Revolution / Sidewinder pin box noise - Help!

NavigatorC130A · 07-04-2016, 07:39 PM

We have only had our 2013 5er with the revolution pin box for a couple of months. This is our 4th trip out.
The hitch is great - I love it, but the last two times out it creaks really loudly with every turn.
It's not an issue on the highway, but it gets a lot of bad attention in campgrounds.
Any ideas on how to stop it would be greatly appreciated.

B and B · 07-04-2016, 07:48 PM

Hello,

The pad needs some lube. I use spray white lithium grease. Move the pinbox back and forth and spray the plate and the disc itself. Work it back and forth. Might take a trip to quiet down, mine is quiet after doing this. Twice a year for me.

DaveandSue · 07-04-2016, 07:49 PM

Do you grease the pin? Just the pin is all.I did put just a touch on the plate slide area just so the pin box would slide up easy.

B and B · 07-05-2016, 05:24 AM

Hello.
I do grease the pin so the hitch locks around it easily. The plate same as you have. It makes all the difference between an easy hitch up and not. DW Tells me by the sound when hitching if we need to grease it.

NavigatorC130A · 07-05-2016, 05:30 AM

How long towing before you could move your pin box back and forth? I can't even budge mine, but I can tell that it is the source of the screaming noise because when I put force on it to try to move it eith r way it gives little creaks same as when truck turns it.

jtatum65 · 07-05-2016, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B and B

Hello,

The pad needs some lube. I use spray white lithium grease. Move the pinbox back and forth and spray the plate and the disc itself. Work it back and forth. Might take a trip to quiet down, mine is quiet after doing this. Twice a year for me.

X2 here.

Also I have never been able to move the pinbox by hand as Reese claims you should after 500 miles. I have 1200 miles on mine and still can't budge it.

OldCoot · 07-05-2016, 08:36 AM

Have towed our 5er with the Sidewinder over 40,000 miles and it still cannot be moved side to side by hand. It doesn't make any noise, but I do keep the pads lubed with white lithium spray lube. I also keep grease on the pin and wedge.

DaveSchwartz · 07-05-2016, 10:55 AM

My Revolution made some noise when turning and it couldn't be budged by hand or even with a 2x4 inserted in the back for leverage. I talked to my dealer and related that some people here could move them easily by hand. They talked to FR and got approval to replace it and one year later I can still move it 90 degrees with a firm shove. I do spray white lithium in the plate gap (which reminds me that its time to go out and do that again).

B and B · 07-05-2016, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NavigatorC130A

How long towing before you could move your pin box back and forth? I can't even budge mine, but I can tell that it is the source of the screaming noise because when I put force on it to try to move it eith r way it gives little creaks same as when truck turns it.

I am on my second pinbox. The first one moved from day 1. The replacement one also moved from day 1.

The replacement was made due to the bearing on the shaft was seized and spinning inside the actual hitch as opposed to being a bearing surface. There are differing opinions on the bearing itself being lubricated or not. The engineers have told some not to worry whereas the service tech that replaced my inbox said the bearing needs to be lubed.

OldCoot · 07-05-2016, 11:41 AM

Have you ever dropped the pin box completely down off the rear pivot and lubed it?

I'll go with the design engineers vs the tech. We know how good techs are.

jberdan · 07-05-2016, 12:33 PM

I have a 2014 Flagstaff and had the same problem on the first trip. I took it back to the dealer and they disassembled the pin box and found welding slag was causing the noise and removed it. No noise since that repair.

NMWildcat · 07-05-2016, 01:05 PM

I'm on my second sidewinder. Never lubed the sidewinder 'bearings' themselves. Was told not to. But then I don't have any noises when it turns either. I do check the torque on the bolts on top of the shaft. They need tightening about once a year or so.

Have always been able to move both sidewinders by hand... but not easily.

I'd take it back to installer and have them give it the once over.

B and B · 07-05-2016, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Have you ever dropped the pin box completely down off the rear pivot and lubed it?

I'll go with the design engineers vs the tech. We know how good techs are.

Yes I did. Pictures were posted to prove it! As far as design engineers a field engineer like myself has always had to fix poorly engineered items made by others..

OldCoot · 07-05-2016, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B and B

Yes I did. Pictures were posted to prove it! As far as design engineers a field engineer like myself has always had to fix poorly engineered items made by others..

And having been a design engineer all but 10 yrs of my career, I have encountered MANY field techs/engineers that made "their" fixes which ultimately required replacing the unit entirely. Designers make mistakes, but very seldom are the designs corrected by a field tech. Just my own personal 40+ yrs of experience.

cwinman · 07-05-2016, 01:34 PM

Have dealer drop large nut and lube per install instructions. fixes the problem.

TandSH · 07-05-2016, 01:35 PM

We also had the very noisy and impossible to turn by hand situation on our Flagstaff. Try as I might, I could never get any lube of any kind sufficiently into the turret to help at all. Finally bought a socket to fit the turret nut and lowered the pin box as far as possible without fully unscrewing the nut. This took two people and a LOT of effort. There was then sufficient clearance to clean the spalling paint/powder coating/whatever with a gasket scraper and thoroughly clean the contacting surfaces. A coat of grease then proper torque and pin the nut stopped all noise. The pin box can now be moved by hand with moderate effort and couples easier as well.

robertew · 07-05-2016, 02:05 PM

I had the same issues as described with a hitch that wouldn't rotate. I disassembled it and found the axle with heavy heat treat scale. I had a lot of trouble disassembling the unit. With a lot of rotary wire brush action with a side grinder and re-assembly with white lube, it's not difficult to move it out of the way. Even so, if the unit sets for a long time, the hitch will screech but it is free to swivel when not loaded. It seemed strange to me that the factory would force this scaled pin down through a nylon bushing.

ksmith954 · 07-05-2016, 02:36 PM

I have a new FW with the revolution pin and a Reese Titan hitch - I have a terrible time hooking and unhooking-- Just removed standard lube plate that came with the Titan and ordered the custom wedge- Any comments would be appreciated !

pontiacdan45 · 07-05-2016, 07:07 PM

First read the service notice from Reese. Also there is a great video from Cequent that shows the complete process of installing the wedge. What I found is that to lessen the problems with hitching or unhitching I had to have the wedge in the correct orientation to hitch and sometime when you can't get it to release the handle, backing into the pin box will solve the problem. Same with unhitching. Back into it to release the hitch handle. Once we mastered that we have no problems.

BusyRetirees · 07-05-2016, 08:03 PM

I have had two Rockwood fivers with the Sidewinder and both creaked and squeaked like crazy. I finally loosened the pin bolt and lowered the plate. I lubricated it with graphite and re-tightened the bolt. Noise abated for several months. I now lubricate once a year and that seems to reduce the noise.

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