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Hitch <<<((RATTLES))>>> 2005/tow pkg

Discussion in 'Towing' started by smokey888, May 22, 2011.

  1. May 22, 2011 at 12:36 PM
    #1
    smokey888

    smokey888 [OP] New Member

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    This is my very first time experiencing the art of towing.

    I have a 2005 Tacoma w/ factory towing package. The receiver is 2 and 1/4 inches wide and tall .....

    The inserted (self bought) Hitch which has a drop of about 2 inches that naturally has a ball on it (2 inch) measures at the insertion area as being 2 inches.

    Thus, I have a 2" hitch going into 2 and 1/4 receiver AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOISE on any road that isn't perfect. Yes, my tailer is light .. it's just a five ft by 10 ft steel frame w/ a wood floor that tilts. Will soon be adding some wood decking side wall(s).

    Also, as a side, I carry a riding lawn mower. The trailer has leaf springs and it appears it just kind-of bounces down the road ... a little.

    Is this normal? Once the hitch is inserted and pinned, you can take it with your hand and just rattle the daylight out of it and w/ a trailer it is pretty disturbing. Hopefully, someone will have a good fix from experience. Thanks, rattle and roll - appreciate your help.
     
  2. May 24, 2011 at 4:37 AM
    #2
    JDCPA

    JDCPA Well-Known Member

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    Jim
    SW FL
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    09 5 Lug Access Cab SR5
    Curt Hitch and etrailer.com wiring harness.
    I do not have the factory hitch and my Curt fits pretty well. Another friend with the Toyota receiver welded some beads on each side of the hitch to reduce the rattling.

    Any trailer will bounce up and down. The springs mitigate the intensity of the bounce.
     
  3. May 24, 2011 at 5:01 AM
    #3
    Pugga

    Pugga Pasti-Dip Free 1983 - 2015... It was a good run

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    Mike
    Massachusetts
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    F-250 Land Yacht Mod
    Sounds like you need an adapter. I do not have the factory tow package but from what I understand it's a Class IV, which means you'd need a sleeve to accept the 2" hitch. Only reason I'm suggesting this is I've had to use the sleeve for other HD trucks. You should be able to find one at a Uhaul or similar. The hitch should fit snug in the receiver, not 1/4" gap to slop around.

    Edit: The sleeve I mentioned was to step from a class V down to a 2", the class IV hitch you have should be 2" and no sleeve would be required. You can use thin cedar shims to stop the rattling if it's too annoying.
     
  4. May 24, 2011 at 5:36 AM
    #4
    SuperTacoma

    SuperTacoma Well-Known Member

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    Mine rattles as well with one of my hitches but not the other.
    I did see an adapter on a website somewhere have keeps the hitch from rattling.
     
  5. May 24, 2011 at 5:47 AM
    #5
    fajitas21

    fajitas21 XMF - Extreme Mexican Food fo Life!

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    Lee
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    Originally not Expo AF! Kinda Expo AF now...lame.
    My Reese hitch (for small trailers) rattles, my Curt does not. And by rattle it's very slighty, no where near 1/4". I am pretty sure it's a quality control thing.

    But to be clear, my Reese WD Hitch (different Reese hitch than above - rated at 15000 lbs) doesn't rattle. I'm thinking Reese decided that they might want to make sure those are snug :)
     
  6. May 24, 2011 at 10:33 AM
    #6
    fajitas21

    fajitas21 XMF - Extreme Mexican Food fo Life!

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    Originally not Expo AF! Kinda Expo AF now...lame.
    Shocks would be awesome.

    And an unloaded trailer will usually bounce like crazy like DHK says. Main reason is that it's designed to hold say 3500 lbs, but it's currently about 500 lbs.

    Trailers loaded will pull softer, and bounce less. In addition, your hitch will giggle less cause of downward force on the tongue of the hitch.

    I take my hitch out when not towing cause I hear it rattling when going over speed bumps and rough roads.
     
  7. Jun 5, 2011 at 5:39 PM
    #7
    Big Cak

    Big Cak Member

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    Big Cak
    Creston, B.C.
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    Magnaflow SS Cat Back, K & N Cold Air Intake Kit, Reflash CPU.
    I had same problem with my receiver hitch.
    What I did was cut out some small pieces out of a plastic bucket,(around 2"x4") and slid one on top of receiver and one down the side to act as a shim to take up the space. Works awesome. No rattles anymore. :)
     
  8. Jun 8, 2011 at 4:44 PM
    #8
    elwood

    elwood "Really, how hard can it be?" Jeremy Clarkson

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    Neal
    ont, canada
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    K/N cold air intake, leer cap, running boards, nose gaurd,E brake control, mud flap cut, suspension tsb, Rear diff breather mod,Factory Fog lights, Factory front diff cover
    I had the same problem with some of my draw bars. Some from off shore suppliers seem undersized and loose in the hitch. My oldest ones fit like a glove with little or no movement. For the sloppy ones I took a piece of metal banding (that lumber is wraped in for delivery) and installed it around the draw bar when you insert it into hitch. This seems to take up some of the slop and is re-useable.
    Cheers:)

    IMG00060-20110608-1930.jpg
    IMG00061-20110608-1931.jpg
     
  9. Jan 18, 2012 at 11:36 AM
    #9
    mvega1969

    mvega1969 Well-Known Member

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    Valley Tow 53690 2-Inch Anti-Rattle Bracket $20.32

    http://www.amazon.com/Valley-53690-...C2/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1326914570&sr=8-18

    This is the first one I owned, bought from Cabelas.com, it last 3 years, the bolt got damaged.
    [​IMG]


    StowAway Hitch Tightener

    http://www.amazon.com/StowAway-Hitc...V4/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1326914771&sr=8-23

    There is a regular and a Heavy Duty version, go with HD, you will be amaze of it capabilities, it does stop all rattle. (I use this)
    [​IMG]

    Anti Rattle Locking 2" Hitch Mount Wobble Bike Rack Hauler Stabilizer for Cargo Carrier
    http://www.amazon.com/Rattle-Lockin...S8/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1326914856&sr=8-11

    [​IMG]

    Boone Outdoor aka The Wedge No Rattle Hitch Stabilizer

    http://www.amazon.com/Boone-Outdoor...HVNY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326914920&sr=8-2

    [​IMG]

    MOST of these (all of them) does not FIT the Tacoma 2" receiver width, are too short.

    Tow Ready 63232 Silver Locking Silent Hitch Pin for 2" Receivers
    http://www.amazon.com/Tow-Ready-632...BC/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1326915045&sr=8-30
    [​IMG]

    Softride 25219 QuietRide Hitch Pin
    http://www.amazon.com/Softride-2521...8Y/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&qid=1326915150&sr=8-34
    [​IMG]


    Tow Ready 63201 J-Pin Anti-Rattle Pin and Barrel Lockset for 2" Square Receiver
    http://www.amazon.com/Tow-Ready-632...9O/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&qid=1326915198&sr=8-38
    [​IMG]This will fit the Tacoma hitch outside witdth, but since our receiver does have only one hole on the side, the J shape of this anti-rattle device can not be used. Be advised.
     
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