Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch - Inspecting, Replacing Parts, Restoring, Lubricating, & More
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- čas přidán 10. 03. 2021
- We have a Equalizer Distribution Hitch, in this video you will see how I inspect the hitch for wear and failing parts and perform routine maintenance. Note: I did find failing parts while making this video.
Bonus - You will see how I made custom bar storage and a hitch holder for when they are not in use.
I was informed by one of our subscribers that the socket joint bolts can be torqued at a 60 ft lbs minimum and as high as 100 ft lbs maximum (these are the grade 5 bolts with the lock nuts I installed that are being torqued in this range). This information was found in the maintenance manual. - Thank you Bruce
Here is a list of materials and other I things mentioned in the video:
Equalizer Hitch Website - www.equalizerhitch.com/
Equalizer Hitch Phone Number 1-800-478-5578
Note: Products I used and links to them are provided below.
Check out my other CZcams videos by clicking this link -
/ michaelbracewellthetra...
Michael Bracewell "The Travel Trailer Guy" is a Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying Amazon purchases by you using the Amazon links below at no additional cost to you. Thank you
Equalizer 4-point Sway Control Hitch -
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Equalizer Set of 2 Socket Pins with Thumb Clips
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Snap L Pins Equalizer - Quiet Clip Pair Set
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Sway Bracket Jacket Eliminate Noise 1pair (2pcs)
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Fastway Zip 6 Foot Breakaway Cable -
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Hitch Grip Carrier -
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Ospho 605 Metal Treatment -
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Hitch Ball Lubricant -
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95015150 Sway Bracket Jacket,Fits Equal-i-zer Sway（6K 8K 10K 12K 14K and Fastway E2 hitch）,Reduce Wear - Eliminate Noise and Provide Cushion Between receivers,1pair (2pcs) -
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Master Pro Marine Grease -
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3 inch ABS Pipe -
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3 inch ABS Female Adaptor -
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3 Inch ABS plug -
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3 Inch ABS Cap - www.homedepot.com/p/Charlotte...
ABS Cement -
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Hitch Storage Receiver -
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1 1/2" Metal Angle Iron -
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Gloss Black Spray Paint -
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Primer -
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Hitch Ball Cover -
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Equal-i-zer 91-00-6120 2-5/16 Inch Hitch Ball With 12,000 LBS Towing Capacity and 1-1/4 Inch Diameter Shank -
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Silver Reflective Tape -
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Coupler Receiver Lock -
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Coupler Receiver Video -
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DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed in our videos are our own or from a contributor. Before taking on any project or making a large purchase, we recommend you do your own research and consult a professional for advice. We are NOT liable for any damage to your RV or injury incurred as a result of following our tips, advice or instructions. We are not RV professionals or certified technicians. We are simply RV owners who work on our own RVs and have a desire to share what we learn with others. Be responsible and know your limits.
Thanks Michael! :)
You're welcome buddy, I made this video awhile back and shared it with others again just in case they haven't seen it. I hope to make some more videos soon since its been awhile and I needed a break. I've been very busy doing so many other things as well
You are so crazy smart with great ideas, I had to subscribe.
Thank you so much :) Here's a link to all my other videos - czcams.com/users/MichaelBracewellTheTravelTrailerGuyvideos
Wow, great video on how to maintain the equalizer. I had a socket crack and need to know how to replace it.
Thank you for watching and your feedback Tim. I'm happy this information was helpful to you. www.youtube.com/@thetraveltrailerguy/videos
@@thetraveltrailerguy Do you tool recommendations for removing and tightening the bolts.
Thanks so much for your effort to do these videos . I hope you see some compensation from the ads . 65 degrees in Mi. today , it won't last , lol
Your welcome, I mainly make the videos to help others. We just got back from camping fir 3 days and it only got up to 37 degrees each day but we had a great time
Great info! I need to tear my head down before our trip and check for those cracks and clean it up good. It’s been two years since I’ve torn it down completely. Equalizer sent me new decals for the bars when I contacted them about buying some when I repainted mine, they wouldn’t charge for them either. Great company.
