*Truck and Towing thread........ask your questions here.*

[Teamubr]

I know on my last RV I tried to go 3 years with the same tires and that proved disastrous. Maybe before Disney in July I will swap out.

Three years does seem to be the sweet spot on trailer tires. I'm hoping the Sailun load G do better than that. Mine are 2 1/2 years old now.

j

 

[jkh36619]

Three years does seem to be the sweet spot on trailer tires. I'm hoping the Sailun load G do better than that. Mine are 2 1/2 years old now.

j

My goal is for 5 years on the Sailun G unless something makes me change them sooner

 

[jbrostek]

Funny how I think about replacing my RV tires so quickly and I went 7 years on my first set of trailer tires for the car trailer. I think I am on the 3rd set of tires on that trailer since I bought it in 2004. The Saliun G rates I hope will last longer and right now just trying to keep the westlakes happy.

Sadly I was lazy yesterday and did not get out there and use the compressor the the trailer tires and today its raining. I do need to air them up and finish the shopping since I leave tomorrow after work.

 

[tripleb]

Has anyone traveled Hwy 74 west out of Bryson City, NC to Chattanooga pulling a FW or TT ? If so, is it a descent road or is it just better to go North to I-40 to Knoxville and head South.

Anyone travel this route ??? I'm trying to decide whether to travel this way or head South to Athens, Macon, and then home. I'd rather not use the preferred route through Atlanta ... I hate driving through Atlanta !

 

[Marshel]

Anyone travel this route ??? I'm trying to decide whether to travel this way or head South to Athens, Macon, and then home. I'd rather not use the preferred route through Atlanta ... I hate driving through Atlanta !

I've gone a couple miles past the Olympic Whitewater Center almost to the Carolina line; and it was fine, lots of people towing rvs from the eastern direction heading west. Really pretty drive along the Ocoee. Towed my trailer as far as Parksville Lake NFS CG, which is about 5 miles short of that and am planning on doing it again.

 

[PaHunter]

So to all those who tow, anything that requires a ball, be it 1 7/8, 2, 2 5/16 inches. How many torque this to the manufacturers specification ??
Just curious, as we will be towing a toy box behind our class A, and the manufacturer recommends the nut on the ball be torqued to 450 FT lbs.
I can guarantee that DW can not help with that one for sure. Heck, I would have to get a second person to hang off the torque wrench with me.

 

[tiggerdad]

So to all those who tow, anything that requires a ball, be it 1 7/8, 2, 2 5/16 inches. How many torque this to the manufacturers specification ??
Just curious, as we will be towing a toy box behind our class A, and the manufacturer recommends the nut on the ball be torqued to 450 FT lbs.
I can guarantee that DW can not help with that one for sure. Heck, I would have to get a second person to hang off the torque wrench with me.

So, quote directly from E-Trailer website when someone asked how to get that amount of torque:

"There are torque wrenches available that can apply 450 ft. lbs of torque that is needed for the 2" High Rise Hitch Ball part # C40034. However, these torque wrenches can be very expensive and not easily attainable therefore we generally just recommend that you place some sort of large pry bar on your wrench/ratchet and then tighten as much as you can."

450 would be awfully hard to reach. I know of several sockets that would break before that torque was reached.

 

[Teamubr]

450 would be awfully hard to reach. I know of several sockets that would break before that torque was reached.

I would say it is impossible to reach with any home mechanic tools. Even if you did make up something with a pipe wrench and long bar, how do you know if you were only at 400 or overshot and you're at 550?

450 sounds like a number the manufacturers list to escape liability. If it comes loose, prove you torqued it to spec. If the shank breaks or the threads strip, they can say you over torqued. Prove you didn't.

And then I ask, how many of us have heard of a crash or trailer/tow vehicle damage because the ball fell off/broke/or otherwise failed because it wasn't torqued to spec?

Nah, me neither.

j

 

[Sjm9911]

Agreed, tighten it as much as you can, and call it good. I dont use a tourqe wrentch for anything, so far nothing has fallen off my camper. When i replaced the brakes they had a sheet saying to tourqe to manufacturers recomendations, but did not include those with the brakes. Lol. If your really worried, add a little clear nail polish on the bottom thread after you tighten it. Poor mans lock tight and easier to remove if needed. those giant wrentches at harbor freight for the balls are cheap and will be good enough as is.

 

[Teamubr]

I don't use a torque wrench for anything, add a little clear nail polish on the bottom thread after you tighten it. Poor mans lock tight and easier to remove if needed.

I do torque most things to spec. (wheel lugs, head bolts, ANYTHING on the race car) The race team was even more psychotic about it. Anything critical that we didn't want coming loose was safety wired



and EVERYTHING that could come loose during a race was marked with a paint pen.



