Community Forums

MrFixit454 · 06-12-2007, 09:21 AM

Hi,
I installed a new 14k Superglide on my 2006 Megacab. Installation went pretty well. I got the hitch all adjusted correctly according to Pullrite, however I have a clunking noise starting and stopping. It soudns like something popping out and back into place. Pullrite recommended I adjust my trailer brakes to "lead" the truck which helped primarily if I start and stop hard. If I drive easy like I normally do, I get the clunking. The Teflon block is tight and the movement is clearly in the king pin (1/8" or so). When I remove the hitch head and attatch it to the kigpin, the lockset seems pretty tight but under load, it makes a good amount of noise.

Pullrite sent me a tighter lockset which only makes it harder to hook up and release but the noise is still there. They are beginning to tell me this is the nature of the beast. I can't see spending a lot of money on a pretty good system only to have it make noise when I start and stop. Any one experience this?

Ramon

MrFixit454 · 06-12-2007, 09:21 AM

Hi,
I installed a new 14k Superglide on my 2006 Megacab. Installation went pretty well. I got the hitch all adjusted correctly according to Pullrite, however I have a clunking noise starting and stopping. It soudns like something popping out and back into place. Pullrite recommended I adjust my trailer brakes to "lead" the truck which helped primarily if I start and stop hard. If I drive easy like I normally do, I get the clunking. The Teflon block is tight and the movement is clearly in the king pin (1/8" or so). When I remove the hitch head and attatch it to the kigpin, the lockset seems pretty tight but under load, it makes a good amount of noise.

Pullrite sent me a tighter lockset which only makes it harder to hook up and release but the noise is still there. They are beginning to tell me this is the nature of the beast. I can't see spending a lot of money on a pretty good system only to have it make noise when I start and stop. Any one experience this?

Ramon

Fstop · 06-12-2007, 11:13 AM

Sorry to hear you are having problems. Mine always worked great. The only thing that comes to mind is whether or not the plate with the pie shaped piece was mounted as far forward as it could have been.

MrFixit454 · 06-12-2007, 11:36 AM

Thanks Charlie,
I have a Lippert pin box and the plate attaches w/ set screws. It might be able to come up a tad but not much. I will see what I can do.

Thanks
Ramon

MrFixit454 · 06-13-2007, 08:43 AM

Hi Charlie,
I moved the plate up about 3/16" which was as far as it would go but it made no difference
Thanks for the help.

Sixgunz · 06-14-2007, 02:59 PM

I had a 16K Superglide & it made no noise like that at all. But...maybe the 14K is different?

If I were you, I'd take it to a Superglide dealer/installer & have them look at it...they install them all the time & will notice if something isn't right.

I'd also check your kingpin on your 5er & make sure it's good....

Sorry to hear you're having trouble.

MrFixit454 · 06-14-2007, 09:56 PM

Thanks DK. I asked Pullrite if there was anyone to take it to in my area and they said the dealer would run through the same procedures that they are doing with me. I installed this myself... it was pretty straight forward.

Trailer is new at least 1 year old new so I would think Pin is good.. however I might put a Mor/ryde pin box so it might change things. Wanted to iron out problems before I change boxes. Another user told me once the powdercoat wore of the head and plate, the noise was a lot less.

I am still working with Pullrite on this.
Thanks for the help. I might still call a few places to see what experience they have with the superglide.

Ramon

Jeepin Jason · 08-30-2007, 12:38 PM

I also have Megacab, but I have the 16k model. Mine makes a bit of noise when I come to a stop and I think it is just a bit of slop until it hits the stop. I have triple checked and nothing is loose so I have just been living with it... I really can't hear it unless the windows are down.

