Should Trailer Coupler Latches Be Set With A Little Wiggle Room

Question

Question:

Should couplers wiggle inside the adjustable Lynette plates or should the be tightened to draw in and prevent coupler wiggle?

asked by: Robbie

0

Expert Reply:

Hey Robbie,

A slight amount of wiggle room is necessary for a trailer coupler like the Demco # DM16680-52 you were looking at. If the latch mechanism is too tight then you wouldn't be able to get coupled to the hitch ball and the latch would scrape against the ball when making a turn and eventually wear the latch or start cutting into the hitch ball. Most couplers have an adjustment screw or nut on the bottom to adjust this tightness.

expert reply by: Kevin C

0

Answer 1

I know this is not what you want to hear but the vast majority of trailer couplers cannot be repaired, they will instead need to be replaced. There are very few trailer coupler repair kits available and they are by no means universal. Therefore,…

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Answer 2

To install the Demco A-Frame Trailer Coupler #DM16680-52 that you referenced, you will want to use 3/8 inch, grade 5 bolts , approximately 1-1/2 inches long (depending on how you are installing the coupler). You will want to use 5 of these bolts per…

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Answer 3

You'd just have to physically go out to your trailer and measure the angle. So to do this, you'd need to get a protractor or something similar and place it on the edge of the inside on one side of the trailer frame, and check to see if the…

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Answer 4

The bolts required to install the Demco 50-Degree A Frame Trailer Coupler #DM13205-95 are 3/8" diameter x 1-3/4" long Grade 5 bolts. I spoke with the manufacturer and they confirmed that you won't want to use Grade 8 bolts on this…

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Answer 5

Hey Bill! I went to inTech's website and we do not have an exact replacement for their coupler but we have something that will work. It's the Demco 50-Degree A-Frame Trailer Coupler w/ Jack Hole and Anchors item #DM16680-52. The Demco item…

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Answer 6

Hey Sam, thanks for reaching out. We do have 2-5/16" A-frame couplers, but I am not seeing we have one with a yoke-style latch. If you want something similar, the A-Frame Trailer Coupler #CA-5280-RB fits a 2-5/16" ball and has a…

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Answer 7

The play you are feeling/hearing is most likely between the hitch ball and the latch of the coupler. If you look under the coupler you can see an adjustment bolt that uses an Allen wrench that will allow you to tighten the latch and get rid of the…

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Answer 8

You could drill into the Bulldog #BD028463 and make it a bolt-on but that's not really ideal. We don't have the exact match in a bolt-on model. We do have part #BD44150WH301 for a bolt-on Bulldog coupler. It has a higher rating but the price…

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Answer 9

Correct, there will need to be a small amount of wiggle room or play between the trailer coupler and hitch ball which is to allow the trailer to track and turn smoothly. If the connection point between the trailer coupler and hitch ball was too tight…

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Answer 10

The Demco eZ latch style of couplers like the #DM16680-52 do have adjustability of the tongue mechanism that holds to the hitch ball.

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Answer 11

The Demco 50-Degree A-Frame Trailer Coupler part #DM16680-52 will fit any trailer with a standard 50 degree a-frame which is almost all a-frame trailers on the market today. Therefore, yes, the Demco 50-Degree A-Frame Trailer Coupler will fit an ATC…

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Answer 12

The best option for your trailer is a new trailer coupler as either the latch mechanism is worn or faulty. I strongly recommend against any sort of jerry-rigging here as there is too much at stake for you and the safety of those around you. This…

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Should Trailer Coupler Latches Be Set With A Little Wiggle Room

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