2" Trailer Ball with 5/8" shank

[Scrivet]

I was buying some trailer stuff at etrailer.com a while back and while just browsing around came across a 2" ball with a 5/8" shank. I had never seen one with a 5/8 shank to fit right into the holes in the drawbar without having to enlarge them. $14 plus shipping.
http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Balls-sz-5%7C8_Inch_Diameter_Shank-pc-2_Inch_Diameter_Ball.aspx

[Dusty B]

Curious as to what the towing capacity would be? Was surprised to find a 2 5/16 ball to pull a 7500# trailer but ball was only rated at 6000# !! Neighbor had a friend that had one snap off! Bad news!! Dusty B

[Bigdog]

That would be great for use with a cub but I sure wouldn't want to see one used for towing a 16' trailer on the road.

[Jim Becker]

They say it is rated for 2,000 pounds trailer weight. That seems about right for a 5/8 shank. You do need to be careful about all the components in a hitch. Like a chain, it is only as strong as the weakest link.

My small trailer was rated 5,500 pounds by the guy that built it. The coupler, which he welded on, is clearly stamped 5,000 pounds. I've always wondered if there is some other built-in shortcoming I haven't discovered.

[Denny Clayton]

It's either that or drill out the drawbar hole. Sturdy enough for Cubbing a trailer around the barnyard.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I think that 5/8 shank will handle anything a cub will pull or stop.

[Winfield Dave]

Sturdy enough for Cubbing a trailer around the barnyard.

I think that 5/8 shank will handle anything a cub will pull or stop.

[danovercash]

Anyone ever seen a 2 and 1/8 inch ball and hitch? I bought a trailer made from an 8' Stute box that had one on it. Later my BIL gave a 2-1/8" ball. Still have the hitch and ball, but sold the trailer years ago. Ever try to pull a 2-1/8" hitch with a 1-7/8" ball, and the trailer was almost perfectly balanced over the axle (16" split rims). Learned to put some bricks or block in the front to tow empty.

[v w]

One can bolt a triangular piece of metal to the drawbar and use the third hole for the ball. I have one made of 2 2 inch pieces of oak bolted at right angles. Good enough around the yard for my light trailer, 3500# axle rating but without brakes isn't safe on the road (behind a car)with more than a couple of hundred pounds. The ball is secured by a bolt from below rather than a stud, a kind which I haven't seen anywhere in years so a replacement probably would be made of metal. Vern

[Gary Dotson]

I have a couple 2" balls with the 5/8 shank that I use on my tractors. They used to be pretty common.
I also have a couple 2 1/8" balls and haven't really found any use for them. I think, at one time, they were popular with U-Haul.

[Buzzard Wing]

I searched high and low for any ball with a 5/8" shank to fit a drawbar. I did find 2 at the QVEA swap meet... the two piece type.

As John says, just cause you can hook on to it surely doesn't mean a Cub can handle it. Be careful.

[Barnyard]

I think, at one time, they were popular with U-Haul.

I believe that is right. I worked for U-haul at one of their regional repair/rental centers in the mid 80's. They had all kinds of gimmicks to get more money out of a customer. It appears as if you rented the trailer they would say you need a special ball to fit the hitch and then rent/sell that to you. I know they rented/sold adapters for trailer lights. The plywood for their enclosed trailers was special made to fit without cutting. If a five foot wide trailer came into the shop with a hole in the floor it was replaced. We had 5'x8' plywood that bolted right in. Another trick they used was that most of the trucks were not owned by them but leased from others who had to buy the trucks built to U-Haul's specs (all Fords at that time). The owner recieved a portion of the rent as payment. If you rented a truck and the battery went bad you could put a new DieHard battery in and U-haul reimbursed you. Whenever that truck went in for service the mechanic had a checklst to follow. When he found the battery had been replaced he would remove it and replace it with an Autocraft/Ford battery and charged the owner of the truck regardless of how old that "off brand" battery was.

I could tell more, but I have already gotten way off topic.

[danovercash]

Thanks for the info Bill. The guy who welded up my trandem told me a story about people wanting to borrow his trailer. He put a 2-5/8" coupler on it. When asked if they had a 2-5/8" ball and they said no, he would offer his with 7/8" shank. Needless to say, not many takers, especaily after he offered to burn larger hole in hitch for the ball!

[Eugene]

http://www.etrailer.com/Balls/Brophy/CB-20Z.html

[Matt Kirsch]

Tractor Supply has these balls right on the shelf, or at least it used to.