Hitch Rattle

[foggy1111]

I just took delivery of a new Jeep Overland a week ago....and took a road trip in it on Monday/Tuesday. Nice vehicle!!....but....pulled a trailer for 300 miles. Wow....talk about hitch rattle!! I thought it would drive me nuts. :confused2:

Last nite I did a google search to purchase a solution (I don't want to weld on my receiver or ball mount). I found a product called Hitch-Vice at hitchrider.com

From what I saw and what little I could read about this product....it appears somebody has found a solution. I spent $30 (+ shipping) and have one on the way. Anyone else have one of these?

 

[kevinj]

I can't picture a hitch rattling with proper tongue load. My truck has the 2.5" receiver with an adapter for 2" and it only rattles if I leave it in with no trailer.

 

[foggy1111]

I can't picture a hitch rattling with proper tongue load. My truck has the 2.5" receiver with an adapter for 2" and it only rattles if I leave it in with no trailer.

This is more of a problem in recent years. I have had two SUV's now...both with uni-body.....and the hitch rattle is horrible. Much worse with lite loads and little tounge weight. (Never had a big problem in time gone by either.) I think the tolerances are opened up and the uni-body transmits more noise.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Tongue weight will help but like you have already figured out its the Uni-Body car acting like a big drum and amplifying the noise. We see this all the time.

I have tried just using a 5/8" bolt and snugging it up, wrapping the bar with electrical tape, ect. The best fix is to weld beads on 2 sides. I run 2 parallel beads with my wire welder then grind it to fit snug then hit it with a coat of paint. Just the nature of the beast with a Uni-Body tow vehicle transmitting more noise.

Chris

 

[Newblue]

Expensive drawbars but R&P carriages sells a solution.
Aluminum Receiver Hitch Ball Mount V-5 14000# 2" Drp 1" - eBay (item 370433533285 end time Dec-15-10 18:01:42 PST)

 

[JerryK]

I clean everything up, then shim the hitch with thin pieces of sheet stainless. You have to play around with it little to get the right combination on each side. When you get it snug enough so you can not push it in by hand the last couple inches....take it back apart and spray black satin Rustolem into the receiver and on the hitch...put the shims back in place and pound it in the last few inches with a rubber hammer [when the paint is still wet]. Put the cross pin in and recoat everything with the paint. If you need sheet stainless, keep your eyes open for old pots and pans......or look in your wives cupboards [ when she is gone shopping is the prefered time..... ] You have to hook a chain on it and yank it out someday...but it will not clunk anymore...

 

[Diamondpilot]

I clean everything up, then shim the hitch with thin pieces of sheet stainless. You have to play around with a little to get the right combination on each side. When you get it snug enough so you can not push it in by hand the last couple inches....take it back apart and spray black satin Rustolem into the receiver and on the hitch...put the shims back in place and pound it in the last few inches with a rubber hammer. Put the cross pin in and recoat everything with the paint. If you need sheet stainless, keep your eyes open for old pots and pans......or look in your wives cupboards [ when she is gone shopping is the prefered time..... ] You have to hook a chain on it and yank it out someday...but it will not clunk anymore...

This would be a pain if you are like me and have 3 or 4 different draw bars for different ball sizes and drops.

Chris

 

[bdeboer]

I can't picture a hitch rattling with proper tongue load. My truck has the 2.5" receiver with an adapter for 2" and it only rattles if I leave it in with no trailer.

I was picturing him pulling a small landscape trailer with a ramp gate. My 6x10landscape trailer rattles if empty no matter what truck is pulling it because it is tail heavy due to the ramp.

 

[foggy1111]

This would be a pain if you are like me and have 3 or 4 different draw bars for different ball sizes and drops.

Chris

Exactly. I'm not looking for a permanent mount. I like to remove it when its not needed. (plus I don't bang my shins )

The thing is.....these vehicles cost allot of dough.....and this is a KNOWN PROBLEM.....especially with SUV's. You'd think one of the major car companies or hitch makers could solve this issue....if they just tried a little. ****....maybe they could even make a buck on the solution.

I've looked at every anti-rattle ball-mount made....and passed on most of them cause they all leave something to be desired. (For example....those above, with the little spring loaded balls don't stand up.)

Still, I think what I purchased above is gonna fill the bill. As soon as "brown" shows up.....I will write a report on how it works.

 

[foggy1111]

Tongue weight will help but like you have already figured out its the Uni-Body car acting like a big drum and amplifying the noise. We see this all the time.