Thanks so much Greg, it's nice to tear it down from time to time to do a good inspection and to perform a good lubrication. Also to torgue everything down again to the proper specifications. Its nice they supply everyone with replaceable decals and stand behind their product. Have fun, where are you heading this summer?
@@thetraveltrailerguy Hopefully Glacier National Park, wildfires chased us away last year so we’ll try one more time
@@ggimlick Nice I really liked it there a few years ago, its beautiful. We stayed on both the west and east sides just outside the park. Whichever side you stay on make sure you drive all the way across the park to the other side, so much to see.
@@thetraveltrailerguy We’re dragging it across from the east and staying in Columbia Falls, day trips from there for ten days then on to Denver
@@ggimlick Have fun :)
Great video! When I see all the "wear and tear" and maintenance required for these spring bar distribution hitches it makes me glad that I chose the Anderson hitch!
Thank you Ron. What model Anderson Hitch do you have?
@@thetraveltrailerguy They only have one model with a 4inch or 8 inch Drop/Rise. It's rated to 14K towing and 1400 lbs tongue weight.
andersenhitches.com/collections/wd-hitch
This is the information I was looking for on the equalizer hitch thanks so much!
Thank you for watching, I'm happy I helped :)
Can't wait till weather breaks so I can do the same
Thank you
Your welcome :)
Glad I found you channel.
Thank you Rodney
Great maintenance walk through and mods, thanks!
Thank you K9, I apricate your feedback
Awesome as usual. You're my guru!
Thank Joe, I'll see you Tuesday
Really good idea the reflecting tape !!! 👍
Thank you Antonio :)
Very thorough as always. :) Nice tips Michael.
Thanks Mike, I hope you guys have been doing well
@@thetraveltrailerguy Yep. Passing time here in Az until we decide what to do next. :) Thanks.
@@garlandstyle5797 Where do you think you might be heading next?
@@thetraveltrailerguy Just aren't sure yet. We need to sit down and do some planning in the next few days. I did check a few campgrounds north of Tucson. But they were full. :( Ok, it could be boondocking and drycamping for us. LOL
@@garlandstyle5797 I'm finding out this year that since so many people are not traveling by plane and stuck more at home that they are filling up campgrounds. Hopefully when the pandemic settles down we won't have as many people camping which is better for us. And we should see more people selling the RV's they bought during the pandemic. Happy Camping Buddy
Nice, thank you.
You're welcome and thank for watching
Thanks again Michael. I am still enjoying your mods. We plan to hit the road in a few weeks and hopefully I’ll be in touch with you on email. Take care, Keith
Thank you Keith
Michael , Kinda on the same topic , I have 3 questions for you .
1 . Is their a truck tire you prefer over another?
2. Do you do anything with your air pressure when the rig is hooked up ?
Do you have a opinion on Timkin or Sumo bump stop springs ?
Everything you do is top notch so I value your opinions .
Thank you Ken. Right now I'm not very knowledgeable on what are the best truck tires or anything about bump stop springs. I've only had our truck for for 4 1/2 years so I haven't had to replace the tires yet. Sorry I haven't been able to answer your questions, I would rather say that then steer you wrong. You bring up a good question about air pressure in truck tires while hooked up, I was just going to research this so right now I just leave my truck tires inflated at the pressure that is on the decal that is in the truck door jam and that has been working. If I do find out that I should be airing the tires up while towing I'll do a video on this subject, but before I do I want to know facts first
That second ball lube is a silicone base similar to plumber’s grease/dielectric grease/gasket conditioner etc. it is great to keep around and safe for almost everything where grease is not
So far I'm not as happy with the new silicone lube as the white lube I was using, it doesn't seem to last as long. That's what I'm seeing so far, I'm going to have and give it a little more time before I post how I feel about it
@@thetraveltrailerguy as a plumber, I found that it didn’t last as long, but it didn’t seem to have any negative effects or attract as much dust as regular grease normally would
Your rush inhibitor, that you said isn't sold anymore, looks like Ospho. I thought it wasn't avaliable anymore either but found it on Amazon
Thank you Michael, nice find. Thanks for watching amzn.to/3Dtffc2
The reason the bolt head is on top so if the nut comes off the bolt will still say in and have some support. The way you have it if the nut comes off the bolt will just fall out and no support.
