Welded vs bolted trailer balls

[deerefan]

I use the Reece 3 ball welded straight shaft units as we have trailers with 2” and 2 5/16” receivers. What is safer, bolted or welded? Bolted could work loose, welded can rust and crack *. Thoughts? We just completed a 900 mile round trip towing with my wife’s Armada and three horse trailer with 2 horses (total weight about 5-5500lbs) with above mentioned insert with no issue.

 

[4570Man]

I like the 3 ball hitches but they have the disadvantage of no height adjustment.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I bought my tractor in PA and towed it back home to CT on a U-Haul car carrier trailer. When we got home, we backed the tractor off the trailer and the trailer popped off the truck. During the trip, the nut had completely come off and I had tightened it and the lock washer before we left CT. I have no idea how long we drove with the nut missing. After that I spot welded all my trailer hitches so the nut cannot be loosened.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I've had my hitch balls come loose several times. I've always caught on before any damage. If you fell a secondary light clunk after touching the brakes check your hitch ball.

 

[deerefan]

I like the 3 ball hitches but they have the disadvantage of no height adjustment.

Very true, but we lucked out as the trailer sits level on the one we have.

 

[rd_macgregor]

A few years ago we drove a horse trailer to an event in Virginia. When parking the trailer, I noticed the ball was loose. Took it to a shop where the threads were too bunged up to budge the nut either way...just had it welded on and has been fine ever since. I also have one of the three-ball hitches, but it isn't the right height (on our truck) for the horse trailer.

 

[stingray1]

Bolted,but a tack weld for good measure couldn’t hurt.

 

[deerefan]

A few years ago we drove a horse trailer to an event in Virginia. When parking the trailer, I noticed the ball was loose. Took it to a shop where the threads were too bunged up to budge the nut either way...just had it welded on and has been fine ever since. I also have one of the three-ball hitches, but it isn't the right height (on our truck) for the horse trailer.

This is my concern. Welds rust too though, which can fail before notice. Kind of pros and cons with each?

 

[bigtiller]

My 2.5 inch hitch ball has a 1.25 inch bolt that requires 450 ft. lbs. of torque. It is about 10 years old now, and has never come loose.

 

[George2615]

I like the 3 ball welded unit but only use it when moving trailers with my tractor. They are not weight rated high enough for my on the road trailers which are 11,700, and 2-14K trailers. All my trailers are 2 5/16" but I sometimes borrow my neighbors utility trailer with a 2".

 

[Rebeldad1]

I like the 3 ball welded unit but only use it when moving trailers with my tractor. They are not weight rated high enough for my on the road trailers which are 11,700, and 2-14K trailers. All my trailers are 2 5/16" but I sometimes borrow my neighbors utility trailer with a 2".

exactly. pretty much a 3 ball has very limited weight rating. I have one for the tractor and it's great for moving stuff around the farm or light weight trailers.

there are hitches with flip balls made for heavier trailers that are used daily. they just arnt as cheap.

 

[RoyKing]

It depends on the steel in the ball and how hot they got welding it. It could get soft or brittle. If you tighten the ball enough it won't come loose. I put the receiver in upside down, get my 3/4" 55 inch breaker bar and 5 foot piece of pipe and sit on the ground and pull until the breaker bar bends about 10 degrees. I also use blue locktite. To remove I let the air 1/2" impact smack at it for about 30 seconds, it doesn't move but now the breaker and pipe will loosen it.

 

[whistlepig]

I have always tightened mine with a 16" Crescent wrench and a 3 foot cheater bar and have never had one come loose

 

[lostcause]

I just bought a Curt 45900 height adjustable 2" and 2-5/16" flip hitch. 14k weight rating, and if you have or need more the 45902 version is a 2-1/2" drawbar that is rated for 20k not super cheap, but a lot more convenient than having multiple drawbars with different ball diameter and drop or raise for each one.

i've had a lot of different ones over the years and they've always been bolted. i've never had one loosen up, but around here if they can make a season or more without loosening, they will rust on and you will be all set. tit won't loosen without high heat. If I were worried, i'd go bolted and foul the threads. I'll always go bolted because bolted will generally show fatigue before failure - loosening clunking. bending, etc. Welded will often just catastrophically fail without warning.

 

[JimRB]

I have a 3/4" 40 inch breaker bar. I put my 175 pounds on it and I can get it good and tight, not sort of tight. I have not had a ball come loose. Think of 3x175 pounds just standing on it will give me 500 pound feet of torque or more. That is about right for a 1.25" shank ball. What some people think is tight may not be tight for the ball. The smaller shanks do not take as much torque.

 

[4570Man]

exactly. pretty much a 3 ball has very limited weight rating. I have one for the tractor and it's great for moving stuff around the farm or light weight trailers.

there are hitches with flip balls made for heavier trailers that are used daily. they just arnt as cheap.

I’ve got a 3 way that’s rated for 10,000 pounds. Maybe that’s not the best money can buy but it’s definitely better than average. There’s only a very select few hitch and ball combo that’s higher.

 

[FTG-05]

You'll never see a bolted ball on a U-Haul truck.

Have no clue if that makes any difference, but I noticed several decades ago, and now I can't help but look at all of them. Yep, all welded.

 

[workinonit]

I expect some or most of that is that stolen balls get expensive. For Uhaul.

 

[ruffdog]

Do greased balls have a reduced chance of the nuts loosening?

 

[BrkMstr]

If you put a lot of miles on, your better off with a bolt on coupler and ball, as the ball will wear on the hitch and the coupler can wear on the trailer if they do they can both be replaced, if the set up is a normal use trailer it would not matter as most likely they will rust out before they wear out. I use the B&W Tow and Stow set up - it gives me a 2 5/16 for the dump and a 2 for the utility, and provides easy height adjustment - nice unit, if you use a little white lithium on pins it's trouble free....