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Topic ClosedCheck your balls!!

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Jholler View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Jul 2018
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Check your balls!!
    Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 10:45am
after 1200 miles, I was getting a LOT of slack jerking. Fresh water full, everything else empty. Hubs were cool, brakes were fine....wait, what's this?? The coupler ball retaining nut was about three threads from falling off! 😱 Guess that big lock washer wasn't as effective as I hoped! Cranked it back down with a pipe wrench, and will remember to check more often now!
2015 rpod 179
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 12:52pm
If you have a 1 inch shank the torque spec is usually 250 ft lbs and 450 ft lbs for a 1 1/4 shank. 

You'll have a hard time getting that much torque with a pipe wrench. Either stop in at a shop which can do that or get the right size socket and a breaker bar, put the hitch in your receiver sideways, put the socket and bar on the nut so the bar is horizontal, and stand on the bar to tighten it.

if you take the torque requirement, divide by your weight and multiply by 12 that will be the distance in inches from the bolt where you need to stand.  
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Jholler View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 1:50pm
I'll look into that, for now it's torqued as hard as a 320lb power lifter can pull a 14" pipe wrench lol.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 2:13pm
Originally posted by Jholler

I'll look into that, for now it's torqued as hard as a 320lb power lifter can pull a 14" pipe wrench lol.

Ok, well it sounds like maybe you can get 300 ft lbs plus on it after all. I'm an old fart with a bad back. I don't even try to lift a sheet of drywall by myself any more.  I probably couldn't get more than 100 on it unless i stood on the bar. Embarrassed
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 4:13pm
I use a 3' pipe on that pipe wrench, and the pipe wrench is probably 20". Very important it is tight. a 14" wrench is nothing.
Mike Carter
2015 178
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 2019 at 5:27pm
I used a 23" box head wrench to tighten mine. I stood on the wrench about 19 inches from the center axis of the ball after calculating it based on the torque needed and my weight.
Alan
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Mirado View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 11:19am
I had a similar incident with a previous (and much larger) trailer I owned.  The nut loosened while towing, though not near so much as your case.  I used what tools I had with me to tighten it up, then bought a wrench just for that when I got back home.  Now I check for a loose ball before every trip.
Miriam and Doug
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crankster78 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 2:33pm
Greetings:
Always do a walk around when you start and every time you take a break.  Pro truckers are required to do this by law.  Check tire pressures before getting on the road.  You don't want to be the person at fault.  

Crankster78
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codycountry View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 4:39pm
Mine came loose like that three times, even with a five foot cheater handle and two huge pipe wrenches involved.  
I have a friction sway bar and I think that added to the wiggling loose.  
Finally decided to dedicate the hitch and ball to one size and one use only, and welded the nut to the threads.  It is always tight now.  Problem solved.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jun 2019 at 6:03pm
I also double nutted mine.
Mike Carter
2015 178
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