Expert Answers about Trailer Safety Chains

• Troubleshooting Bend In Trailer Frame and Safety Chain Length
• Your safety chains would not cause your trailer frame to bend like you pictured even if the safety chains are barely long enough to attach. It would be wise to get longer safety chains, but you would need to have amazingly strong chains, bolts, and hitch chain loops to cause your trailer frame to bend before the other parts failed. It looks like someone jack knifed the trailer to cause a bend like that. The good news is the back side of that frame rail still looks straight and will most...
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• Troubleshooting Safety Chains that Cant Connect to Class V Trailer Hitch Chain Loops
• Without knowing the diameter or your holes and the thickness of your chain loops, I can only give you some accessory options like S-Hook with Wire Keeper # C81830, S-hooks like # 6495-716-33, and clevis hooks like # RM-910031. The best option is the clevis hook like # C81980 if the chain loops are too big for your quick links. I've linked the page to all your options for these parts to assist.
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• Troubleshooting Trailer Lights Only Working With Trailer Safety Chains Are Connected To Tow Vehicle
• It only makes sense the ground connection is bad on your boat trailer. Since your 2019 Ford Explorer trailer connector works fine on your other trailer it must be on the trailer. I recommend tracing the ground wire from the trailer connector looking for any damage to the ground wire to the connection point on your frame. If your wire is good you will want to loosen the ground connection and clean the surfaces to ensure they are making good contact. In the event the ground connection is...
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• Troubleshooting Sparks on Safety Chains When Connecting to Hitch
• What you've been told is likely the culprit, and I don't believe that it's coming from an issue on the Curt # C56357 you've installed. I would check the ground wire on the trailer wiring harness to make sure that it is connected to a paint, rust and debris free spot on the trailer frame. This is the most likely cause of the sparks that you're seeing. If you can check this and see if it continues, that's a good place to start. If you're still experiencing the same issue after cleaning off...
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• What Would Cause Sparks When Trailer Safety Chains are Connected
• You have a short on the trailer wiring most likely between the 12 volt accessory circuit, the frame of the trailer, and the brake output circuit of the brake controller. You'll need to go over the wiring of the trailer looking for any obvious signs of a short and fix as needed.
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• Trouble Removing Curt OEM Gooseneck Hitch Ball From 2021 Chevrolet Silverado W/ OEM Prep Package
• The Curt OEM Ball Bearing Gooseneck Balls like the # C630-652 you have are notorious for being difficult to remove. This is is due to the small lever on the top that doesn't really give you enough leverage to fully open the handle easily. To remove the stuck gooseneck ball from your New Silverado's gooseneck hitch you will need to use some penatraiting oil in the top lever, and around the sides of the hitch to get into the ball bearing. Using a hammer to hit the hitch ball back and forth...
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• Trailer Will Not Uncouple from Ball on Reese Steadi-Flex Weight Distribution System
• If you are parked on a hill, even a slight hill, and the coupler will not release the ball (any set up, not just with weight distribution) that means it is bound up. Gravity is putting tension on the ball which makes it very difficult to uncouple from the ball. Relieving the tension normally involves moving the tow vehicle and trailer ever so slightly so as to relieve the tension. On a hill though that isn't possible. The trailer jack can also be used to relieve tension on the ball and...
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• Troubleshooting a Trailer with a Titan # T4747220 Brake Actuator
• I spoke with my contact at Titan about the issue you are having with the Titan Zinc-Plated Brake Actuator w/ Electric Lockout - Disc - 2-5/16 inch Ball - 8,000 lbs, part # T4747220, on your trailer. He informed me that there is no pressure adjustment on the trailer actuator, and that the breaking intensity is completely proportional to the braking intensity of the towing vehicle. He said most likely that the brake system needed to be bled again. There is a way to test the brake system....
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• Cargo Trailer Pulls Up On Ball and Makes a Lot of Noise Over Bumps at highway Speed
• It does sound like the tongue weight was not high enough. If a trailer is empty, you can experience some of these symptoms. The tongue weight of a trailer should be between 10 and 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. For example if your trailer was fully loaded and weight 7,000 pounds, the tongue weight should be between 700 and 1,050 pounds. Proper loading of the trailer will also help. Heavier items should be centered at the bottom and you would not want one side carrying more weight...
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• Trailer Surge Coupler Can be Pushed in By Hand and Brakes are Weak
• The coupler should be very difficult to push in by hand but it doesn't return on its own. There is likely a problem inside your coupler that will need to be addressed to get it working properly again. It is most likely the shock that is inside. There are replacement shocks but I would need to know the manufacturer and model of the coupler you have. I have included a link to the shocks we carry. If you can't find a part number or manufacturer on the coupler then you may be able to find...