rrraider · 09-08-2007, 10:53 AM

I have the same noise with mine; I like you at first though that it was from the rub block being too loose but that only provides marginal difference. I really don't think too much about it anymore although it does sound a bit scarey like you need to look back to be sure you're still connected. Think I need the wife to ride back there and see what is actually moving---yeah right. I'd like to know what it is but assume since we've had the hitch in use for two seasons now and I see no place where their is a givaway wear spot that it is not something that is dangerous. Another note on the hitch is that I experienced a high amount of galling on the rails when it was new. This was due to the fact that the rails are actually a bit concave in the centers so the load is highly concentrated on the two side ridges. I machined them flat and also hand filed some warp out of the cam/hitch assy so that a full bearing surface is now utilized---works really well and smooth now. To Pull Rites defense they sent me new rails and cam assy no charge which I think is excellent customer support. The new cam assy has none of the warp the the original did but the rails are just as the originals a bit concave---this is actually normal as the are just standard heavy wall square wall tubing and that is just a result of the extrusion process. I have the parts for replacement should the need ever arise.

MrFixit454 · 09-08-2007, 07:03 PM

Rraider,
I see the concave portion too on the rails but I have not had any gaulling. The movement is definitly the king pin on the lockset. The captture plate is also not truely flat so there is less friction. I had the wife backup and pull forward as I visdeo taped the mottion.
Pullrite has me measuring the cam slot to see if there is too much play over the rails.

Mrfixit

rrraider · 09-08-2007, 07:36 PM

I do not see any sign of flattening on my king pin which I would suspect would be present if that is where the bumping was occuring given the magnitude of the noise and the whack that it puts on the truck--but who knows. I would be surprised if the cam guide is the problem as I can't see it coming into play if the trailer is straight behind the tow vehicle; yes if you were stoppong and starting with the trailer at an angle and the cam assy back from its center position.
As for the rails I'm surprised that more don't have the galling problem because with the concave the load is imposed on less than 10% of the available surface of the rails. Or say that this 10% equals 2 square inches and the load was 1000lbs that is 500lbs per square inch where as with full bearing the the load would be 50lbs per square inch---quite a substantial difference.
I would surmise however that in many cases the rails seat in eventually if the user doesn't pay close attention to what is happening. The downside of this is that the original top to bottom clearences are quite compromised with the amount of wear required to create a full bearing surface. My thought was if I did this and made the bearing full and smooth little additional wear would occur, where as by wear the bearing would still have to polish out after the galling tapered off. (I had some tracks a good 1/32" deep)

MrFixit454 · 09-08-2007, 10:23 PM

Take a look at this website. This guy said after 2 years or so of use, the noise calmed down but never went away. He does an excellent job of displaying the problem. Watch all his videos

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/14302097.cfm

rrraider · 09-09-2007, 10:12 AM

Very good thread; and provided some interesting insight to the problem---funny though, some of the suggestions where the responder obviuosly didn't read the thread very well---a fault that really drives me crazy sometimes and is way too common on most forums.

Anyway here's the solution.
After taking my reciever off and mounting it on the pin box I find that indeed there is too much slop in the pin capture assy., also too much in the rear guide as well as vertical play (may or may not be a factor because of tongue weight). A tighter capture cam could help but I think would make hitching much tougher and eventually loosen up anyway. What I'm going to do with mine is weld a tab to the front edge of the pin box and also to the reciever assy. hitch it up clamp it to the pin box and drill a 7/8" hole through the two tabs and the guide plate.
After hitching up a 7/8" bolt nut and washers can be installed and torqued effectively locking the pin box to the reciever and eliminating any play that is going on with any part of the assy. I first thought of just putting a tab on the reciever and drilling through it and the adapter guide only but that I believe would over stress the adapter plate machine screws. I know this is another step in hitching and unhitching but should be well worth the effort after observing the wear on the capture cam; and who knows what else is wearing and or fatiguing due to the impacts that are incurred.

MrFixit454 · 09-09-2007, 10:04 PM

The process you metnion is what I told Pullrite would fix the problem. I am still in warranty and they told me it would be voided. Let me know if you do this procedure and if it works.

They sent me a new tighter lock set which was very hard to lock/unlock at 1st but after a 3000 mile summer trip, it loosened up like you said.