P.J

This is odd, only happens when i am on the brakes hard and just about to make a turn. I was towing a tractor for my stepdad today, it only weighs about 3500lbs. + 2700lb trailer = a breeze for the CTD. ANYWAY, upon a hard decel, I got a loud CLUNK, sounded like there was play in the reciever and it was taken up after I hit the brakes. It did it one more time, when I was making the last turn before home. I have a factory hitch , of which I know nothing about it's limitations. The trailer is failry new, 2 6Klb. axles, brakes on both. Loaded noicely and chimed tight to the deck. Bed of the truck empty.
Now, when I first bought the truck the rear sway bar was WAAAYYY loose, could this be the problem again?? (or related to it)?? What else in the hitch/ reciever could cause a CLUNK!?
(I tow my own tractor which weights in at just over 5K every few weeks or so).
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Also any tips on what the factory tow package is rated for and how much it can be pushed? Am I mintues away from killing some unsuspecting mototists?

John Faughn

It could be too many things to start yet , see if you can make it happen to the point that you have somene out side to pin it down to some area, but if it only just happened with this trailer use it , does it have surge brakes that could be, the way you dicribe it it the trailer.

crobtex

Similiar to this?

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...threadid=68516

P.J

Na, this is trailer related (and I have OEM tires). I had my son drive the druck and hit the brakes in the driveway, seems that the trailer is actually "riding" up a bit futher upon braking. In other words, there is some room (front to back) where the Ball rides that is taken up when I slow/stop.
One thing that I am concerned about is that I looked at some of the stampings on the drop hitch and OEM towing equip. (Uh oh!) looks like 5,000 lbs. MAX for both of them?? What exactally is a weight distributing hitch? Say's I can be 10K with one (but the drop hitch is still 5K?)
I weigh in at around 2700-2800 lbs. with just some straps, chains and binders. By the time I actually load up I'm WAY HEAVY (according to the 5K limit on the back of my truck? Any thoughts?

crobtex

The weight distributing hitch will take a lot of weight off of the drop hitch.

bulabula

I have a lighter weight ball mount that fits slightly loose in the receiver, and it clunks when its hooked up to the 5x8 utility - plus there's not much pin weight with that trailer. None of my other ball mounts clunked like that one does.

Are you using the correct sized locking pin with the ball mount? They come in two sizes. Obviously you cannot use the larger pin in the smaller hole, but its easy to use the smaller pin in the larger holes - that would permit the ball mount to slide back and forth slightly.

P.J

Well, I checked the pin size vs. hitch and truck, all is well there.
I have alot of play in the whole set up though. Like when I lift the hitch up and down and push and pull front to back. I could use like a 3/32" shim on two sides to take up some of the movement. ?
Is there any better brand or style hitch that is better than the next (to tow around 10K) and about how much $?
Thanks for the posts.