Trailer Hitch Problems 2024

macmichael reply :

Whenever I tow my boat there is a separation clunk when I stop and when I take off. I was wondering if anyone could help me with this problem.

Thanks, Mac

basshole8190 reply :

Yyour ball hitch may be too small?

Fishing Rhino reply :

Does your trailer have surge brakes? If it does, that may be the source of the clunk. Another clunk can be caused by the fit of the hitch and the receiver.

FlipnLimits reply :

The gentleman above, Tom, is most likely correct. It's the brake actuator you are hearing, not the ball and receiver. Those balls are held fairly tight and you shouldn't be hearing much, if anything, coming from the ball and receiver.

Jig Man reply :

It would really help to know about your rig. Is it single axle or dual axle? Do you have brakes? How old is it? Do you have an actuator on the tongue?

I have it all the time with my trailer. The actuator lets the tongue slide forward then slide back as I apply the brakes. I have had it rebuilt and it still is there. I called the mfg and was told that a new actuator would not fix the problem so I just have to live with it or buy a new trailer.

slonezp reply :

Could be play between the receiver and the hitch, especially if the locking pin doesn't fit tight.

Maico1 reply :

On 3/2/2014 at 11:18 PM, slonezp said:
Could be play between the receiver and the hitch, especially if the locking pin doesn't fit tight.

Dwight Hottle reply :

Also check to make sure the ball is not loose in the receiver. Check the nut underneath.

Glenn reply :

On 3/3/2014 at 3:25 AM, Dwight Hottle said:
Also check to make sure the ball is not loose in the receiver. Check the nut underneath.

Beat me to it! That thar is your problem. Your nut is loose or missing. You have to put that baby on there with LocTight or it will work its way loose.

macmichael reply :

On 3/3/2014 at 3:38 AM, Glenn said:
Beat me to it! That thar is your problem. Your nut is loose or missing. You have to put that baby on there with LocTight or it will work its way loose.

Now that's not the first time someone told my nut was loose or missing. LOL

Seriously though. Thanks for all the help.

Single axle trailer. No brakes, 1992 bass tracker model. I'll check all the suggestions.

Mac

BassnChris reply :

If the ball is not loose or too small......I would be leaning towards receiver hitch rattling around in the receiver.

macmichael reply :

I'm going to wait until it warms up. We got another snow storm this week end. I'll post what I have done and what it took to fix it.

spartyon8 reply :

The pin on my hitch fits loosely and I get a clunk.

macmichael reply :

On 3/3/2014 at 9:39 AM, spartyon8 said:
The pin on my hitch fits loosely and I get a clunk.

Your ok with this?

BassnChris reply :

C'mon Mac! Slip on those house shoes and pop there to take a look

I don't blame you.......I couldn't make myself go out in the garage today.......cold.

macmichael reply :

Heck, I go in the garage every day. I have a Big Buddy heater that we crank up. Seems like all I do is go out there and stare at my rods and reels.

tntitans21399 reply :

can you push on the back of the boat and hear the hitch making noise? Definitely make sure it is the right hitch size. Like others said if you have surge breaks you will feel a delayed bumped but not really a sound. A loose/smalk pin in the hitch wouldn't make a lot of noise except from bumps because if you have a normal to big rig the tongue weight will keep it pinned but a empty trailer would make a lot more noise.

This is a dumb question but sometimes its something easy. But the boat is cranked down to the trailer good right? Just a thought if something is hitting the boat's crank wrench.

You should tray to have a friend or neighbor come over and give pressure on the back of the boat and wiggle it and see if you can find where the noise is coming from.

macmichael reply :

Thanks all. When it gets warmer I'll try all these suggestions.

WIGuide reply :

On 3/2/2014 at 10:53 PM, Jig Man said:

It would really help to know about your rig. Is it single axle or dual axle? Do you have brakes? How old is it? Do you have an actuator on the tongue?

I have it all the time with my trailer. The actuator lets the tongue slide forward then slide back as I apply the brakes. I have had it rebuilt and it still is there. I called the mfg and was told that a new actuator would not fix the problem so I just have to live with it or buy a new trailer.

That's because you have surge brakes. There is a hydraulic piston in the tongue of your trailer. When you press the brakes in your vehicle it slows faster than your trailer does and the pressure created from your trailer pushing against your vehicle is what actuates you brakes. If your tongue didn't compress you wouldn't have brakes and if it didn't extend your brakes would be locked. No new actuator is going to prevent that from happening because it has to move as well.

macmichael reply :

Nope I don't have surge brakes. I have a single axle, bass tracker.

WIGuide reply :

On 3/4/2014 at 7:23 AM, macmichael said:
Nope I don't have surge brakes. I have a single axle, bass tracker.

Correct, your trailer doesn't but the guy who's post I quoted does.

tacobassin reply :

With my truck ive made it a habit of putting one wrap of duct tape around square part of the hitch before i install it in the truck reciever. It helps with rattling and noise and takes out a little bit of the slop. For your case its probably either a worn hitch pin in the truck that doesnt fit tight enough, or a sloppy reciever on the trailer. If the trailers a 1992 maybe it wouldnt hurt to slap a new reciever on there. Just my $0.02

macmichael reply :

On 3/4/2014 at 11:49 AM, WIGuide said:
Correct, your trailer doesn't but the guy who's post I quoted does.

oops, sorry.

AQUA VELVA reply :

Ive seen hitches with built in shock absorbers, BPS used to carry them, Don't know if that would solve your problem. I have a 94 Bass Tracker TV-17 and I notice it on mine and it's the hitch pin hole.

bamabass78 reply :

I recently had the same problem when I would take off and stop. When I had my boat serviced this year, I had them take a look at it. All they had to do was bleed my brake lines and the problem was fixed. My reservoir had ran out of brake fluid and when I refilled it, I didn't know how to reprime the lines. Maybe that is your problem also. Quick and cheap fix.

Insanity reply :

The wife's S 10 blazer hitch used to do it to. It was the slack around the receiver on it. ( grab the ball and shake it , and you'll hear it. Did I just write that. Lol)

It only did it when the tongue weight was low. Then it happened on every bump in the road. Thing would drive you nutts. I was going to weld a couple of beads around the receiver and grind them down till it was tight but never got around to it.

Never could remember it till it was hooked up and bumping down the road. My son later rolled it.

The new truck doesn't do it thank god. It must be certain brands of hitches.

Another thought would be to cut pieces of milk jug or other thin plastic and slide into it as a shim.

macmichael reply :

Thanks for all the help fellas. I pulled it outa storage today. Guess what? No clunk at all.

So I repacked my bearings, put the batteries back in, and cleaned her up. Man did it ever feel good. I thnk I'll do it all over tomorrow. I think not. I'm going fishing tomorrow. Yea!

BassnChris reply :

I pulled my boat down to fuel up today so I could take it out of mothballs. This was the. First time I've pulled it with the new truck........and I hear the clunk.

It's my hitch moving around the receiver......I'll see if I can find something that fits tighter......or I will shim it up by making a shim out some hard rubber.

macmichael reply :

Chris, I was thinking that was my problem as well.

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Trailer Hitch Problems 2024

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