Snap-up Bar-aka equalizer hitch lever

[Sandra L]

The above is the name I found for the lever that is used in hooking up the "equalizer" hitch.
I found one that was angled at a rv parts store and replaced the straight one that I was given initially.
As I am not much of a weight lifter, it has made a world of difference in the ease of hitching up and removing said hitch. I'm hoping some may find this helpful.

[cpaharley2008]

Is this what you are referring to ? Equal-i-zer Snap-Up Lever

[Ron in BC]

I'm not sure what the function of the lever is. Is it a replacement for the round hollow tube that is used to pull the assembly with a hook on it that holds the chain?

If so, no strength is needed at all. I use my fingers only. I jack the tongue up first then put the chains on. Much easier than having to use force.

Ron

[jxoco]

Sandra, what 'Ron in BC' is talking about is this;

Put the trailer on the ball, latch it and lock it on and then start cranking down the foot on the trailer tongue.
It will raise the tow vehicle on it's suspension, take the weight off of the tow vehicle springs.
Once I have cranked up the front of the trailer, I don't even have to use the pry bar to put the chains from the equalizer bars on, I can just place them on the hooks.
Then crank the foot up so that the front of the trailer comes down.
About half way down the chains become quite tight and everything is ready to roll. Just keep cranking the foot up to its lock position like you normally do before driving away.


I think you will find many people use this technique.
And it works in reverse too, to unhitch.

[Sandra L]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Is this what you are referring to ? Equal-i-zer Snap-Up Lever

I think so. Only mine is a tube with a long part with a plastic hand-hold end and a short part (about 120 degree) angle, that is put on the part that also holds the chain (whatever that is.)

[Sandra L]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I'm not sure what the function of the lever is. Is it a replacement for the round hollow tube that is used to pull the assembly with a hook on it that holds the chain?

If so, no strength is needed at all. I use my fingers only. I jack the tongue up first then put the chains on. Much easier than having to use force.

Ron

That is what I do also, but I have never jacked it up so high that it may do that. I didn't know one could and I have been too timid to extend the electric jack fully. (I also seem to grind it a bit if I retract it too much, which I try to avoid. )

[Sandra L]

Pry Bar is the term I should have used.
Thanks to all of you for the continuing education.

[gbaglo]

It's a lot easier to remove the bar if the trailer and tow are on level ground.
I removed mine once ( once ) after backing into my driveway. It's not a huge slope, but it is a slope. Too lazy to jack the hitch up first, I used the pry bar to get the chain off the hook.
They are not called spring bars for nothing. The pry bar whipped down and into the pavement. Luckily I wasn't in the path. Had to jack up the hitch to remove it.

[Ron in BC]

I think that tool is a variation of, "if it doesn't come loose, hit it with a hammer. If it still doesn't come loose, hit it with a bigger hammer"

I do smile when I hear someone disconnecting and hear the big clang, among other sounds. So much more civilized to jack up and use no force.

Ron

[Sandra L]

Ironically, I have been using the electric jack and the appropriate methodology, but not enough so that I did not need the pry bar. It was difficult and became much less so when I started using the angled one. I will now try jacking it up even higher. I have never had a problem putting the chains on the hooks, just lifting it into place for latching, and releasing it for unlatching (or whatever that movement is termed).

[padlin]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Is this what you are referring to ? Equal-i-zer Snap-Up Lever

Jim, that's the bar for a real Equal-i-zer, as opposed to the Reese ETI sells. In actual use I had no use for the bar, you can get away with jacking up the front of the trailer high enough to allow the spring arms to just slide on.

Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original� with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution

[jxoco]

Originally Posted by Sandra L

I have never had a problem putting the chains on the hooks, just lifting it into place for latching, and releasing it for unlatching (or whatever that movement is termed).

Sorry, but I wasn't clear enough.
When I put the chains on the latch is in the up position. I don't use the latching/unlatching bar at all because the latches are left up and the lock pin in them.

[Iowa Dave]

In reference to the size of the lever used on the hitch, we always called it a cheater. Once I got a night callout to a municipal pool where the two college boys couldn't close a big valve after back washing a filter. I took some pipe with me from home. Once there, I told the manager to go get a cheater. I thought he'd go to my truck and get a big pipe but instead he came back with the head life guard, who was notorious for looking onto someone else's paper while taking a test. True story. I don't usually have to jack up to over center the coupler but I am super careful when letting the tension off, a lifetime around cable, load binders and big springs has made me gun-shy.

[Fox hunt]

Not sure exactly what you are all talking about but I think it's the hollow bar you use to get the chain on. I don't raise the trailer to do that just use the hollow bar to raise the chains it's really easy seems like more work to me to lower then raise the hitch. Using the bar for leverage seems really easy but I don't have the motorized hitch so cranking it back up seems a chore to me

[Sandra L]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Not sure exactly what you are all talking about but I think it's the hollow bar you use to get the chain on. I don't raise the trailer to do that just use the hollow bar to raise the chains it's really easy seems like more work to me to lower then raise the hitch. Using the bar for leverage seems really easy but I don't have the motorized hitch so cranking it back up seems a chore to me

That is what I was talking about, and I think the others too. I found the angled one made a big difference in the amount of strength needed for the process, which is why I posted in the first place. That said, I hope some find this helpful and I'm going to try raising the tongue higher to try out that method.