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Old 01-25-2020, 09:04 PM   #1
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Hitch Ball Size

Can't seem to find this info anywhere, might be overlooking it...Can anyone post what size hitch ball is required for a 2020 E19?
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Old 01-25-2020, 09:34 PM   #2
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2 inch.
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Old 01-25-2020, 09:36 PM   #3
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2 inch ball. Best rated one you can find.
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Old 01-25-2020, 10:28 PM   #4
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Just in case you change your mind and get a different model or year... all conventional (not fifth-wheel) Escapes use a 2" ball, and as far as I know they always have.

Some 2" balls have only 3500 pound (trailer weight) capacity, typically not due to low quality but because they're on the small stud used for Class 1 and Class 2 balls and ball mounts; you need the larger stud used for Class 3, both for capacity and to match your ball mount. A 2" ball with the larger stud diameter is typically rated for 5000 pounds (the top of Class 3).
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Old 01-26-2020, 06:55 AM   #5
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I use 6,000 # balls for extra margin of safety..https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 01-26-2020, 08:59 AM   #6
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Over the years I have bought numerous hitch balls from Hdwe stores , Menards , Tractor supply , farmers coops , etc , etc.. All have worked for their intended purpose but it seems that after a few years the chrome starts peeling off the ball and soon even with grease the ball becomes rusty and rough
I know they sell zinc plated and SS hitch balls but do they perform any better ?
The hitch ball Jim N referenced is $9 , a SS one from Etrailer is around $40
Not a huge increase in cost but my collection of rusted up hitch balls is growing too large .
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Old 01-26-2020, 09:02 AM   #7
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According to Amazon, I have purchased that ball 3 times over the past 10 years,,,,I replace them with every new Escape......
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Old 01-26-2020, 09:22 AM   #8
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It also helps to keep it protected when not in use....
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Old 01-26-2020, 09:59 AM   #9
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Chrome Leaf

Hi Steve
You are right about the “Chrome leaf” coming off a lot of the balls. I’ve been a victim of this for years too. I don’t know the solution and while I like stainless steel I’ve never looked into getting one of those balls. I do use grease on the coupler and hitch ball these days and it does relieve the galling. I’ve put most of the rusty ones on the free tarp and they seem to disappear. I’ve got some old hitch iron at home too, probably ought to bring it along for the fabricators next fall at Thomson Causeway. Looking forward to Pikes Peak state park this spring and might make a run up there for the day in the next couple weeks. Here’s a pic I took in Marquette last year.
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Old 01-26-2020, 03:08 PM   #10
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I use 6,000 # balls for extra margin of safety..https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Curt 2" balls with 1" studs are all rated for 6,000 lb, except one rated for 7,500. Draw-Tite balls of that size are rated at 6,000 lb if stainless steel, and 7,500 lb if zinc- or chrome-plated. I doubt there's any difference in strength between brands, and everyone seems to exceed the required 5,000 lb rating, so they're actually Class IV.
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Old 01-26-2020, 03:25 PM   #11
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Thank you for all the information, much appreciated.
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Old 01-27-2020, 12:01 AM   #12
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I ran a stainless ball on my casita for awhile, in an aluminum stinger. I didn't grease it for a year, and it galled and pitted.

as others said, make sure your ball has the right diameter tongue for your stinger.

I'm using a Curt 40004 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball, 6,000 lbs., 2-Inch Diameter Tow Ball with 1-Inch x 2-1/8 -Inch Shank, and a Curt 45260 Class 3 Trailer Hitch Ball Mount, Fits 2-Inch Receiver, 7,500 lbs. GTW, 1-Inch Ball Hole, 2-Inch Drop, 3/4-Inch Rise, which is a little longer than a standard mount, but lets my tailgate drop without hitting the jack.

I briefly used a Reese brand tow bar ('ball mount' aka stinger) but found it was MUCH too loose of a fit in my Ford factory class IV 2" receiver, the Curt stuff fits better.

Note the 1" shank on 6000 lb tow bar requires a BIG wrench with a BIG breaker bar to get enough torque... I think Curt says 250 ft-lbs... I rotate the towbar 90 degrees so the ball is horizontal on the right side, and the wrench sticking straight out backwards goes down to tighten... then I use my longest (36") 1/2" drive breaker bar with a 'impact wrench' style 6 pt socket and bounce all my weight on the breaker bar. At 250 ft-lbs, I really should be using a 3/4" drive but I don't have one.
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Old 01-27-2020, 12:56 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
I ran a stainless ball on my casita for awhile, in an aluminum stinger. I didn't grease it for a year, and it galled and pitted.
I would expect aluminum and stainless steel to both be potentially prone to galling, but I wouldn't run any metal-on-metal coupling like this without lubrication, regardless of the metals.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
as others said, make sure your ball has the right diameter tongue for your stinger..
I'm sure John meant the right size of shank (or stud diameter) for the hole in the ball mount (or "stinger", or WD hitch head).

Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
Note the 1" shank on 6000 lb tow bar requires a BIG wrench with a BIG breaker bar to get enough torque... I think Curt says 250 ft-lbs... I rotate the towbar 90 degrees so the ball is horizontal on the right side, and the wrench sticking straight out backwards goes down to tighten... then I use my longest (36") 1/2" drive breaker bar with a 'impact wrench' style 6 pt socket and bounce all my weight on the breaker bar. At 250 ft-lbs, I really should be using a 3/4" drive but I don't have one.
That's definitely the sensible technique (and just flip the ball to the left to loosen the nut of an old ball). For weightlifters, placing the ball in the opposite direction and pulling up on the wrench is an alternative.

Unless you're a really light person, all of your weight on the end of a three-foot-long wrench (breaker bar, flex handle, ratchet, whatever) is more than enough for 250 lb-ft of torque, even without bouncing. Big wrenches are sold specifically for trailer ball nuts, typically with 1-1/8" and 1-1/2" ends to suit common ball nuts, and they're only a foot and a half long... because that's all that's required for an average adult (167 pounds multiplied by 1.5 feet). Removing the same nut later might take more force.
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Old 01-27-2020, 07:03 AM   #14
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Torque on the Stud Nut

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
I would expect aluminum and stainless steel to both be potentially prone to galling, but I wouldn't run any metal-on-metal coupling like this without lubrication, regardless of the metals.


I'm sure John meant the right size of shank (or stud diameter) for the hole in the ball mount (or "stinger", or WD hitch head).


That's definitely the sensible technique (and just flip the ball to the left to loosen the nut of an old ball). For weightlifters, placing the ball in the opposite direction and pulling up on the wrench is an alternative.

Unless you're a really light person, all of your weight on the end of a three-foot-long wrench (breaker bar, flex handle, ratchet, whatever) is more than enough for 250 lb-ft of torque, even without bouncing. Big wrenches are sold specifically for trailer ball nuts, typically with 1-1/8" and 1-1/2" ends to suit common ball nuts, and they're only a foot and a half long... because that's all that's required for an average adult (167 pounds multiplied by 1.5 feet). Removing the same nut later might take more force.
Another approach is to use an impact wrench. My 18 v Milwaukee impact will crank out 350ft lbs. both directions. I use it to remove stuck nuts pretty often. I have the big 6 point impacts in deep well. I broke a 1/2 inch SK breaker bar once on a frozen nut but in defense of the bar I had about a 4 foot cheater on the handle. SK sent out a new breaker bar without cost to me. I’ve never abused that one. If the stinger is clunky loose on the receiver there is a clamp available to cinch it up. Or if you have access to a welder you can run a couple squiggly beads on the stinger shaft and dress them down to snug.
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Old 01-27-2020, 01:54 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
I would expect aluminum and stainless steel to both be potentially prone to galling, but I wouldn't run any metal-on-metal coupling like this without lubrication, regardless of the metals.
Is there any validity to a special lubricant or is a high temp grease good enough? I'll be honest I didn't even know this stuff existed until doing a search.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...ontent=General
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Old 01-27-2020, 03:01 PM   #16
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Has anybody had to replace a ball for any reason other than cosmetics?
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Old 01-27-2020, 04:14 PM   #17
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Grease

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Is there any validity to a special lubricant or is a high temp grease good enough? I'll be honest I didn't even know this stuff existed until doing a search.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...ontent=General
I’ve only ever used regular lithium chassis grease or Lucas Red and Tacky heavy duty that I use on the wheel bearings. As I posted Previously somewhere, before our season starts, I use carburetor cleaner on a shop towel to Clean the ball and the inside coupler socket. Not that grease is lacking but it does pick up road grime and sand that are abrasive. Then, once clean I check that the coupler latch and the yoke are working freely. I make sure there are no little sand stones lodged in the mechanism and before I add Tri-flow lubricant to the latch I hit it with the air compressor. Then some lubricant and a little grease and grease on the ball and I’m ready to bang my knee up again.
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Old 01-27-2020, 04:18 PM   #18
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I have always use Reese ball lube available at various places https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-581...d688138a3daf4a
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Old 01-27-2020, 05:12 PM   #19
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I've always used green marine grease as its relatively 'clean'... Its the same stuff I use on my bicycle bearings (wheels, cranks).
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Old 01-27-2020, 05:20 PM   #20
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Has anybody had to replace a ball for any reason other than cosmetics?
yes.

I had the nut strip off one. it probably had been loose for 1000 miles or more as I'd felt some klunking on bumps but saw nothing wrong on visual inspection... the nut finally completely stripped off, leaving no threads on the shaft, and leaving the e21 trailer flailing on its thankfully crossed chains. manual trailer braking, slowed, pulled over, unhitched, got to car parts store before it closed, and bought a new stinger, back on the road an hour later.
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