bumper towing ?
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bumper towing ?
My truck has the tow package bolted under the the bumper but I need to get the ball attachment thing that slides in the square hole and locks with the steel pin. I know Wal-Mart has the Reese brand but what size ball do I need to get with mine? As of now I will definintely pull a 1 car trailer.
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tow package bolted under the the bumper...... Frame hitch/reciever
ball attachment thing that slides in the square hole and locks with the steel pin.... ball mount
Depending on what you are going to be pulling, height of your truck vs trailer, etc will tell you what you need. Buy a good one, sloppy ones will drive you nuts going down the road. I use a putnam adjustable mount so I can raise and lower the height of the ball depending on which trailer I'm hooking into.
The ball will depend on what you are pulling. Most 3000k and under trailers (I belive) are 2" or 1 7/8 *****. Standard size on bigger trailers is 2 5/16 I carry a 2 and a 2 5/16 incase I need to swap on the go.
The locking pin....if you arn't going to be taking the mount off buy a good lockable and keep it lubed. Had a cheap one once and had to cut if off after the innerds got rusted.
ball attachment thing that slides in the square hole and locks with the steel pin.... ball mount
Depending on what you are going to be pulling, height of your truck vs trailer, etc will tell you what you need. Buy a good one, sloppy ones will drive you nuts going down the road. I use a putnam adjustable mount so I can raise and lower the height of the ball depending on which trailer I'm hooking into.
The ball will depend on what you are pulling. Most 3000k and under trailers (I belive) are 2" or 1 7/8 *****. Standard size on bigger trailers is 2 5/16 I carry a 2 and a 2 5/16 incase I need to swap on the go.
The locking pin....if you arn't going to be taking the mount off buy a good lockable and keep it lubed. Had a cheap one once and had to cut if off after the innerds got rusted.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: MICHIGAN
You'll need to figure out the ride height difference between the trailer and the truck or get an adjustable height hitch like 79 ranger says. I didn't discover the adjustable one untill I had about 5 different hitches. Now I have any hitch for all occations.
If you decide to go with a non-adjustable hitch: MEasure the height trailer tongue to the ground with the trailer level. MEasure the height of the reciever on your truck. Figure out the difference. Most often you need a 4-6 inch drop reciever. Allow for the rear of the truck sagging down a few inches for tounge weight.
The ball size is listed on the trailer tounge.
If you decide to go with a non-adjustable hitch: MEasure the height trailer tongue to the ground with the trailer level. MEasure the height of the reciever on your truck. Figure out the difference. Most often you need a 4-6 inch drop reciever. Allow for the rear of the truck sagging down a few inches for tounge weight.
The ball size is listed on the trailer tounge.
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Originally Posted by Cuda_jim
You'll need to figure out the ride height difference between the trailer and the truck or get an adjustable height hitch like 79 ranger says. I didn't discover the adjustable one untill I had about 5 different hitches. Now I have any hitch for all occations.
If you decide to go with a non-adjustable hitch: MEasure the height trailer tongue to the ground with the trailer level. MEasure the height of the reciever on your truck. Figure out the difference. Most often you need a 4-6 inch drop reciever. Allow for the rear of the truck sagging down a few inches for tounge weight.
The ball size is listed on the trailer tounge.
If you decide to go with a non-adjustable hitch: MEasure the height trailer tongue to the ground with the trailer level. MEasure the height of the reciever on your truck. Figure out the difference. Most often you need a 4-6 inch drop reciever. Allow for the rear of the truck sagging down a few inches for tounge weight.
The ball size is listed on the trailer tounge.
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Originally Posted by 61 uni
Go to tractor supply not walmart to buy hitches.
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His original question is what size ball. He needs to find specifically what trailer he will be pulling, then buy the ball to match.
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From: Albuquerque
Originally Posted by tndiesel
I'm not trying to argue but why? Isn't Reese a good brand? Tractor supply is always high on everything. All I need is the big steel male part/ball that slides into the female square hole that is already mounted under the bumper.
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From: MICHIGAN
You might get e better choice of hitches at a place like tractor supply or a trailer outlet. I know they had an adjustable hitch the last time I was there. It's worth a try. Some of the adjustable hitches can get expensive, but in the long run it'll be cheaper if you tow different trailers. I haul anywhere from equipment trailers with a pintle hitch to goosenecks and all the other ball sizes in between. I have a whoel tool box full of separate hitches that just one of the adjustable hitches would replace.
Get the most capacity you can afford.
BTW: I never leave a hitch in the reciever, especially not up here in Mich in the winter. I had one rust in so bad I could tow the equipment trailer with a backhoe on it....un-pinned. It took heat to get it out.
Take a look here for ideas:
http://www.hitches-forless.com/hitch_accessories/ball_mounts_special.htm
Get the most capacity you can afford.
BTW: I never leave a hitch in the reciever, especially not up here in Mich in the winter. I had one rust in so bad I could tow the equipment trailer with a backhoe on it....un-pinned. It took heat to get it out.
Take a look here for ideas:
http://www.hitches-forless.com/hitch_accessories/ball_mounts_special.htm
Last edited by Cuda_jim; Aug 5, 2007 at 01:25 PM.
Post Fiend
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From: Johnson City, TN.
Excellent recommendation Cuda. I like the website. If he is only towing 1 trailer trailer he may be fine with a reese and a 2" ball especially if it is a 1car trailer. ***** have two different size shafts and try to get the bigger one because it has a heavier towing weight. If you do that make sure the receiver ball mount has a hole big enough. If your truck rides factory height you probably don't need much drop on the receiver. Like Cuda said measure the receiver height and the trailer tongue height to be sure
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From: Olympia, WA
Only thing I'll add is don't skimp on the ball. They come in different shank sizes, especially the smaller ones. 2 5/16" will probably be thick shank, but the 1 7/8 and 2" are often available in a few different sizes. Don't fool around with a skinny little shank and bushing spacers just to save a few bucks on the ball. You want the biggest shank size you can get and a solid ball. Check the weight ratings. That one little bolt is under a heck of a load, especially if things go haywire and you find yourself in an emergency stop situation.
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From: Belair md
to figure your raise or drop in our cases the ideal number for attached height is 14 inches from ground to center of your ball, my old 250 with 315\75\16's took a 6 inch drop for perfection, i beleive a stock 350 on 265\75\16's or 235\85's is the same, most 250's run a 4 inch
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