I have tried just using a 5/8" bolt and snugging it up, wrapping the bar with electrical tape, ect. The best fix is to weld beads on 2 sides. I run 2 parallel beads with my wire welder then grind it to fit snug then hit it with a coat of paint. Just the nature of the beast with a Uni-Body tow vehicle transmitting more noise.

Chris

I think the tape method works for lots of people Chris. If it had not been so cold I would have done that (it was like -10 below and I didn't have any tape tho). I think wood shims work pretty well too....for a while.

I always wonder if you welded on a hitch or modified it in any way.....and you were in a BAD accident? Law-suit time for some enterprising attorney?

 

[Army grunt]

I had a similar problem, 2 wraps of duct tape around the hitch before sliding it in fixed the rattle. There is a nut inside the part of the hitch that will tighten agenest the ball. look at this also. A little slop there will rattle. just a few turns on the under side will fix it also.
Army Grunt

 

[clemsonfor]

I had a similar problem, 2 wraps of duct tape around the hitch before sliding it in fixed the rattle. There is a nut inside the part of the hitch that will tighten agenest the ball. look at this also. A little slop there will rattle. just a few turns on the under side will fix it also.
Army Grunt

I think its a jeep thing. My uncle has had jeeps for 15 years. 2 wranglers and 1 cherokee. They all did it with no load and worse with the landscape style trailer on on a dirt road and on highway.

The wrangler is not a unibody yet still does it.

 

[firefighter jim]

Draw tight makes a niftey J bolt hitch pin which when tightened, locks draw bar into receiver for a snug fit. Must use their (Draw tight) receiver which has a second hole to accept J bolt pin or I suppose you could simply drill another hole in your receiver..............I had one on my previous pickup and it worked great...........

 

[lostcause]

i've got an 06 gm 2500 with the factory hitch platform and it has a huge tolerance compared to a 2" drawbar - i'd bet it's 1/8-3/16" oversize. if i remember i'll put a mic on it and report back... but anyways, barring the use of mismatched drawbars and hitches, in my mind, bigger may be better. i've had a few used trucks with tight hitches with rusted in drawbars - including my current 1-ton. the hitch has been rusted in since i bought it used in 08. i keep planning on taking it out, but it's a whole welded up mess on the back of the frame, and i just haven't had the urge to tackle it.

 

[foggy1111]

I received the Hitch Vise in the mail today. Here is a little review on the install and some pics. Installation takes just seconds when you install the ball mount into the receiver.....just about two turns on a 9/16" wrench will tighten the "vise" to secure (clamp) the ball mount from rattling in the receiver. Immediately removed all play and all noise.

I have not towed with this yet....but it seems very heavy-duty (cast steel) and should last forever. I like the looks of this set up.....Very good product IMO.

 

[wmonroe]

Looks like that should do the trick. Any more pictures of the Jeep, did you go with the Hemi or V6?

 

[foggy1111]

Looks like that should do the trick. Any more pictures of the Jeep, did you go with the Hemi or V6?

I went with the Hemi. This is the first Jeep I have owned since an old used Wagoneer back in the 70's.

I bought an Overland model with the air suspension and the whole ball of yarn. Pretty nice vehicle. I think the biggest reason I went to Jeep was for the tow capacity at 7200 lbs....as I want to be able to tow a good sized boat and my tractor and implements.

Not many pics yet....heres one of the new Jeep and one with my Acadia towing my boat. "Slightly" overloaded.

 

[wmonroe]

Very nice! My wife has a one but with the v6, it runs ok but I wish it was an Overland Hemi.
How did the Acadia handle the boat?

 

[foggy1111]

Very nice! My wife has a one but with the v6, it runs ok but I wish it was an Overland Hemi.
How did the Acadia handle the boat?

The Acadia did "ok" with the boat...but I didn't pull it very far. My tractor and equipment was stretching the limits.

The V6 engine had "enough" power, but I did have two tranny problems. Tranny was rebuilt once, then replaced the tranny at 70k. I think I drove it sensibly....but still had problems. I didn't feel good about these kinda loads....and I wanted to do more travel with my boat and with my tractor to help my kids on their land.

The Jeep has so much more power....and the tow rating to do what needs doing. :thumbsup: It's taking me a little time to get used to a somewhat smaller vehicle tho. I could really pack the goods inside the Acadia for trips up to our cabin.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice Jeep and nice Cobalt. Make sure you get that trailer leveled out better behind that Jeep or you will really have tire issues on the trailer pulling it longer distances.

Chris