I have an '03 4Runner. The hitch drawbar that came with the vehicle had a spacer that came in the box. It is goldish in color, round, and it fits perfectly in the drawbar hole.

It appears that this spacer is used if the ball shank is too skinny for the drawbar hole. A 1" shank fits in the round spacer, and the spacer fits in the 1.5" drawbar hole.

This would be all well and good since I have a 1" shank, but when you tighten the ball down, it tightens onto the goldish spacer, and not on the drawbar itself. It appears that the spacer is about 1/8" too tall. I believe that its intent is to prevent slop in the hole, but the ball should be tightened snug against the drawbar, not the spacer. As it is now, the ball nut is tight, but the ball rotates back and forth.

Maybe that's the intent - allow the ball to spin when turning corners, but the spacer takes up the back and forth / side-to-side slop.

Any ideas?

 

Any ideas anyone???

 

Spacer is probably too tall to allow for a lock washer made to the dimensions of the hole vs. dimensions of the ball shank.

 

Order a 2 inch Bulley ball with one inch shank from Overtons.com and be done with it.

 

Yep, it is a a "adaptor" for the wron shank ball. IMHO, it is a hack product.. But the proper ball with the proper shank. If you are not willing to do that, at least get the proper height "adaptor" that will allow the ball and nut to sit flush.

Here is another tip.. Drill a 1/8" hole thru the threads under the nut once it is on and install a cotter pin through the hole to remove any chance that the nut could ever fall off.

 

Yeah, what he said.

 

That's exactly what I already have. Why do you suggest that it would make a difference anyway?

 

The drawbar on my '03 has a 1 1/4" hole. If you need a 2" diameter ball, they can be found with a 1 1/4" diameter shank. Go here: http://www.emptrailerparts.com/Merch...gory_Code=BM1.

I actually found mine locally at a trailer supply store.

I'd get it fixed ASAP. Anything that allows any play between the ball and the drawbar will encourage the ball to loosen. The class IV hitches on the early build '03 4Runners had multiple problems, and this is one of them.