What's new
By:
Ram Heavy Duty Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

2.5 hitch anti-rattle/tightener

M

midntrdr

New Member
Messages
29
Reaction score
24
Points
3
Has anyone found a 2.5 hitch clamp that works with the ram rear bumper? I’ve tried 2 different ones and it’s too close to the bumper and scratches the paint off the bumper or doesn’t fit at all since the bumper is so close to the top of the receiver. I bought a 2.5 shank for my WDH hitch but there is too much slop in the hitch for me.
 
I'm using this one with my 2.5" drop hitch.
Off Amazon.


Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
656628fd241604892748d4b97a4b1e18.jpg
 
I guess it did rub the paint a little but you have to stand on your head to see it.
dc2587df0b2e25488d5d2540c0bffdd1.jpg


Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
I tried that one and it worked amazing, but one 400 mile trip and it scratched a lot of paint off my bumper.
 

Attachments

  • 2FA55D3E-DA83-4713-8F05-F4154B57E07F.jpeg
    2FA55D3E-DA83-4713-8F05-F4154B57E07F.jpeg
    262.2 KB · Views: 33
Great White North Eh said:
Drive one winter in Canada and the rattle will be gone. Just make sure to pick the hitch that you want to have in for the life of the truck. :oops:
Click to expand...
I’m in Michigan, so close enough

Don’t really care about the rattle, my issue is leaving a light with a 8k tailer and feeling the thud of the receiver pulling back and the hitch pin catching it.
 
I have a 2021 3500. 6 inch drop hitch. You do want to make sure the shaft of the receiver is long enough. I'll try to take a picture when I go home for lunch.
 
@midntrdr, Tolerance is tight, but does not rub. Sorry for the rust on the shaft of the hitch. That was because of rub from my Chevy and I wasn't using the hitch clamp. Also in a coastal environment. Wish I'd run across this clamp years ago.

20220728_124547.jpg
20220728_124624.jpg
20220728_124556.jpg
 
I just put some thin sheet metal strips in mine and shimmed it to take out the slack. Drilled holes in the side ones to keep them in place with the hitch pin.
 
My only problem with those style of anti-rattle devices is they force the shank up, leaving all of the tongue weight on a very small section of the shank, where without it all the tongue weight rests on the entire length of the receiver. Probably fine if you are using a solid shank hitch.

I just lay a could beads of weld on the top and side of the shank, grind down to fit. Gets rid of 98% of movement.
 
The way I understand them they force the shank down. They wrap around the top of the shank, then put pressure upward from the underside of the receiver, sucking the shank down, the way you would want it.

When it comes to my WD hitch, that thing creeps and moans enough that rattle is not an issue. And it applies pressure itself with the arm bars directly to the receiver through the hitch shank. (I believe this is upward pressure on the WD shank). Either way, I never get annoying rattle with my WD hitch, at least nothing that I notice. Although I have been known to shove a wood shim into the gap between the shank and the receiver, or wrap some flex seal tape around the solid shank if there was a big gap. The rubber or wood dampen the metal to metal banging noise.

When it come to hollow shanks, especially for cargo carriers that rattle around like bb's in a tin can, I'll cast another vote for the Let's Go Aero. Those are awesome!

ETA: A final option would be to use the 2.5”-2” reducer sleeve and use a 2” WD shank. Then use a 2” hitch clamp. The reducer and smaller shank might put the clamp far enough down from the bumper not that you wouldn’t get any scratches on the bumper. As far as I know, 2” shanks are just about as strong as 2.5” shanks. Especially when it comes to solid shanks. Just a thought.
 
Last edited:
matemike said:
The way I understand them they force the shank down. They wrap around the top, then put pressure upward from the underside of the receiver, sucking the shank down, the way you would want it.

When it comes to my WD hitch, that thing creeps and moans enough that rattle is not an issue. And it also applies pressure with the arm bars directly to the hitch shank. (I believe this is upward pressure on the WD shank, but I never get annoying rattle with my WD hitch, at least nothing that I notice. Although I have been known to shove a wood shim into the gap between the shank and the receiver, or wrap some felx seal tape around the solid shank if there was a big gap. The rubber or wood dampen the metal to metal bang.

When it come to hollow shanks, especially for cargo carriers that rattle around like bb's in a tin can, I'll cast another vote for the Let's Go Aero. Those are awesome!
Click to expand...

I edited the photo above to show how it works. It acts as a lever. Red is the fulcrum point, yellow is the adjustment bolt exerting downward force, green is the pressure point exerting upward force. In the picture above it, in the previous post, you can see the shank being forced upward in to the top of the receiver. This puts all the tongue weight/pressure on the area marked in green.

The U-Bolt style anti-rattle work the opposite. They pull the shank down in to the bottom of the receiver.

20220728_124556.jpg
 
Your missing that by tightening the bolt, its pulling down on the frame around the hitch, so its still pulling the hitch where the horizonal plate goes through. The green area is the fulcrum, upwards force is still being applied to the hitch, but a greater downwards force is being applied to the load/frame.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top