RE: Coupler Adjustments?

[BaysideBruce]

 
I am not sure of the proper terminology here so please bear with me.  My question is, I think the coupler is too tight when I latch it in place over the ball on the hitch.  When I take the hitch off of the TV and just clamp it into the coupler on the trailer, I can turn it right and left fairly easily.  However if I try to tilt it up or down (like going through a small ditch) the ball binds in the coupler.  There are some fairly descent gouges on the ball now.  I ve " polished"  the burs down but it still binds in the coupler when it is tilted up or down.  Do I need to loosen the coupler s latch a little?  How much space is required between the ball and the locking latch plate and how do you measure it?
 Thanks!

[garym053]

 BaysideBruce
I haven t had this problem with my PU but I did have it with my Canoe/kayak trailer! I ended up loosening the nut that holds the clamp (under the hitch) about a 1/4 turn and it works fine.

[gsm x2]

 BaysideBruce
I did the same when I had some gouges show up on my ball.  The locking device should touch the ball, not bind against it.
 
 BTW---It turned out that wasn t what was causing the gouges.  The gouges were caused by having the chains too short on coming off a mountain with hairpin turns.
 
 gsm x2

[tlhdoc]

 BaysideBruce
The only time I had gouges in my hitch ball was when I forgot to use hitch lube.  Now I lube the ball every time and no more gouges.