Can I Replace the Curt E16 Sliding Hitch with the Curt A16 Hitch Head on the R16 Rollers?

Updated 09/03/2025 | Published 08/11/2025

Question:

Last year I purchase a Curt E16 slider, with rails, etc. uses slide bar jaw. Am I able to purchase just the top portion of this hitch, but the A16-which is dual jaw-so I can swap those parts out and convert to the dual jaw setup without replacing the entire hitch?

asked by: Adam B

Expert Reply:

Hey Adam, thanks for reaching out!

Yes, you can swap out the E16 hitch head with the Replacement A16 Head Unit # C16520 and put it on your R16 roller legs.

The A16 hitch head comes with the mounting hardware for you to get it installed.

What was your experience with the E16 jaw system?

expert reply by: Jon G

Jon G.

9/2/2025

Hey Adam, how did the swap to the A16 head unit go? I'm curious to know if the dual jaw setup improved your experience, as it might help others considering a similar upgrade.

Adam B.

9/2/2025

@JonG The swap was very easy, more or less a modular construction, unbolt the old, bolt in the new. The A16 sits higher than the E16, it will not drop any lower with the roller setup. I do notice a little less motion when towing, but not a lot. The biggest thing I found is that on original E16-which has about 2000 miles towing 10k lbs-the contact points are already showing wear, kind of "rounding out" where the kingpin makes contact. So the big con of the E16 slide bar system is-premature excessive wear, which will quickly cause the jerking and noise, and eventually cause you to need a new kingpin/pinbox. Im glad I changed it out as early as I did.