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Old 08-16-2013, 08:24 AM   #1
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Equalizer Hitch, Noisy!

I have an equalizewr hitch that I pull my 23B with when turning its god awful noisy, sure does get people to stare at you in parking lots or at the campground. I've tried silicone spray and wd 40 on all the pivot points, do the rest of you guys experience this?
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Old 08-16-2013, 09:06 AM   #2
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Yep. Those lubes are too light of weight to do any good.

First thing I did was use a lot of bearing grease on the ball. This made a big difference. When at camp or storing the hitch I place a 9oz red Solo Cup over the ball. It fits perfectly and does not fly off while driving. That helped but did not eliminate all the sounds. I watch a video on Equilizer’s website on the “Quality Construction …..” of the hitch and they show to lubricate the pivot at the WHD knuckle. They show using their brand of lubricant. I tried 600W rear differential lube (basically steam oil), but I bet 90W would work good to. We took a 4000 mile road trip this summer and there were absolutely no sounds from the hitch for the first 1500 miles.

Check out their webpage and watch the video for the lubrication placement.

[video]http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%20Equal-i-zer/videos.php[/video]
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Old 08-16-2013, 09:20 AM   #3
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IV got the same problem I also use a anti sway bar as well which I think is most of my problem.....
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Old 08-16-2013, 10:11 AM   #4
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Here's my experience with respect to a noisy hitch area when turning (which happens periodically). Assuming a properly lubed hitch head, I have noticed that the noise is created when the sway bars are not sitting completely flat on the L-brackets that are affixed to the frame. Assuming that they are sitting flat before beginning a trip, the L-brackets can/may move slightly when you go up or down a steep, short incline such as as driveway to a gas station. In that situation, the sway bars are applying a great deal of force to the L-brackets, and since the L-brackets are not bolted to the frame, they can move. You can verify if this is the case by looking at the bottom of the L-bracket (ie, where the sway bar sits) to see if you have equal or unequal scraping of metal across the L-bracket. (btw: you don't want to lube this area because it is what provides the friction to help reduce any sway) If you see that the sway bars are not moving across the majority of L-bracket (ie, by looking at your scraping pattern), then that is probably the cause of your noise during turns. If you re-adjust your L-brackets to match the angle of your sway bars, that will reduce, if not eliminate, the majority of your noise.

With respect to lube points, when I purchased my Equalizer hitch I also purchased a couple tubes of their lubricant (for convenience). I apply new lubricant to the ball before each trip (wipe off the old lube first, of course). I also apply a dab of lubricant to the top and bottom areas of the pivot areas and smooth in with a finger, but I only do this when the grease/lubricant starts to look dirty. This helps to ensure that the ball and pivot areas are clean and well lubed.
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Old 08-16-2013, 11:46 AM   #5
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Interesting info, my dealership told us the "screeching metal" sound was normal which seems partly true (where the sway bars rub on the L bracket) but I did notice an improvement after lubricating the ball. I'm going to run through the video previously linked and take a look at the L-bracket alignment and any other lube points I may have missed before I hook-up and run the family out to our site later this evening. Thanks for those who've shared from another new Equalizer user!
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Old 08-16-2013, 12:30 PM   #6
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One thing to keep in mind is that when your dealer installed your weight distribution hitch (WDH) , it was installed with an unloaded trailer and an unloaded tow vehicle. When you load your trailer and tow vehicle, the WDH will be subjected to a different load than when installed, which also can contribute to noise. If you haven't already done so, you might want to visit the towing section of this forum and weigh your setup. You might need to make some minor adjustments to the WDH, all of which can help to reduce any noise and enable you to have a better tow setup.
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Old 08-16-2013, 01:15 PM   #7
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I also had my L brackets welded to the frame as they kept moving on me. I think it was the curb side bolts were very difficult to torque due to the spare tire being in the way.
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