Trailer ball hitch size?

[FishinLogician]

I looked around and could not find this question. Any help would be appreciated.

My buddy will be pulling my 4x8 trailer which is 2". His Suburban has a 1 7/8" ball. I'm pulling my boat on the same trip so I can't give him my setup. I know a new ball is pretty cheap but he will not be needing it after this trip. Is the 1\8" difference a safety problem or will this be okay for a 2 hour highway trip?

[LMITOUT]

Cheap insurance would be to pick up the right sized ball and then throw it on the shelf in the garage for future use. The alternative will be a lot more expensive...especially if the trailer comes off and shoots across the highway into oncoming traffic. There are a lot of things you can take shortcuts on, but when it comes to pulling a trailer it just isn't worth the few bucks, IMO.

[FishinLogician]

Yeah, I was leaning that way. I wanted to see if I could avoid making an extra trip to the store and his house. Better safe than really, really sorry! Thanks

[MJ1657]

I had one of my guys at work hook up our car trailer and he used a 2" instead of a 2 5/16" ball. Drove a truck up on the ramps and it popped off.

[Ed Carlson]

You want to use the proper size ball and receiver. Pick up a new ball or a spare plug in receiver with a flip-ball with the two sizes on it.

If it falls off your liable for everything that would happen in damages and it could be a life threatening issue....and you know it is a risk...so it just is not worth the risk.

[chris63]

If I recall correctly,the 1 7/8 goes up to 2000 lbs 1 ton,2 goes to 8000 lbs 4 ton,and the 2 5/16 goes to 30000 lbs or 15 ton maximum towing weight capacity.c63

[pulsar_nx]

In a pinch you can adjust the trailers hitch to "fit" a 1 7/8 ball but it would be far safer to use the right ball in your situation.

[BobT]

If I recall correctly,the 1 7/8 goes up to 2000 lbs 1 ton,2 goes to 8000 lbs 4 ton,and the 2 5/16 goes to 30000 lbs or 15 ton maximum towing weight capacity.c63

Maybe, but that doesn't mean your vehicle or hitch towing capacity increases. You must consider the tow rating of the vehicle AND the hitch. Also, MN Statute 169.67 requires that trailers in excess of 3,000 pounds or trailers that exceed the empty weight of the towing vehicle must have trailer brakes. There are some exceptions but none apply in our case.

Class I - Hitches are rated up to 2000 pounds of gross trailer weight with a maximum trailer tongue weight of 200 pounds.

Class II - Hitches are rated up to 3500 pounds of gross trailer weight with a maximum trailer tongue weight of 350 pounds.

Class III - Hitches are rated up to 5000 pounds of gross trailer weight with a maximum trailer tongue weight of 500 pounds. This is the one found on most trucks and SUV's that we are most familiar with, having a 2" receiver.

Class IV - Hitches are rated up to 10,000 pounds of gross trailer weight with a maximum trailer tongue weight of 1,000 pounds.

Class V - Hitches are rated up to 15,000 pounds of gross trailer weight with a maximum trailer tongue weight of 1,500 pounds.

5th wheel - Heavier loads require a 5th wheel but again, the truck's load and trailer towing capacity must be considered.

[chris63]

Bob,Dial back the caffeine.I simply answered the question about ball sizes.I realize their are MANY laws that apply to weight, towing, braking and various restrictions on towed as well as tow vehicles in this state and country.I don't and will not advise anyone to break the law or jeopardize the safe driving practices of the general public under any conditions!c63

[Valv]

Seriously ? Risking to kill or hurt someone or destroy property to save 10 bucks ? Go to Walmart on your way or Menards, the ball is $ 8.50 the hitch and ball around $ 20. Come to my house and I'll give you one for free but do not tow anything with the wrong ball, not even for few miles.

[BobT]

Bob,Dial back the caffeine.I simply answered the question about ball sizes.I realize their are MANY laws that apply to weight, towing, braking and various restrictions on towed as well as tow vehicles in this state and country.I don't and will not advise anyone to break the law or jeopardize the safe driving practices of the general public under any conditions!c63

You took that way too personal. I wanted to make sure that it was understood (not just by you) that there's more to it than just a ball rating. Actually ball diameter has little to do with it. I've got a couple 2" balls that have completely different ratings because one of them has a smaller spud than the other.

[Surface Tension]

I don't know the theory behind the necessity of a 1 7/8th and 2" ball other then it is an indication of the load rating on the trailer.

Yeah use a 1 7/8th ball on a 1 7/8th hitch. I've seen different class hitches that use the same size bolts to the same place on the truck frame and it makes me scratch my head.

I have a couple ball mounts of different drops to accommodate different trailer heights along with different size balls and a wrench in my truck. That way if I need to haul something unexpectedly I have everything there. Along with that i have an extension I made for the trailer wiring in case I haul a trailer too short of wiring for my truck.

About the adjustment on the hitch, its a good idea to check this once in a while because things wear.

I'll use any spray lube on the hitches latch and lever to keep it operating freely. Of coarse any lube will attract dirt to the spray tends to flush it out. After you've done that you'll see a nut on the underside of the hitch. Put the hitch on the ball and latch it.

Lift up and down on the trailer tongue and check for any slop between the ball and hitch. If there is any tighten that nut and check for slop again.

When your done check the latch to be sure you didn't go too tight that it won't close freely.

PS:

Tip for when you have a trailer with a bad ground wire or the ground wire on the tow vehicle is bad which are usually the source of trailer lights not working.

I keep jumper cables in all my vehicles. I'll clamp one end to the trailer, wrap the cable around the tongue then clamp onto the truck frame.

This will get you by till the ground issue is fixed.

[ikona]

Why would anyone ask this he already knew the answer to. I had a aunt that got killed on the highway because someone didn't take the time to secure their load.

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

I can't believe this. This has got to be trolling. I think this has been answered so moderators send this guy an e-mail and let's put this to bed. GEEZ!!!! enough already.

[CAMAN]

Why would anyone ask this he already knew the answer to. I had a aunt that got killed on the highway because someone didn't take the time to secure their load.