Why is There So Much Play On The Ball in My Adjustable Coupler?

Question:

Why is there 1/8 of play in the adjustable coupler? Do I need to weld machinist washers in there to tighten it up? Its almost 1/8 inch and tip of ball coupler flops around 1/4 inch .

asked by: Mark

Expert Reply:

I'm not sure which coupler that is, but I can say that a certain amount of rattling is to be expected because of the space needed to allow the ball to turn inside the coupler-especially with an adjustable coupler. With that being said, you can always test to make sure your connection is secure by using a jack to lift the nose of your trailer while the coupler is hitched to your tow vehicle. As long as the coupler remains locked to the hitch ball when the jack is raised then you can at least be confident in the security of the attachment.

Looking at your picture doesn't really give me a ton of cause for concern as long as your connection is secure, and I would be concerned with welding washers into that area would either impact the movement of the coupler or mess with the integrity of the coupler-it would also potentially void any warranty against defects that the unit is currently protected by.

expert reply by: Erik B