A tricky question about hitch problems

Looks to me like something pulling or pushing the van sideways. As if brakes are dragging or a suspension issue. Even a bent jokey wheel but I would imagine that would be noticed.
Does it always move the same way? Does it happen when you pull up forwards or only reverse?
Need to look into it a bit further than the hitch I think.
Re
Mg

Willie, If you have either driven or reversed into a camp spot in a turn you will notice the tyres on the van are being peeled off the rims in opposite directions, particularly on solid surfaces. Although the van and vehicle may be lined up straight the tyres may not have centred back on the rim. This is quite often enough to drag the van around in the opposite direction of the turn as has possibly happened in your case.
Geoff

Maybe I should contact the factory about the problem.

Hi Willie,
I had ours bind a couple of times when I had forgotten to clean the ball and inside the receiver with WD40 and a rag when it was out in the salt air or dusty conditions for awhile. I even gave the ball a bit of a polish with wet n dry and the WD40 after being subject to salt air for a couple of months.

As for the twisting. I have had that happen on a couple of times normally when the wheels are not chocked tightly enough or a wheel moves a bit into a hollow. Still comes off the ball especially if it is cleaned often.

Cheers
Noel

Hi Willie,

We often get this sideways movement when unhitching but we never have any jamming problems, but are not using a McHitch but the AT 35. The only way I have found to limit this to some degree is to (a) try and get nicely lined up with a bit of forward and reverse and (b) finally chock the front wheels on both sides of the van.

Regards John and Jean

G day Willie,

2 things, I can't add anything re the van movement but on occasion I have had a binding problem which was fixed but putting the tug out of gear and handbrake off.
Also I received an adaptor plate with my hitch which accommodates the locating lugs on the hitch, I can't see that in your Pix?

How you sort it.

Cheers graham

We have the D035 hitch and to stop the sideways movement, which we used to frequently get, we bought a pair of X-chocks which go between the wheels and stop the van moving at all when lifting off the hitch. Don't know that it will fix the binding but will certainly reduce those scary moments when the van hitch jumps sideways.

Dave.

I know that Joe at McHitch says to use no grease, but a Kedron owner in the park here in Broome says he has had a bit of the same problem and now uses a small amount of graphite grease on the pin. He says that it has helped - does graphite grease attract dust like normal grease ?

Thanks to all of you,

Willie.

Hi Willie

Suggest you check the wheel alignment on all the wheels on the BT.
You can find information on this in the BOG Bible under Wheel Maintenance.
If there is even only one wheel out of alignment, it will create a tendency for the BT hitch to move sideways when it is released from the tow point.
You might have hit a bad pot hole at some time.
Emergency Wheel Alignment Check is the file I am suggesting for you.
If that doesn't find the problem, check the wheel bearings for drag.

Hope this helps
Cheers
John

Willie;
I have had the same Mc Hitch for about 4 years and for the past 2 or more years mine has also bound up. Thought of giving it a laxative but Joe says no lubrication on the pin or the receiver. You certainly dont want any movement on the or in the receiver when it is hitched up. This only happens when the ground is not flat or the whole rig is not straight. I solved the problem with a 1kg hammer which I carefully tap on the side of the receiver when I see the suspension lift on the car slightly above the normal height. Naturally I keep the chains on and stand back but it usually only moves a halve inch at most. Certainly keeping the pin and receiver clean helps.
Scott.

Hi guys. As someone said above, if the van always moves to one side and always the same way, then it's not the hitch. What''s happening is that something in the van is causing it to track out of line with the car, and the hitch/car is continuously placing a lateral pull to keep the van straight. So the answer must lie in finding out why the van is not going the same way as the car. Wheel alignment sounds like a possible suspect.

With cars it's possible to have the wheels all aligned with each other but not with the chassis, so the car runs true but is slightly crabbing on the road. I assume the same can happen with vans.

I'd certainly try it going forwards. Find a nice long flat straight bit of road where you can test safely and roll gently to a stop. Same symptoms?

Hope you crack it. A binding hitch can be hazardous to your temper, fingers and marriage. Knowing in advance it's going to do it does not always help one's equanimity. Hang in there!

Hi Willie,
The adapter locator plate is not on your tow bar I presume because you do not use a weight distribution hitch and the lugs of the McHitch locate over the edges of your tongue.

However, the photos show a curved wear mark caused by the front of the hitch. This appears (from the photo) to be part way up the angled part of the tongue and may be causing some wedging between the tongue and the ball hence increasing or causing the binding.

All that said, the locator may give better clearance from your tongue.

When mine has not released at times I have used a large screw driver under the locator lug and this has also released the hitch as I jack it up. But if I clean it on hitching up I do not get it binding.

cheers
Noel

Another photo showing the side angle of the tongue and this wear mark may help

If anybody is interested in my McHitch problem, I will give you an update.

I installed a new pin that Joe from McHitch sent me no charge.

This fixed the problem of the pin sticking (I also now use a bit of dry lube). Whether of not it would be a permanent fix, I do not know.

I will not be finding out either, as I have now sent the the whole kit and caboodle back to McHitch for an upgrade to an Automatic Trailer Coupling - the type you back onto (hopefully !).

Cheers,

Willie.