hide a ball set up!
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,556
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From: Crapy southern New Jersey
hide a ball set up!
Ok guys I want to buy a goose neck flat bed trailer. I know I'm going to need a hide a ball ste up. Some of you have them here. How makes the best set up out there? Or if you don't like you set up you tell me. I would like to get the set up where you pull the leaver and it pops up out of the bed. I use my bed for alot of hauling.
Now,
How hard are they to install? I know the bed has to come off. Are there holes in the frame rail or do I have to drill it? Any thing else what should I know?
Now,
How hard are they to install? I know the bed has to come off. Are there holes in the frame rail or do I have to drill it? Any thing else what should I know?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,799
Likes: 102
From: Ashland City, TN
I have a home made one in my truck.
Its very annoying at times, but that huge steel plate adds some nice axle weight.
My thought on a home made setup is to build it like mine with a nut welded under the plate in the center, so you just tighten the ball down, and then flip a lever to lock it in or something so it wont turn out.
Just remember to bolt it to the frame.
I'm so glad mine is, lots of home made ones are just bolted into the bed, haha.
Its very annoying at times, but that huge steel plate adds some nice axle weight.
My thought on a home made setup is to build it like mine with a nut welded under the plate in the center, so you just tighten the ball down, and then flip a lever to lock it in or something so it wont turn out.
Just remember to bolt it to the frame.
I'm so glad mine is, lots of home made ones are just bolted into the bed, haha.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
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From: Texas
B&W's are great. If you go with a turnover ball, and use your bed to haul stuff a lot, be sure to pull the ball every once in a while and clean stuff off the side of it, or give the side of the ball a spray of fluid film to coat it. Those things are no fun to pull out when you get dirt/sand/junk wedged in there while the ball is upside down.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
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I would go with a B&W's hideaway hitch. You don't have to remove the bed to install and it cost around $450. I made my own hitch that incorporates the B&W ball and unlatches in the fender well like the B&W and I love the setup because I can still use my bed. B&W also includes measurements that allow you to drill in the right spot in your bed for where the ball comes up through the bed.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,247
Likes: 7,667
From: Chino Valley, Arizona
I have a fold down in my truck, not as susceptible to dirt and corrosion as the B & W turn over. but if I had to do it again I would get a B & W flip over. but you have to remember to remove them occasionally and clean and lube them. I had one on a customers truck that it took about an hour to beet out due to rust and sand.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 214
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yeah a stuck ball really sucks, I found using light weight grease, wheel bearing grease, does a great job from keeping a B&W from getting hung up in the hitch. It's alittle messy but i think is worth not having to climb under the truck and beating the ball back up caused by rust. The thinner layer of grease also seems to keep sand and stuff from binding up the ball.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2005
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Folding Ball Gooseneck Hitch by Valley
this is simular to what i have, its nice but if you ever haul gravel it gets jamed up in the hitch, also like the other hitches for easy opereation it needs to be greased every once in a while.
this is simular to what i have, its nice but if you ever haul gravel it gets jamed up in the hitch, also like the other hitches for easy opereation it needs to be greased every once in a while.
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 569
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From: Missouri
They look good! I just chopped all (most) of the rust on my rear wells and installed my Xenon flares. Just need to work the front over and I will have them ready to install. Going black on my white truck...for now anyway. The look good painted like on yours though.
Good looking truck!
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 214
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I say the b&w are still better against getting jamed with rocks and stuff than the flip over gooseneck hitches that you have to get in the bed and use a metal rod to flip it over. I have a friend who had one of these in his 86 f350 and if you hauled rocks or malch it would jamb out a lot worse than a b&w hitch would.