removable hitch ball

[Sandra Lair]

We recently bought a 2003 Odyssey. This is the first time we have towed with a vehicle with a removable hitch ball. We towed the Scamp for the first time last weekend & were suprised at the loud "clunk" sound when the ball mount shifts up & down or from side to side within the receiver. Is this normal? Can the amount of "play" be reduced?
Sandra

[Pete Dumbleton]

There are several anti-rattle devices on the market:

http://www.etrailer.com/c-BMAIII.htm

Or you can just jam some thin wooden wedges in between the ball mount and the receiver hole.

[Booker B.]

Our class 2 hitch with Reese removable hitch does it too but for us we get it on hard starts and stops. There is minimal play in the receiver but it's enough to make the noise. It would be nice if there was an answer on this .. hint!

[Per Walthinsen]

Sandra:
Same problem, but I isolated it to up-and-down slop only. Found a thin piece of aluminum, cut a shim, put an angle on the end as a handle. I push the bar in with the shim on top and the problem has disappeared.

[Sandra Lair]

Great information! We will definitely look for something to fill in the space & reduce the rattle. Thanks everyone!
Sandra

[pjanits]

You obviously need to turn up the radio.
Mine has some slop too but I never hear it.

[Sandra Lair]

You obviously need to turn up the radio.
Mine has some slop too but I never hear it.

I can see how that would solve the problem too!

[BC Paul]

I have a 2" class 3 I picked up at Princess Auto that has an elastomer built into it. The "clunking" has disappeared, it was under $20 and made in the USA!!! It has 'Robin' stamped into it as well as 6000lbs gross and 600lbs tongue.

I am thinking of buying a WD hitch and was wondering if the 'clunking' would disappear???

(Don't mean to hijack the thread!!!)

[Bryan L.]

Ha, I remember the first time I pulled out trailer with our van and heard this noise. I immediately pulled over and checked everythig out. I really need to get one of those anti-ratle things for peace of mind.

[JenPB]

I'm really glad you asked this. I'm not new to towing, so the sound wasn't scary for me, but I've wondered about the "clunk" for a lifetime! (Seriously.) It never bothered Dad, so it must be ok. Still...would be nice to eliminate it. I'll work on a wedge/shim of my own. I'd sure like to see yours, Per.

My problem will be finding scrap shim material since I don't do much metal fabricating....yet.

[Tom Trostel]

I make plastic shims from the flat sides of juice bottles.

[George Cathcart]

Had same problem when we first pulled out of the Casita factory. (Draw-Tite hitch, Infiniti-dealer installed). I called the great service guy at Casita. He said "call Draw-Tite, they'll take care of you."

Draw-Tite came through and free of charge sent me one of these:

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-BMAIII~63201.htm

Note that the hitch receiver must be a compatible two-hole J-pin type like the Draw-Tite shown (scroll down) in the link. I don't know whether other hitch brands have the two-hole config.

No more clunking. Thank you Draw-Tite!

[Pete Dumbleton]

That's the one I would get if I were getting one -- The second hole should be a drill size found in a regular drill bit set -- The larger hole is not.

[Sandra Lair]

Looks like a great product. I'll have to see if it can be used on ours. Thanks again, everyone!
Sandra

[JenPB]

Draw-Tite came through and free of charge sent me one of these:

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-BMAIII~63201.htm

That looks good, but I don't have the secondary hole in my hitch (just their receiver).

Tom, I like your recycling shim. Do you just fold/layer the plastic, then use duct tape to keep it together?

[Pete Dumbleton]

It's no big deal to drill the second hole.

[James G]

We recently bought a 2003 Odyssey. This is the first time we have towed with a vehicle with a removable hitch ball. We towed the Scamp for the first time last weekend & were suprised at the loud "clunk" sound when the ball mount shifts up & down or from side to side within the receiver. Is this normal? Can the amount of "play" be reduced?
Sandra

The first thing I would check is that the pin holding the hitch into the receiver is of the correct size and rating. Big slop potential there. The second is the ball size and lubrication of same. Using a shim in the manner suggested sounds a bit insane. Your insurance company will not know you if you have any sort of accident. That is a proven given. A properly fitted ball and receiver do not clunk. Jim Garvin

[Bill MacDermod]

The first thing I would check is that the pin holding the hitch into the receiver is of the correct size and rating. Big slop potential there. The second is the ball size and lubrication of same. Using a shim in the manner suggested sounds a bit insane. Your insurance company will not know you if you have any sort of accident. That is a proven given. A properly fitted ball and receiver do not clunk. Jim Garvin

I beg to differ with you, when I pulled with the Tundra no clunk, now with our Odyssey it clunks, same ball, same trailer, even the same lockable pin, at first I blamed it on the fact that now I use a WDH and a friction antisway bar but the stinger is a lot looser in the hitch on the Ody and maybe the anti sway does force it to clunk from side to side. I'm not particularly bothered by that as I've been towing for over 50 years but for new owners it could be a concern. I see no problem with shimming the loosness out from side to side and putting a shim on the top side of the stinger it would have no weight bearing on the rig at all. if it falls out your in no worse shape than you were when you started.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Just to be clear, the shimming would be in *addition* to the pin, not replacing the pin. And it goes between the ball mount and the receiver hole, not around the ball in the coupler.

Why on earth would an insurance company care if you shimmed a loose-fitting ball mount? A tiny amount of normal play in that area can make for a lot of noise because it is transmitted directly to the frame.

[Patrick M.]

Ours was clunking so I put a strip of furry Velcro tape on the top side of the end of the ball mount. It provides a cushion between the ball mount and the receiver, and no more clunking!