50 MM ball for hitch

I've done 2,000 miles on a 1 7/8" on my euro trailer with no problems. In a pinch you can buy this from AutoZone.
Anyone had trouble with a 1 7/8" on a 50mm hitch? It is 2.375 mm smaller in diameter.

I looked at this a while ago and found a remarkable variation in the equatorial measurements on balls stamped 1 7/8. Some were much closer to 2"; some were almost a full 1/8 under (i.e. closer to 1 3/4). I've heard stories of trailers coming off an undersized 1 7/8, but I don't know if the stories were backed up by actual incidents or just stories made up by active imaginations. Regardless, since 50mm balls are readily available, why not just pair them with 50mm couplers when you have one?

On Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 7:21:37 PM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
I looked at this a while ago and found a remarkable variation in the equatorial measurements on balls stamped 1 7/8. Some were much closer to 2"; some were almost a full 1/8 under (i.e. closer to 1 3/4). I've heard stories of trailers coming off an undersized 1 7/8, but I don't know if the stories were backed up by actual incidents or just stories made up by active imaginations. Regardless, since 50mm balls are readily available, why not just pair them with 50mm couplers when you have one?

No kidding. I have a 2", 1 7/8", and 50mm in the car all the time.

Depending on your hitch that might not work.

I took my 2" ball to a friend at Moriarty and he machined it down to 50
mm at the waist. It wouldn't work. So he rounded down the upper half
of the sphere to 50 mm. It wouldn't work. Finally he machined the
entire sphere down to 50 mm. Then it worked. This was on my LAK-T5
trailer which has a spherical socket of 50 mm.

On 5/27/2015 12:38 PM, John Firth wrote:
At 05:47 27 May 2015, SoaringXCellence wrote:
I bought a 50MM tow ball from W&W several years ago. they still list one
for $24.95.
Or, take a standard 2" ball to your local machine shop
and have them skim the 0.8 mm from the waist area.

JMF

--
Dan Marotta

It works OK but there's a lot of clunking due to the slop. With a worn
hitch you might lose your trailer.

On 5/27/2015 4:37 PM, PBA wrote:
I've done 2,000 miles on a 1 7/8" on my euro trailer with no problems. In a pinch you can buy this from AutoZone.
Anyone had trouble with a 1 7/8" on a 50mm hitch? It is 2.375 mm smaller in diameter.

--
Dan Marotta

On Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 6:26:55 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:

No kidding. I have a 2", 1 7/8", and 50mm in the car all the time.

I have gone even one further. I have a 1 7/8" slight drop, 50 mm slight drop, 2" slight drop, and 2 inch up-turned. No fun having to get out big wrenches to flip things over, and I have one pretty low trailer that really needs the 2 inch dropped hitch. Oh, and if I am there and you left your cobra trailer keys at home, come see me. I can get you in. For a small fee. :-)

Steve Leonard