[AT] Trailer hitch ball mount

[John Hall]

I don't have any real advice, just a couple of observations.

Draw-Tite is a well known trailer hitch part supplier and therefore probably 
has healthy liability insurance on their products--even what they have made 
in China. Now I don't like the fact it is made there no more than you, but 
that is a different discussion.
 As for modifying by drilling it out--if you didn't take much out of the 
hole it will probably not have much of an effect on its rating. However, it 
has been modified so now Drawtite is off the hook in my opinion when it 
comes to liability.

Concerning having a local shop weld something up, it would probably work 
just fine, but as you say it is not a tested product. I don't care if the 
guy welding it has been doing it for 40 years and is the most respected 
welder for 14 counties, it won't have engineering paperwork to back it up. 
So when it comes to liability, he'll say he welded what you asked him to, he 
never told you it would work, after all he's a welder, not an engineer.

I guess the bottom line here is that we may have too many lawyers in this 
country to protect us from ourselves.


 As for product testing, there is such a thing as doing stress analysis on 
materials and assembled parts. It is a very slow and expensive process. It 
is very expensive software that is quite limited in what it can do. But it 
does work. And then comes the real fun, phsically testing to see when the 
unit actually fails. And if you are lucky, you'll break the test equipment!


John Hall

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dick Day" <ddss at telebeep.com>
To: "ATIS" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 9:17 PM
Subject: [AT] Trailer hitch ball mount


>I recently bought a new Navigator as my business vehicle that will also 
>double as my tow vehicle. My older Navigator sat 2" lower than the new one. 
>So, the 6"drop ball mount that I was using would not work.
>
> I debated about having a local welding shop fabricate a ball mount with an 
> 8" drop for me, but I opted to buy one that was an engineered and tested 
> product.
>
> I had the local trailer shop order a Draw-Tite Class IV #4283 ball mount 
> for me. When it arrived, the ball hole was too small by just a fraction of 
> an inch, so they had to drill the opening to get the ball shaft to fit. 
> That concerned me, but then when I read the label and saw that it was made 
> in China, I am now almost afraid to use it.
>
> Any idea if Draw-Tite, or any of these companies, do any type of quality 
> testing before these products are shipped?  Since the opening for the ball 
> shaft was under-sized, I am guessing not.
>
> If I use this, my life, and the lives of others driving near me will 
> depend on the quality of the welds on that ball mount.
>
> Will the reaming of the hole do anything to weaken this ball mount?
>
> Am I being overly cautious?
>
> Tractor reference:  I want to be sure this new tow vehicle is safe to use 
> before I make the Nebraska/Missouri run to get a 1946 Huber :)
>
> Dick Day
>
> DDSS, Inc.
> Software For County Government
> 83712 552nd Avenue
> Norfolk, NE  68701
>
> 402-379-1606
> http://dickdaysoftware.com/default.aspx
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