5/7/03

Hey guys,

I got an 02' 'Screw... has the 4.6 V8 in it...

It has 3.55 limited slip diff in it... and the factory installed tow package...

I recently bought a Reese hitch to slid into the receiver..

It's the Reese with 2" drop.

I also picked up a ball... but of note, the shaft on the ball.. had a HUGE gap between the walls of the pre-drilled hole in the hitch.

Is this normal? And is this accpetable..

Seems a little worrisome to me.

(I saw em' sitting at Wal-Mart and they were pretty cheap, so I picked em' up.. but I'm starting to wonder if these are the right things to put together)...

Thanks
Dan

 

You need a 2" ball with a 1" diameter shank. (The threaded part) The one you have now is most likely a 3/4" shank and can loosen, flop around, and eventually break if you do a lot of towing. Plus, the lockwasher won't seat squarely. (it wants to go inside the hole) 3/4" shanks are only rated for class 1 & 2. 1" shanks are rated for class 3 & 4. (F150 tow package is a class 3)

When you buy a ball, pay attention to:

Shank length: Long enough so at least at couple of threads are exposed out of the bottom of the nut when its installed

Shoulder length: Too long of a shoulder, and you'll run out of threads before you get the nut tight if your hitch is not very thick.

 

you could also get a sleeve for that ball to make it fit tight.

 

thanks guys.. you are exactly right.. got a 3/4" shank... 2" ball, need the bigger shank

you described exactly what is going on, the lock washer is trying to get into the hole, and the whole thing seems to want to move around a lot...

looks like i'll be headed back with my ball to exchange at good ol' wally world.

Dan

 

Somethin' else you may want to think about before buying another ball. I tow three different trailers on a somewhat regular basis with my truck, and wouldn't ya know it, they require two different ball sizes. As such, I bought a convert-a-ball setup made by Reese. The shank of the ball stays in the receiver insert, and I simply change the ball (you get three in the kit) via a horizontal locking pin to meet my trailer requirements. Not a ton of money to buy, quick to change, and offers alot of flexibility.
Just another thought and/or my $.02.

-Mike-

 

or you could get the one that is all welded one piece. its usually a 1 7/8, 2, and 2 5/16. the one piece dont look as good but normally cheaper. and i usually dont leave the hitch in all the time anyhow. just another option.

 

and one more thing....

If your trailer has an A-frame jack built into the coupler, you may want to consider a longer ball mount. This will allow the tailgate to be lowered without hitting the A-frame jack.
I bought a Reese ball mount #21241. The length is 13".
Your Walmart Reese is probably #21171, 10.5" long.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten an adjustable ball mount. It can be changed according to vehicle height differences and trailer tire diameter differences. Real handy when switching vehicles, swithching trailers, installing larger tires, or installing the lift/lowering kits.

It would have been cheaper in the long run and I wouldn't have FIVE different ball mounts sitting around in my garage.