Securing trailer balls

[dickfoster]

How do you guys secure trailer balls? I have had them come loose in the past and it is always a fear of mine so I always put a a small tack weld between the nut and threads after I torque it down. I don't get it hot enough to affect the temper of the ball just enough weld to prevent it from unthreading. Was talking to a buddy and he said he tacks the base of the ball to the mount so he can tighten the nut without it rotating then tacks the nut to the bottom of the mount without using a lock washer. Just curious what others are doing.

Use a lock washer, locktite or both. Welding makes it difficult to get off later if you need to without buggering up the threads. Blue locktite unless you have a really big impact wrench. Of course a little heat will also help loosen up the red stuff if you need to get it off.

 

[PILOON]

Another simple trick would be to wack the last protruding thread(s) with a hammer to peen some threads.
Sure, it could work loose but never fall off.
A file would easily clean those threads if you later need to remove or change the ball.

 

[terryknight]

for my GN weled the nut to the bottom of the plate. 48" pipe wrench and a 6' long cheater pipe on the end. the two guys pushing/pulling on the pipe.

 

[FTG-05]

I grease all such bolts and then just use a Big Azz wrench or breaker bar. Never had an issue. I guess a lock washer is a given.

No. Worse than useless.

 

[Thomas]

BIG wrench and cheater bar punch and hammer prick couple rows of threads...don't forget lock washer.

 

[PJSprog]

Lock washer and good torque is usually enough. Had one once that gave me fits, so I put a second nut on it and torqued that into the first. Problem solved.

 

[Cord]

Lost a trailer several years ago on a trip from Florida to Wisconsin. Hit a small bump on a bridge and the trailer popped off doing 70mph. The thing swayed over three lanes until I was able to get it under control and pull over. Looked at the hitch and the ball was still in the coupler. Turns out the Uhaul idiot made the coupler nut so tight that it rotated the ball when I was turning causing the nut to loosen. Couple of hundred miles later I was on the side of the road. Now, every ball nut gets put on with red locktite. If I need to get it off, I'll just heat the nut with a mapp torch.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Got a new hitch for use with the 13k toy hauler and 14k Load Trails and had the ball loosen up after a few trips. Turned out it was the paint "crushing" and then the nut started backing of from the loss of tension on the nut and by the end of trip there was a clunk. Took stinger out and turned 90 degrees and used the 48" crescent wrench while standing on it to get to the 450ft/lbs torque, so between the paint crush and fastener stretch if any they need re torquing.

David

 

[C4Ranch]

Went this route. Don't have to worry about coming loose.

Curt Class 5 3 1 2" Drop 6" Drop Channel Style Adjustable Dual Ball Mount | eBay

 

[Garandman]

On a receiver hitch it is pretty easy to get them plenty tight and monitor them. This is on a gooseneck ball with a 1-3/8" shank. I think it supposed to be torqued to 650 ft lb. Going to be hard to get it that right under the truck. I have a big impact that will tighten it that much but don't think it will clear the differential.

The alternative is the drill the shank and put a lock pin through it.

We just have garden variety 2" ball with lock washer. I turn it sideways in the hitch to crank it down tight.