Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch Noise Elimination- Easy Fix
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- čas přidán 18. 12. 2020
- Equalizer weight distribution hitches can be noisy. As a very heavy Equalizer hitch user, I am offering tips for lubrication and set up to eliminate noise and wear completely. I just traveled 9414 miles in 33 days and am sharing what worked. Everyone has an opinion, this is my impression from long distance and heavy use. Noise and wear reduced 100%
Thanks! Super helpful video
Great advice
Great video!
Blaster makes great products. Thanks for the advice, currently looking into getting one of these WD hitches.
I have used several other weight distribution hitches including the ones with chains that you tighten (they loosen on the road, no matter what people say), and the drop-down lower bars (too low for some areas). I have two Equal-i-zer WD hitches, set up for two different trailers that I have so that I don't have to adjust one hitch between trailers. The thing I should have said in this video is that the creaking and popping noise you hear with the Equal-i-zer is NOT at the bar side that is attached to the trailer frame. It is 100% at the truck hitch side where it pivots and turns back and forth. If you keep that lubed up and watch it closely you will never hear that hitch at all. If you hear any noise at all it is dry. That can of lube (or any spray brand of lithium) works wonders as it gets in where you can't with a tube. I was not making up the mileage I said at the beginning of this video. That is true miles and that maintenance tip really works. Hope this helps.
@@mursitti10 great info! I’ll definitely try your method.
Last week we ordered a new rig and I used that as an excuse to up my towing game. My E4 is supposed to be delivered Wednesday.
I also ordered spare pins and a set of bracket jackets. I’ll hold off on using those until after I give that grease a try.
Thanks for the note. I haven't seen this video in a while as I don't post often. This was made 3 years ago from what it says and I still believe I am on the right track. The pickup that was new in the video now has 65K on it and I am headed to AZ in about two weeks for a 2K mile roundtrip, hauling a trailer. I will use the Blaster on hauling days and know it works. The thing that people that say it doesn't help miss the fact that the load and sway part is done at the rear of the bars, (where the angle bracket is), as well as where the head is. The hitch is lifted to support the bars and load the trailer. The head of the bars (where the hitch ball is) hangs on under load and rotates at turns, curves, etc., as the bars are moving along the angle bracket. I am fine with different opinions, I just know it works for me and I definitely use these hitches more than occasionally. I hope you have the same experience@@Mi_Tony
Mursitti10, If these know-it-alls would RTFM and follow it, they would see that you have done this properly.
I do the same thing except I grease the ball also.
Hitch works great, and hardly any noise
upspirate is right on the money on this comment.
White Lithium grease is nice because it washes out of your clothes if you get any on you not like axle grease which is a mess
What is the measurement of your arms thickness? I have a 10k hitch and thinking of going to a 12k. Wondering if the arms on the 12k are thicker or just made of a stiffer steel. Great video!!
I don't know for sure as both of mine are 14K. What I do know is the 14K is heavier gauge and thicker at the hitch end (the place where the bars slide into the hitch) than the 12K. I am fairly sure the 12K and the 14K bars are the same but the receiver is thicker-walled. The reason I say that is the 12K pins and the 14K pins are the same and I think they are too short. They work good for the 12K but the 14K thickness is a little too much for the length of pins. I am working on that now as I have spoken with tech support at Equal-i-zer and want to get longer pins. The keeper pin (linchpin) that keeps the pin in place holding the bars is rubbing on the hitch itself and could really be 1/2" longer. They also have a thumb latch pin that is longer but that latch breaks routinely on mine. I broke two keepers in two trips last week. That is not to say anything about the design is poor, the 14K was brought out in about 2019 (I think) and the pins just need to be slightly longer. I have found some at Ace Hardware but they need a bigger shoulder on them to keep them from pushing all the way through. I will find the right setup soon as I have another trip in the next week or so. Bryson at Equal-i-zer is a great help. This is a great hitch and a solid ride when going down the road.
Also need to ensure torque specs of those nuts where the bars go in!
Wow this helps a lot thanks for the info . I’m new to owning a travel trailer and just recently hooked up my trailer again after I got it from the dealership and it started squeequeing or making noise especially on the turns . So you say if I lube everything it should stop ?
Hi Francisco, thanks for the note. To answer your question the best way, you only need to lube the area when I am showing on the video. The arms that hang on the L brackets stay dry. Watch the video where I am lubing it and that is where you need to keep it greased. I now have 60K on that new truck in the video and still use this same method every time I haul one of my trailers with an Equalizer Hitch. Some will disagree but I suspect those few have not used a weight distribution hitch much or don't understand the importance of lubrication. The factory agrees - the hitch needs lubrication in the head area and not the arms. Thanks for listening and stay safe.
Thank you sir appreciate it
Just wondering.....do you put the lithium grease on the ball as well???
Thanks for sharing
I never put any grease on any of my trailer balls or pintle hooks/rings.
Your breakaway cord needs to be attached by itself and not hooked to the tow chains.
Thanks Travis, you are indeed correct. That was a new pickup at the time i shot that and I hadn’t been back yet to set it up to a stationary spot. I have since gotten the accordion brake cord with a clip to alleviate that issue. Nice call on that comment, you are right on target with that!
You do realize thats how the sway control hitch works on friction. Lol
Hi Kurt, you are correct. When hooking up, the hitch is cranked up vertically to develop the friction on the head (the part where I talk about lubricating), in order to get the long bars on the brackets on the frame. The lithium grease does not affect or negate the friction, it simply creates a film to keep the head from wearing and making noise, popping, and creaking. If you don't lube it, the head will still work but it will wear a groove in the head as it moves back and forth. Everyone has their own way to make it work, this is what I found as a great balance of no noise, great control, and keeping the friction needed to maintain control. I use these a lot and keep them lubed up to eliminate noise and wear. Some people asked about it and I made a quick video to show what I do. Other people prefer something different. Have a good day!
@@mursitti10 Kurt, you do realize that Fastway (the company that makes this hitch) recommends lubricating these points each time the hitch is used. Reading the instructions or watching the Fastway video will help you understand how this hitch works.
@@lanarkwanderer you are definitely not supposed to lube the pivot section on the hitch, thats the entire function point. lol
@@Baka_Oppai Thanks for the comment but I respectfully disagree on every part of your comment. Please read the above replies to Kurt and then contact Fastway. You will learn that they recommend lubrication wholeheartedly. I am a heavy user of these hitches and just from the sound alone can tell you if they need to be lubed up. I think you need to haul a lot of trailers to get an idea of how these really work. They are the best weight distribution hitch that I have found and I have used several types and brands. Would always buy another one of these to add to my collection and will always lube them up in the morning before heading out. Have a great day and stay safe on the roads!
If you're applying that spray lithium grease every morning then why did you not just take out your tube of grease and wipe it on every couple thousand miles then? Then you would not have such a ugly dirt collecting mess
Hi Jason, the video was shot just after I backed the trailer in after a very long trip. Everything on the road gets dirty; your point is well taken about how dirty the hitch was at that point. It isn't always that dirty. To answer you question regarding the use of the lithium tube of grease, you do not get the penetration that the spray lithium gets. These are working vehicles and we clean them up post trip and get ready for the next project. Thanks for your comment; this works for us and we have tried many different methods.
great job ruining the function of the sway bars lol
So is all the noise coming from the front of the hitch and none from the sway bars? I keep thinking it’s the sway bars with all that weight and pressure rubbing metal on metal.
I too bought the lithium spay, Ace Hardware.