Hitch Extension vs. longer Ball mount

65thKJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:43 pm

I just found out how poorly designed the factory tow hitch is and that I need and extended ball mount so I don't have to remove the spare to tow. I bought a 7" hitch extension today.
I have read the previous posts about this and I have a question about it. Why is it that the Hitch extension lowers the tow capacity by 1/3rd but the longer ball mount supposeably doesn't?
The Ball mount I was looing at was 16" and the hitch extender puts my hitch at ~15.5"
The hitch extender is solid steel where it goes into the tow hitch so it seems like it would actually be just as strong if not stronger than the longer ball mount. The ball will be about the same distance away so it seems like the longer ball hitch should also reduce the towing capacity. The main difference I see is the extra pin but it doesn't seem like that would do that much to lower the tow capacity. The salesman at the trailer store said that the longer ball mount would also lower the tow capacity similar to the extender(which makes sense to me). In the end I ended up going with the extension because I use 2 trailers w/ different ball sizes so this allows me to use my old normal ball mounts.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:35 pm

It doesnt matter how you get the ball further out, its going to create a longer lever and make the Jeep squat easier. This will also take more weight off the front tires unless you get a WD system.

I went this the Draw-tite Hitch and just a regular receiver from walmart. The ball sticks out just past the spare tire and I dont not believe I lost very much at all. The tongue of the boat barely hits the spare tire.

1300ZUK · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:03 pm

well i'm annoyed with constantly taking the spare off too. I think the best way to not use an extender is to lift the vehicle

but the longer you get that extension, the more torque you are going to have on it, and that isn't that much of a problem in certain directions. But going around a corner, it does have more leverage to slide the booty end of the vehicle. If your trailer doesn't have a lot of tongue weight you'll probably be fine. If been debating getting an extension for mine, too, but i think it will just be a 6 of one, half a dozen thing, you won't be able to open to the back gate with it, because the tire will probably hit the hitch. and with the extension you could possibly add more slop because its another connection etc.

Hood297 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:13 pm

what i do when im towing is i open the back gate and back it up and lower the trailer on the ball, lock it down and that gives me enough clearance when towing. Its kind of a pain in the butt, but it gets rid of the tounge weight problem and removing the spare, and my spare is a 245-75.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:27 pm

Hood297 wrote:

what i do when im towing is i open the back gate and back it up and lower the trailer on the ball, lock it down and that gives me enough clearance when towing. Its kind of a pain in the butt, but it gets rid of the tounge weight problem and removing the spare, and my spare is a 245-75.

I did the same thing when I had my spare on my swing gate,I thought of it as extra theft protection.They could cut my lock but still could not release the ball lock with the spare in the way(I had about 1 1/2" between the spare and ball lock lever).

Jeger · **Posted:** Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:34 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

Hood297 wrote:

what i do when im towing is i open the back gate and back it up and lower the trailer on the ball, lock it down and that gives me enough clearance when towing. Its kind of a pain in the butt, but it gets rid of the tounge weight problem and removing the spare, and my spare is a 245-75.

I did the same thing when I had my spare on my swing gate,I thought of it as extra theft protection.They could cut my lock but still could not release the ball lock with the spare in the way(I had about 1 1/2" between the spare and ball lock lever).

You have to watch going through dips and stuff like that though, if its steep enought the trailer tongue could hit the spare.

Seems like I read somewhere that if you take the spare tire mount off and turn it upside down that it sits up higher?

65thKJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:49 am

Jeger wrote:

Seems like I read somewhere that if you take the spare tire mount off and turn it upside down that it sits up higher?

That's interesting maybe I'll try that. Only thing is, then the glass might not be able to open if it hits the tire.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:00 am

I've never had to do anything special when I tow a flatbed style trailer.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:18 am

Yeah, this is an interesting thread... I've never had to remove the spare tire to get a trailer attached to a standard length hitch. (of course that was with the stock tires - I hope with my new tires this doesn't change)

I think for a u-Haul trailer I had to open the swing gate so I could have enough room to lower the tounge on the hitch, but I haven't encountered a problem with the sail boat or the car dolly. Maybe those trailers are so lite that I can move them around pretty easy by myself?

Jeger · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:51 am

Trailers that have a heavy duty mount on them are thicker and come closer to the tire, also on taller trailers you dont need or want to use a drop hitch, so that puts them a lot closer to the spare as well. Not to mention the trailer jack is often right in the way.

The ball mount in this pic is a zero drop solid bar type. A drop hitch would have had the trailer nose down real bad.

meh_kick · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:19 am

Keep in mind too that the extension only reduced the allowable TONGUE weight by 1/3. The towing capacity stays the same.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:48 am

It may be nothing structural, it may be that the maker of the extension isn't willing to take the additional liability.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:28 pm

Thanks Jeger - that makes a lot of sense now that I think about it (my sailboat weighs less than 450lbs!) so the trailer is pretty light weight.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:53 pm

65thKJ wrote:

Jeger wrote:

Seems like I read somewhere that if you take the spare tire mount off and turn it upside down that it sits up higher?

That's interesting maybe I'll try that. Only thing is, then the glass might not be able to open if it hits the tire.

It actually angles the tire away from the glass so the glass will open with bigger spares...I did that a couple of years ago. It might raise the spare a bit.

65thKJ · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:00 pm

The picture Jeger posted shows the same problem I have. I can't use a dropped ball mount because it ends up making the trailer nose dive. I also had the problem of the trailer landing gear in the way so that for sharp turns my spare would hit it.

jburford · **Posted:** Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:00 am

I have removed the spare tire bracket, rotated it 180 degrees and rebolted the bracket. That did the trick. The tire is moved up enough to hook-up a standard hitch. Bonus, the glass window opens and closes too.

John B

2006 Liberty CRD
Trailer brakes
Rear Air bag assist with compressor
SP diesel performance chip

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:18 pm

jburford wrote:

I have removed the spare tire bracket, rotated it 180 degrees and rebolted the bracket. That did the trick. The tire is moved up enough to hook-up a standard hitch. Bonus, the glass window opens and closes too.

John B

2006 Liberty CRD
Trailer brakes
Rear Air bag assist with compressor
SP diesel performance chip

PayPal me $1 for the Spare Tire Mod :twisted:

Hitch Extension vs. longer Ball mount

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