Ball Mount "Hitch" rattles and is loose 2007 Tacoma

Amazon.com has a bunch of options. Thats were i went.

 

If you tow a lot it's pain to pull the stinger all the time.
Not so easy to steal if you use this :
Google life_long_locks (all one word and remove the underscores)
I've seen most of them and I think that these are best of breed for stinger locking pins.
Plus, they offer the correct length for OEM Taco receivers.

 

I do tow a lot I still don't need or want the damn thing in when I don't need it usually I leave the draw bar right on the trailer hitch so I don't have to go looking for it. I put a flip pin in that way you don't have to fool with the stupid hair pin while standing on your head. Not only that but it's hard to steal if it's at home. I have seen people that leave them in try to get them out after awhile it's fun to watch.

 

Everyone has their own recipe for how to get 'er done.
Plus it's a menacing deterrent for interlopers of all types, especially the take 'er outers

Definitely in the leave 'er in camp.

 

some of these things come with sticky foam pads/shims. Maybe you could check your local auto parts store.

 

Guys, all you have to do is get some of the "rubber grip tape" used for steps on boats, etc. and place it on the sides of the ball hitch. I have a shackle mount/hitch and it was loose and rattled like crazy, but now its snug, as well as my ball hitch.

 

nice idea. i may try it. edit: I WILL. i’ll get some this week and be the test dummy. i have to test something els this week any ways.

 

It works, and the rubber is like a cushion so there is no rattle, or metal to metal sound. On my "shackle hitch" (smittybilt) it needed a piece on all sides and it was perfectly snug. The ball hitch only needed two sides covered to fit snug. So far, really no signs of wear of the grip tape, and with no metal to metal contact, there is no surface rust to deal with inside the receiver and on the hitch itself.

 

I understand exactly what the OP is saying. I don't tow that often but I have a tri ball that I leave in the receiver full time with a pin lock to prevent theft. When I go down the road with this thing....it rattles beyond belief and makes my truck sound like a hoopty! Now I am not a fan of just jimmy rigging things together at all but there is an easy fix for the receiver that was designed with an opening that is just too big. To fix...all you have to do is just make the stinger thicker to absorb the extra space. The rubber tape sounds like a great idea as it probably has some dampening qualities but really just wrap electrical tape around it to fatten it up and you should be good.

EDIT: Ok...maybe this won't work for everyone! I had a gap all the way around but I just read that others are only having problems with space on the sides. Adjust accordingly!

 

I've tried the tape method and it worked like a champ, for a while.
Then it scrubbed out. Maybe the traction tape will hold longer.

That's why I went with the drill-n-tap method outlined above.
The bolt pushes the end of the stinger up against the top of the tube locking it in place. No up-down or side-side movement.

It's more work initially than tape but it's a permanent solution.

 

sweet. me going to get some this week.