Marinero
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Hitch Platforms
Question: How do you keep a hitch insert luggage platform from rattling like crazy?
Answer: Bungee cords help, but try this. Take a piece of copper pipe ( I used 5/8ths) and cut to about 6 inches long. Hammer flat with a BFH.
Tapir the leading edge a bit with the hammer and pound it into the gap as far as you like. Being copper, it should cause no wear to the receiver or
the unit. Leave enough sticking out to grab with vice grips and pound back out
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ddawson
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That's a good idea. Some guys I know also weld a few small pieces of metal onto the hitch and then grind them down till its a flush fit into the
receiver.
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Jim/Liisa
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Buy a lockable hitch pin and some washers insert washers between the the receiver as you insert then singe the lockable pin. The L pins tend to be
sloppy, with lots of slack. The ones that are lockable will singe tight. Normally thats the area where the rattle comes from. I have a Chrysler
Prowler that has a hitch and once in a while I attatch a luggage rack to carry items since the Prowler has no trunk to speak of. That cured my rattle.
I dont realy think you should fuse/weld anything permenent in the receiver because the hitch inserts vary a bit.
[Edited on 7-8-2011 by Jim/Liisa]
[Edited on 7-8-2011 by Jim/Liisa]
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Maderita
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Good tip Marinero. Sounds like a useful and semi-permanent solution.
I use wood carpenter's shims (tapered). Hammer it into the gap, then snap off the reamining portion.
Now that I think about it, a wooden clothes pin should perform similarly.
Jim/Liisa, The welding and grinding-to-fit idea by ddawson is to weld a bead onto the hitch, not "in the receiver." Still, that method has the
drawback of making interchangeability difficult. It could require grinding and the availability of a power tool in order to swap the hitch to another
vehicle.
As to the lockable hitch pin, perhaps I'm missing something? One would have to have ears like a chihuahua to hear the incidental contact made by the
infrequent lateral movement of a hitch pin. That is not where any perceptable rattle originated. The serious rattling problem is from gaps between the
hitch and receiver tube. The solution requires filling the gap (or turning up the stereo).
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Jim/Liisa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Maderita
Good tip Marinero. Sounds like a useful and semi-permanent solution.
I use wood carpenter's shims (tapered). Hammer it into the gap, then snap off the reamining portion.
Now that I think about it, a wooden clothes pin should perform similarly.
Jim/Liisa, The welding and grinding-to-fit idea by ddawson is to weld a bead onto the hitch, not "in the receiver." Still, that method has the
drawback of making interchangeability difficult. It could require grinding and the availability of a power tool in order to swap the hitch to another
vehicle.
As to the lockable hitch pin, perhaps I'm missing something? One would have to have ears like a chihuahua to hear the incidental contact made by the
infrequent lateral movement of a hitch pin. That is not where any perceptable rattle originated. The serious rattling problem is from gaps between the
hitch and receiver tube. The solution requires filling the gap (or turning up the stereo). |
Thats where the washers come into play, only need them on one side when you insert Hitch pin. the typical L pin is verry sloppy and they too rattle.
Realy desn't matter his methode works as long as the tapered shims don't work there way loose. He's right though those racks do make a racket as does
my luggage rack. Especialy on a roadster like mine with the top down.
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bufeo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Marinero
Question: How do you keep a hitch insert luggage platform from rattling like crazy? ... |
I went to my neighborhood trailer/hitch (auto parts store would do) and picked up a rubber bushing that fits over the hitch insert. Works fine.
Allen R
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Jim/Liisa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bufeo
| Quote: | Originally posted by Marinero
Question: How do you keep a hitch insert luggage platform from rattling like crazy? ... |
I went to my neighborhood trailer/hitch (auto parts store would do) and picked up a rubber bushing that fits over the hitch insert. Works fine.
Allen R |
Thanks Allen, Now that sounds like it would do the job. Didn't know they had such a thing do you have a picture?
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Maderita
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Hitch anti-rattle devices:
Copy and paste the full URL to make the links work.
http://accessories.etrailer.com/search?p=Q&ts=v2&w=h...
http://accessories.etrailer.com/search?w=hitch+anti+rattle&a...
[Edited on 7-9-2011 by Maderita]
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monoloco
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I have a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier that has nuts welded to the the part that goes into the receiver, bolts are threaded into them which tighten
down against the receiver to prevent rattling.
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Hook
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I drive a diesel.
What rattling?????
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Jim/Liisa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
I drive a diesel.
What rattling????? |
 Good one...
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Bob and Susan
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must be old...
new diesels are quiet and dont smell
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bufeo
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| Quote: | | Thanks Allen, Now that sounds like it would do the job. Didn't know they had such a thing do you have a picture? |
I'll see if I can find the receipt for the one I bought. There might be a web site for it. If not, I'll take a photo of mine and post it.
Allen R
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TMW
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
I have a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier that has nuts welded to the the part that goes into the receiver, bolts are threaded into them which tighten
down against the receiver to prevent rattling. |
Same here.
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Easy Squeezy
http://www.etrailer.com/Locks/Tow-Ready/63232.html
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Don Jorge
| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
I have a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier that has nuts welded to the the part that goes into the receiver, bolts are threaded into them which tighten
down against the receiver to prevent rattling. |
Ditto. You can modify just about any receiver mounted gadget to be rattle free by tacking a nut inside the gadget's tube and using a bolt. Hitch pins
are for guys who drive old diesels and can't hear the rattle anyways, either because the old diesels are noisy or simply becuase they are old guys and
can't hear anyways which I admit is a marriage and or parenthood survival tool also. New generation diesel technology is quiet, powerful, reasonable fuel burn rates and friggin expensive. |
Yeah, the new ones are real nice until
something breaks on them in Baja, then good luck finding someone who knows to fix them.
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Hook
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Over on the Trailer Life RV boards, there have been several recent threads on the dwindling advantages of "clean" diesel engines over the newer gas
engines.
Basically, if you are looking to buy a new truck, the fact that the diesel premium over a gas engine is about 7-8k, the oil changes are about 4x as
expensive, the particulate filters need replacing at 100k and are around 3k to replace (plus labor) AND the engines have so many smog compromises that
they arent getting the fuel economy of the older diesels.
Plus, diesel is anywhere from 20-40 cents per gallon more in most parts of the country.
That's a lot of money to make up for the torque advantages and the marginal increase in mileage.
When and if I buy another truck, it most likely wont be a diesel.
Anybody know how long a 7.3L diesel is likely to last? I've got 175k.
[Edited on 7-9-2011 by Hook]
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monoloco
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The motor will likely go another 175k but the rest of the truck will fall apart long before that.
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