Good catch. If I was not using a lock nut I would not install the bolt this way because what you said may happen
Great video until the end when you put the bolt upside down, if the nut fell off pointed down the bolt could still stay in. everything else is solid.
Thank you and thanks for watching. I'm not really concerned about the nut coming off, its a quality lock nut that is torqued to 70 lbs. I'm always checking the hitch at every stop and look at the threads coming out of the nut to make sure nothing has come loose. If the nut was on the bottom I would never see it gone :)
You posted that 2 years ago, so your theory seems solid.
@@goatmaster3387 Fingers and toes crossed :) I used to to maintenance on production machinery that had a lot of vibration and we would always used quality lock nuts and bolts. We would have the nuts on the top so we could visually check to make sure they were still on there during daily inspections. We never had any of the lock nuts loosen, now if they were regular nuts I'm sure they would have been falling off :) Thanks so much for mentioning this, you are the first person out of close to 10,000 people that have watched this video that have caught this :) Good eye.
Do you think there is a location where you can drill and tap for grease fittings?
Great mods for the storage of the hitch and spring bars! Didn't find the link to the HitchGrip, though. Mind if I ask the retail price of the unit; looks like fantastic tool for me (am older guy; mid 70s)!
Y'all Be Safe!
Thank you Raymond, I just added this link in the description below the video - www.amazon.com/HitchGrip-HG712-Hitch-Coupling-Trailers/dp/B00HSO37B0
@@thetraveltrailerguy - Michael, thanks so much for the link, etc. It'll be one of my first purchases, when getting the trailer. Others will benefit with device, too, I'm sure!
Next will be determining how to fasten the storage under the trailer; it has an enclosed underbelly (unsure if any open areas).
Again, thanks, and Y'all Be Safe!
@@raymondschneider5217 Have fun :)
@@raymondschneider5217 What trailer are you buying?
Mine is brand new, but the dealership was sketchy, so I took it apart and used anti-seize compound on there. I torqued them 10# over because my wrench is cheap and I don’t trust it 100%. Have you ever tried painting the bars with slip plate? Or another graphite coating?
Good question Chris, I don't think it would be good to paint slip plate on the bars since they are friction bars and help with preventing sway. If they are slick they may not properly do what they are supposed to do. If you do this I hope you let me know how this works
Woops are you talking about painting the whole bar or just down by the hitch sockets?
@@thetraveltrailerguy the whole thing really. I paint my whole lawn mower blades for simplicity to help keep grass buildup down. The force between the metal parts that needs friction is on the socket, not the bars. The bars are there strictly as spring force transference between the hitch head and the frame.
@@liquidrockaquatics3900 Thank you I might try this sometime, thanks for the tips. If you do it can you please reply on how it works for you? I would apricate it.
@@liquidrockaquatics3900 the downward force of the bars onto the bracket are also part of the friction. Hence the FOUR two points at the socket two point at the bracket. But then again they come painted some dint think it would be any big deal dint think the paint will last long at friction point though
Do you have a video on that battery box?
Here you go - czcams.com/video/1vm4w3BMq4I/video.html
UPDATE: Soon after doing this installation I replaced all the battery wires from small ones to 2/0 wires
Here's a link to the box (Model M207 is the box I used - NOTE - the Model M206 is to small for 4 - 6 volt batteries to fit in) - Dee Zee M207 Specialty Series ATV Box -
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Here's a link to the vents -
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czcams.com/video/3lDVBU4CFMM/video.html
czcams.com/video/rkRzH0Ay1z0/video.html
Do you remember the size of the bolts washer and nuts?
