enlarging when everything is supposed to work OK.

Why aren't you using the one that came with the truck?

It is mushrooming because the bent part of the pin is riding against the receiver box all the time. (too short) What does the opposite side (and inner sides) look like?

[whr2nxt]

The pin I am using locks using the truck key (See Bolt locks). The one that came with the truck is secured with a spring clip.

The hole opposite the bend is deformed a little, and the sleeve needed a slide hammer to remove. The holes in the sleeve are oblong, taller than wide, and were manufactured that way. I think the bend is the main culprit and any other wear happened after the bend-side hole got wallowed out some.

[rockfordroo]

My 2016 Silverado 2500HD came with an adapter, but did NOT come with a pin.

I use a MasterLock locking hitch pin like this:



No curve in the pin to mushroom the hole.