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• Ball in Remov-a-Ball Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Will Not Come Out on 2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD
• The Remov-A-Ball gooseneck trailer hitches such as # 6300-4440 use a lever is a Z-shaped track to lock/unlock the ball. If the mechanism is binding up and not allowing the lever to move it could need to be lubricated. You would need to go under the truck to see the bottom of the mechanism to determine if it can be lubricated or if something is interfering with the operation of the lever. You should also be able to see if anything is corroded or broken and causing the problem. To release...
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• How to bleed the brakes on a surge brake actuator on boat trailer
• When bleeding the brakes on a surge actuator, such as the Dexter DX7.5L A-60 Brake Actuator w Electric Lockout # DX56FR, you want to start by making sure there is fresh fluid in the reservoir then press a screw driver against the rod in the access hole to pump the brakes. If you don't have an access hole, wrap the safety chains around a pole or board and push the top into the coupler to force the pumping action that way. I attached a detailed write-up page that explains this process, and...
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• Troubleshooting Sloppy Play With A Curt Hitch Ball In A GM OEM Puck System
• Your issue is actually pretty common and has been written off as normal by GM so a warranty replacement likely won't be an option. There's quite a few forums where others with this puck system have switched over to the B&W Ball and Safety Chain Kit # BWGNXA2061 to eliminate the clunking noise. The locking handle on this hitch ball will make installation and removal easier. Most hitch balls have the lock mechanism in the ball which leads to it getting broken over time as it rattles in...
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• Troubleshooting Weight Distribution Hanger Bracket Installation on a V-Nose Trailer
• The angle of the chains will present a problem, with the chains angled forward to such a degree it will put forward pressure on the spring bars and the weight distribution head. There is a solution though. You can use the Bolt On Weight Distribution Chain Hanger Kit, item # RP58305, in place of the Tip up chain hanger brackets. Once installed the chains are attached by raising the trailer tongue and rear of vehicle with the trailer jack. Tubular frames cannot be wider than 2-1/4 inches...
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• Ball Stuck in my Factory Gooseneck on my 2016 Ford F-250
• In this case not being able to access the bottom is the issue. There is a rubber cap that when removed will allow you to turn the release mechanism manually. You could open up the bottom cover you mentioned that has the two holes in it to gain access to the manual release. Another option is to pull up on the center pin you can still see in the top with a thin set of needle nose pliers or straight hemostats. I'm sure they tried that but worth a shot. If that pin is seized (possibly...
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• How to Access Chain Drive and Gears for Inspection on a Trailer Valet Jack and Trailer Mover
• There are 2 chain drives in the Trailer Valet # STC-V211. You can see if there is any damage, broken teeth on a gear, loose parts and so on by removing the side cover, part number 9 in the included illustration. To me it sounds like a broken tooth on a gear but once you have the cover off you will be able to determine that. When you are inspecting it the weight has to be off of the Trailer Valet so you will need to support the trailer another way such as having it coupled to a vehicle.
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• Chain on Weight Distribution is Jammed On Sway Bar Hook
• You need to relieve the tension on the weight distribution system. To do that, have the trailer coupled to the tow vehicle. Then use the trailer's jack to lift up the front of the trailer and the rear of the vehicle. This will relieve the tension on the system and allow you to correct the chain problem!
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• What Would Cause the Cam Arm on a Dual Cam Sway Control to Break
• Having a weight distribution system make some noise is normal, there is some metal to metal friction at work. I believe in your case, there is too much force being placed on the chains and dual cam system. The problem you describe can happen when the chains spring bars are adjusted too tightly. The weight distribution system should be adjusted so that you are using no less than 5 chain links between the spring bar and the hanger bracket bolted to the trailer frame. Additionally, the spring...
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• Troubleshooting a Weight Distribution System to Prevent Broken Chains
• It sounds as if the chains on the weight distribution system are WAY too tight. The ball height and tilt should be set so that you are using no less than 5 chain links. The spring bars should be either parallel to the trailer frame, or tilting down at an angle toward the rear of the trailer. I would recommend raising the the height of the trailer ball, and adjusting the angle of the weight distribution head so that it is tilting back more toward the trailer. I have included a video below...
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• Troubleshooting Gooseneck Ball Not Releasing From 2014 Ram 3500 With Factory Rail Kit
• If you have the Curt Ball and Safety Chain Loops Kit for Ram Underbed Gooseneck Hitch # C60618, the pin needs to be lifted and rotated only about 90 degrees to release the steel ball bearing pressure. The Reese Elite Series Pop-In Ball Kit for Ram Under-Bed Gooseneck Hitch # RP30140 has a wider tab that is slightly easier to rotate that same 90 degrees for removal. If the ball will not release when in proper position, I recommend spraying some penetrating oil like the UltraLube Biobased...
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