How to Increase Height of Trailer Hitch Ball to Allow Boat Trailer to be Towed Level

Updated 04/15/2020 | Published 10/18/2014

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Ball Mount for 2" Hitches - 8" Rise, 9-1/4" Drop - 14" Long - 5K

(3985)

$58.62

2" Hitch Ball - 1" Diameter x 2-1/4" Long Shank - Chrome - 12,000 lbs

(4012)

$23.09

Question:

I have a boat and trailer and a car hitch with 2x2 receiver currently rated for 5900 maximum tow 900 max tongue weight. Boat is roughly 5000 lbs. I need to increase the height of my ball to tow the trailer properly 6 to 8 inches. is there any product you recommend?

asked by: Emilio E

Helpful Expert Reply:

Ideally a hitched trailer will be level to the ground. We often recommend starting off with the hitch ball being a bit higher - an inch or so - than the top of the coupler on the level trailer since once hitched there will be a degree of squat in the rear of the tow vehicle from the trailer tongue weight. This is perfectly acceptable.

You can select a different ball mount for your hitch that gives you additional height (rise) by using the link provided at right. For example, if you want 8-1/4-inches of rise you could use the Curt 2-inch Class III ball mount # C45112. This requires a ball with a 1-inch diameter shank such as # 63845, which has a 2-inch hitch ball.

If you find that your MDX sits too low in the rear when hitched you might consider a weight distribution system. Weight distribution systems are recommended whenever trailer weight exceeds 50-percent of the tow vehicle weight, when the tow vehicle rear sags when the trailer is hooked up, if the tow vehicle headlights point upward or if steering and braking performance are not what they should be. The linked article explains the whys and whats of weight distribution; note that your hitch must specifically be rated for use with such systems and this will be indicated on its safety sticker.

expert reply by: Adam R

Ellie

4/14/2020

There is a ball hitch on my truck but it is to high to hitch my trailer correctly. Is there something that goes from ball hitch s down to another ball hitch

Chris R.

4/15/2020

That's really one of the downsides of using a bumper hitch ball. There's just not any adjustments you can make to create a level ride, and as you're experiencing, the ball is typically higher than the trailer coupler. For a truly level ride your only option will be to utilize the hitch (or install one if you don't have one already) and use a ball mount with the right rise or drop for the trailer. I linked a really good article on this subject below, along with our complete selection of ball mounts that you can look through.

Helpful Links

dept-pg-trailer_hitch_ball_mount.aspx

faq-ballmount.aspx