Hello Ray. NOTE for my hitch If I remember correctly the bolt Qty 2 - 5/8" X 5" fine thread UNF18 grade 8; Qty 2 - 5/8" Lock Nuts grade 8 (I like using lock nuts for this application that do not use nylon); Qty 2 - 5/8" Washer grade 8. Before buying you should take measurements of yours as they may be different, some are made with 3/4" bolts. Here's a link I just found for 3/4" replacement bolts I found on Amazon - Equal-i-zer Bolt Pack for 6K, 10K, 12K, and 14K Hitch amazon affiliate link - amzn.to/3tyEHt0
Damn the part is missing where you slide the trunnion bar holders back in. I want to see how easily they go in bc I have to pound them in with a hammer
Thanks for watching and commenting :) Good catch I should have shown how easy it is to slide the bars in place.
Lets begin where I hook up the truck to the trailer - So what I do is lower the hitch on the ball, if the the latch will not easily lock on the ball I pull forward slightly with the ball under the hitch, this allows the ball to be located towards the front of the hitch ball pocket, with this done the latch move to the lock position easily.
Once the ball is locked in place and the bars are on I start lowering the jack to lift both the back of the truck and the front of the trailer. As I keep lifting I can see the bars rising so they can slide into the bar holders, I might have to slightly lift the bar to get it in place or just keep jacking the trailer up a little more. Once the bars are in place and I have them locked in I raise the jack :) No need for a hammer :)
I hope this information is helpful www.youtube.com/@thetraveltrailerguy/videos
@@thetraveltrailerguy I have disassembled the hitch bc it almost took a sledgehammer to move my bars. Wire brushed everything, sanded things down. Waiting on grease (Amazon) to reassemble. The question is when I go to put “ bar sockets” back in I have to hit them with a hammer not hard but I am just worried that the somebody way over torqued those socket bolts. I mean this hitch seems sturdy as a tank but I’m always a worrier hahah. I’m about to max this thing out with 995# tongue weight so all needs to be perfect
@@thetraveltrailerguy so I guess the question is when disassembling or reassembling should I encounter significant resistance to get those bar holder sockets back in? Talking about the part that holds the bars that eventually gets torqued down to 65lb
@@beginagainben6276 oh wow I have never had this happen to me or anyone I know. The bar sockets should slide in and out pretty easy into the hitch head. Have you always kept them greased? You shouldn't have to use a large hammer to get them in and out, they should slide right in without a hammer or with a slight gentle tapping with a hammer.
I like that you cleaned them up and sanded the surface, after doing this do they slide in easier without grease? I think I read somewhere that the bar socket bolts can be torqued between 65lb and 100lb (search the internet to see if this is true)
No welding, please
Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it. Any welding that was done in this video could have been replaced with bolting things together :) www.youtube.com/@thetraveltrailerguy/videos
They are not meant to be greased you’re defeating the purpose of the anti-sway system. The reason you’re seeing
Worn out spots from and debris in those is because grease attracts dirt
I'm sorry you feel that way Mike, I'm not giving bad information. I do a lot of research before making these videos. Here's some facts to look at about lubricating the hitch: progress.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/shared/image/EQ_Infographic_HitchLube_2019_updated.jpg www.equalizerhitch.com/manuals-and-guides/manuals/6k-14k-owners-manual Never apply grease where the bars rest on the slide "L" brackets. I hope this information helps clear things up. Thank you for watching and commenting
Stop giving bad information do some homework. Directly from manufacture: Should one grease the bars on the hitch to reduce wear or does that reduce the anti sway properties by reducing friction too much? Expert Reply: No you are not going to want to put grease directly on the spring bars (or the brackets) of the Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution
I'm sorry you feel that way Mike, I'm not giving bad information. I do a lot of research before making these videos. Here's some facts to look at about lubricating the hitch: progress.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/shared/image/EQ_Infographic_HitchLube_2019_updated.jpg www.equalizerhitch.com/manuals-and-guides/manuals/6k-14k-owners-manual Never apply grease where the bars rest on the slide "L" brackets. I hope this information helps clear things up. Thank you for watching and commenting