dixoncider
socal
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Joined: 05/13/2007
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Just got back from a trip and this is what I found when I disconnected. It looked new when I hooked it up. We took a big bump on the freeway I think the front end of the truck got air. I have about 6000 miles on the trailer. I removed the grease for the pictures.Its a shelby 5104 Coupler.Whats the problem????
HERE IS THE NEW ONE____------------
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94 Ram 2500 Diesel
06 Ram 3500 Mega CTD Jake Brake
07 Pioneer 26BHS
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Trailer Trash 2
Santa Fe Springs, CA
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Joined: 06/01/2004
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For one you need to reduce the pictures down or mafe a Tag for them, but from what I can see it looks like you dont use greese at all and some foren material got between the ball and head and you can see the results. Get a new ball and greese it if you are worried about it getting on your clothes get a tennis ball and split it so it cups around the ball greese and all it also protects the ball from picking up what it's not supose to. as for the head I dont know what to tell you, pack it with greese and watch the ball for damage if no damage I'd leave it and go whith it.
Don & Georgia
AKA: Trailer Trash 2
Real trucks don't have spark plugs.
1996 Ford F-350,Clydesdale, 7.3 Turbo W/Banks
Pulling a Super Fine Montana 2980RL
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dhamblet
Olympia, WA
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Joined: 01/13/2005
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Are you positive you have the correct sized ball for the hitch?
2005 Dutchmen 35SRV, Pergo floor, 5th Airborne, JT Strong Arm, Kodiak Disk Brakes, Backup camera
2006 Dodge CTD RAM QC 3500 LWB 4WD, Reese 16k, Airlift, Pacbrake, Britebox, 60g aux fuel tank
04 HD Ultra, CanAM 400MAX Quad
Spending my kids inheritance
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dixoncider
socal
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Grease removed for pictures. Had plenty on it at the time. Not sure what happened here.
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dixoncider
socal
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2 5/16 ball and coupler strait from the factory.
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Perrysburg Dodgeboy
Perrysburg, Ohio USA
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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He said he removed the grease for the pics, but what I would ask is do you remove the grease from your hitch and trailer receiver before heading out of the CG?
Here is why I ask; if you leave grease on your hitch and receiver then drive around it will collect dirt and road debris as will the trailer receiver. Then when you hook up they will grind into the metal causing what you found.
You should always remove all grease from the hitch, hitch receiver and WD pockets before hooking and then add fresh grease just before you hook up.
Don
Perrysburg Dodgeboy
2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT Cummins HO
2005 Keystone Cougar 304 BHS
pics
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canuk camper
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
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To me, it looks like you haven't cleaned out the old grease and put some new grease at regular intervals. Dirt and junk do get into the grease and will cause the damage we see here. It also looks like you have a lot of angle on the hitch head and ball and you may also have to much tension on the WD bars....
Ron
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dixoncider
socal
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Good point I do not remove grease. Do you think that dirt could gouge hardened steel like this>??? I have very little angle on the head its almost flat. Not sure how you could tell from these pictures the angles but. My truck and trailer are almost the same height. I run my bars on the second link of chain which is not much presures because the truck does not squat all that much. Its a 3500.
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mrsmokey
MA>,02379
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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It looks like the ball was not coupled you just rode along with the coupler not down around the ball.. you are very lucky you still have a trailer. This is the same type of damage you get when you try to put a 2" coupler on a 2 1/2 " ball. If not it was just a bad coupler.
SMOKEY
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canuk camper
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
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Yes it will, there is a lot of pressure and forces on that little ball and alot of turning and grinding going on.
Ron
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