Quick easy visual during prerace prep. If the paint doesn't line up, something moved.

Can't say I still don't do that on my regular cars. Old habits.

j

 

[Sjm9911]

Paint pen is a good idea. I forget about such easy stuff like that.

 

[Stork]

So, quote directly from E-Trailer website when someone asked how to get that amount of torque:

"There are torque wrenches available that can apply 450 ft. lbs of torque that is needed for the 2" High Rise Hitch Ball part # C40034. However, these torque wrenches can be very expensive and not easily attainable therefore we generally just recommend that you place some sort of large pry bar on your wrench/ratchet and then tighten as much as you can."

450 would be awfully hard to reach. I know of several sockets that would break before that torque was reached.

What about stopping at a TA or Love's and seeing if they can achieving the desired value (for a fee, of course)?

 

[PaHunter]

What about stopping at a TA or Love's and seeing if they can achieving the desired value (for a fee, of course)?

I have a torque wrench that goes to 300 ft lbs, and when I was in the National Guard we torqued tank parts to 600ft lbs, but that torque wrench was about 6 feet long.
The problem with the ball is the space available to put a wrench on top.
I mean if I need to get the 300 put on there, I can brace the ball with a pipe wrench, and hook up DW's car to the torque wrench with a strap, cuz at 225lbs, I am not going to pull and get 300, well maybe, but there is a Dismeet coming up and no point in hurting myself.

 

[Sjm9911]

I have a torque wrench that goes to 300 ft lbs, and when I was in the National Guard we torqued tank parts to 600ft lbs, but that torque wrench was about 6 feet long.
The problem with the ball is the space available to put a wrench on top.
I mean if I need to get the 300 put on there, I can brace the ball with a pipe wrench, and hook up DW's car to the torque wrench with a strap, cuz at 225lbs, I am not going to pull and get 300, well maybe, but there is a Dismeet coming up and no point in hurting myself.

I could use that big torque wrench right now! At 6 foot long it would be perfect. I have been trying to fix a grandmother clock all morning and its needs some more adjusting. I figure im done with the fine tuning aspect of this. So if I show it a 6 foot wrentch it may co operate or get the full body tune up.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

I'm also a vote for the pipe wrench on the ball and a breaker bar with a cheater pipe on the nut. The monster lock washer that came with all my hitch balls makes me feel pretty good. I've seen the paint pen trick 100 times, but never think to do it. The engineer in me and the procrastinator in me are constantly at war.

 

[PaHunter]

I do torque most things to spec. (wheel lugs, head bolts, ANYTHING on the race car) The race team was even more psychotic about it. Anything critical that we didn't want coming loose was safety wired

View attachment 573847

and EVERYTHING that could come loose during a race was marked with a paint pen.

View attachment 573848 View attachment 573849

Quick easy visual during prerace prep. If the paint doesn't line up, something moved.

Can't say I still don't do that on my regular cars. Old habits.

j

If I never see safety wire again in my lifetime, it will be too soon. Used it all the time in the military as a lot of what we did was critical. Could not use safety wire pliers. Everything had to be hand done and measured to make sure it was in specification. If not, cut it off and start over.

 

[tiggerdad]

It belonged to my grandfather. I've only used it twice in my life and both times was as a prybar not as wrench. Looks bad, but she adjusts good still.


As far as nut backing off, a little help from mig welder can fix that I suppose.

 

[Teamubr]

Could not use safety wire pliers. Everything had to be hand done and measured.

That's just mean and contrary to sense. It is the military though. No matter how good you are, using pliers will make a better twist. And much faster. I have done some by hand in a pinch.

j

 

[Sjm9911]

It belonged to my grandfather. I've only used it twice in my life and both times was as a prybar not as wrench. Looks bad, but she adjusts good still.
View attachment 573877

As far as nut backing off, a little help from mig welder can fix that I suppose.

Thats definitely an antique. Lol. I have an old one and it looks nothing like that.

 

[himandher818]

So to all those who tow, anything that requires a ball, be it 1 7/8, 2, 2 5/16 inches. How many torque this to the manufacturers specification ??

I think I may have torqued mine to specs. When I got the camper I also got a lot of other things that I were needed, or at least that I thought were needed. A 600ft/lb torque wrench was one of those and the 1 7/8 thin walled socket from was another. I mean, the hitch manual did say I need to adjust my hitch each time for the weight of the trailer.

I have used it once, and I think I was able to get it torqued. I may not have been able to hold the ball in place all the way, and gave up with it being just real tight.



It's right at 3ft long.

If anyone wants me to, I can bring it to Pigeon Forge.