[AT] Trailer hitch ball mount

[Larry Goss]

I agree, Dave.  I learned more behind the scenes than I believed I would.  I'm thinking that the limitation on the drop of a forged hitch may have something to do with the lever arm such a drop represents.  The leverage being exerted on the hitch with the hitch point that far off the centerline of the mount gets pretty substantial.  

It could also be the result of standard furnaces available to heat the material before it's forged.  To forge an 8" drop, you're going to need a furnace with at least a clear heating depth of one foot.  That's not impossible or necessarily uncommon, but it may be more than a company wants to invest in for the limited production.

It's lots easier to set up for a hitch of that size out of welded steel.  TSC has a bunch of various sizes available, and they almost get up to a forged model with an 8-inch drop.

Larry


----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Merchant <kosh at ncweb.com>
Date: Monday, April 6, 2009 17:15
Subject: Re: [AT] Trailer hitch ball mount
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>

> Nightmare thread?
> 
> No, very informative!
> 
> Dave Merchant
> 
> 
> At 04:34 PM 4/6/2009, you wrote:
> >Dave, thank you so much!
> >
> >The mount I ordered was the 4283. The Hidden Hitch model looks 
> identical to
> >the Draw Tite.
> >
> >I honestly didn't mean to create the nightmare thread this has 
> turned into,
> >I just wanted to know if I was being paranoid over a made-in-
> China ball
> >mount.  If the Hidden Hitch is made in Canada, I may just 
> ask my dealer to
> >get that instead.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Dick
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "David Rotigel" <rotigel at me.com>
> >To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 2:48 PM
> >Subject: Re: [AT] Trailer hitch ball mount
> >
> >
> >For Dick (and, perhaps, others as well.)
> >I stopped by my local trailer manufacturer today to attempt to clear
> >up some thinking on my part re: trailer hitches. Here is what I 
> learned.>1.) Draw Tite and Hidden Hitch are owned by the same company.
> >2.) Hidden Hitch receivers (at least the ones that the fellow 
> had in
> >stock) have a sticker on them saying that they are made in Canada.
> >3.) Both Hidden Hitch and Draw Tite make an eight inch drop solid
> >shank ball mount (class IV) (what we have been referring to as a
> >"receiver.)
> >Draw Tite part # is 4283--list price is $56.95
> >Hidden Hitch part # is 80125--list price is $54.72
> >4.) Class III is good for 10,000 lbs. GVW
> >Class IV is good for 12,000 lbs. GVW
> >Class V is good for 14,000 lbs. GVW
> >5.) Older Class V outfits used 2" X 2" square "receivers"
> >Newer Class V hitches use 2.5" X 2.5" square "receivers"
> >Class V ball mounts (ie "receivers") come in BOTH 2 and 2.5 inch.
> >Hope that this does not muddy up the water too much!
> >Dave
> >PS, The guy I talked to said that he didn't "have the slightest damn
> >idea why no one makes a 8" forged (steel) ball mount!"
> >PPS, The ONLY ball mounts that the guy knows of that are made 
> in the
> >USA are made by Wallace Forge in Ohio. (Might be others, but that's
> >the only one he was sure of.)
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >AT mailing list
> >http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
> >
> >__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of 
> virus signature
> >database 3990 (20090406) __________
> >
> >The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
> >
> >http://www.eset.com
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >AT mailing list
> >http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 
> Dave Merchant
> kosh at nesys.com
> nesys_com at ameritech.net
> dmerchant at layerzero.com
> 
> http://www.nesys.com
> http://www.nesys.org
> YouTube: SteamCrane
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>