Some slop in Curt to rail fitment

Garypowell

Well-known member
Bought a new truck and it was time to put the Curt Q20 back in. Which really amounts to putting new rails in. First time to do this and it only took me 7 or so hours. Too much in and out and up and down for me to do it quickly. But done and I think fairly well.

Pulled to my mechanic this week to get bearings repacked and the new 3500 pulled like a dream. Not enough experience to know much about the exhaust brake but I think I am going to like that too. I do believe it kicked in a few time and stopped us sure and steady. But Florida roads in my area are fairly good......but no chucking or any undue noise other than what I am asking about below.

Even before pulling (and with my old 2500 and this curt too) I noticed there was always some "slop" in the fit of the hitch to the rails. Usually hear/feel this when starting and stopping. I decided to contact Curt and see what they had to say. Friendly person, who seemed knowledgeable, said they sold a kit to solve this problem but many just got a bike inner tube an cut it to around the tabs and adjusted the thickness by layers to make the hitch tight.

Bought the tube and cut out pieces to fit around the hitch tabs. You can see in the pictures they got cut. I noticed it was a lot smoother at first then more and more I could hear the clunk. Not as bad as before but still there. Once I had the trailer back in the storage yard I took the hitch out (store it in the basement) and I saw the cuts. The four shims I made were all cut.

Curious if anyone else has tackled this problem and what solutions you have come up with?

You can see that I cut my pieces to fit right over the tab that goes down through the rail. Maybe this aided in the cutting since there are edges there. Maybe I should have placed the rubber on other areas that are flat and where the hitch lays right on the rail.

Any suggestions to make this better.....and of course have my rubber last longer?


Thanks,
 

Attachments

  • Picture 2.jpg
    Picture 2.jpg
    22.9 KB · Views: 49
  • Picture 1.jpg
    Picture 1.jpg
    25.2 KB · Views: 48

Roller4tan

Well-known member
I haven't really given it much thought, but have experienced the same slop. I wonder if a different material may be better, like a few pieces of thin flexible plastic cutting board, one on each side with a hole in each for the pin.
 

Garypowell

Well-known member
Roller4tan,

That would certainly be a little more stable less cutable. I should have mentioned each leg had its own fit. As you might imagine you have to still be able to get the pin in. With a short bed and a gas tank up front in the bed it limits my working room for inserting and pulling those front pins.

Please keep the ideas coming.

Thanks,
 

Tundra2084

Well-known member
Same slop with our setup in the new truck. We had older rails in our 05 truck and no movement at all with the curt. Now with new rails installed in our current truck the Curt doesn't sit as tightly in the slots, allowing movement and that inevitable clanking noise on starting and stopping. DH cut some pieces of rubber shelf liner and as you did put on the Curt pins. Time will tell, but I have a feeling that curt will be shipping a kit to us when we get to Florida next week.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
You can spend $10 on ebay, have the Curt product made of the correct material and delivered to your door. [LINK]
I think I recall reading at some point in time that you probably have to hitch up, to put weight on the leg, in order to get the pins in.

Peace
Dave
 

Cjackg

Well-known member
I use a CURT Q24 and not sure if this "fix" applies to it as well. I dont worry much about a little noise but get bothered when I feel slack in the hitch connections.
Those rubber pads may help with the noise but are not going to make a bit of difference about anything more serious.

As a word of advice for -all- Fifth Wheel owners... I have been prepping our rig for a major winter trip to Arizona and checked the tork on all the the hitch related bolts today, at the last minute.... I was shocked to find many of the 10 rail-to-bed bolts easily tightened! ....Do CHECK THE TORK ON HITCH & BOLTS before you travel....

We'll be posting some pics from Arizona soon if we make it there without incident...

Jack
 

Tundra2084

Well-known member
Crack. Good advice on checking the bolts, but also make sure to check your lug nuts as well. Before all trips the bolts are tightened and pressures are checked as well as all lights. Better to be safe, than sorry you didn't do it before something happens.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
One more thing worth mentioning is that there are a couple of rubber bushings on the hitch head.

The part numbers for the Q20 are as follows:
16125-SK-9
16125-SK-10
16125-SK-11

Curt does not sell retail but you should be able to order from anyone that sells Curt products.

Peace
Dave
 

Garypowell

Well-known member
Thanks all! Especially Cookie.....between you and Dan M most of my questions have been answered. It is nice to hear from others with the same problem. At least I now know I am not crazy.

I think I'll order a set and see how they work.

I had not mentioned that this all started when I installed the hitch after putting in the rails and noticed one of the head pieces rubber bushings missing. Inner tube works for that too. Got to thinking about the clunk and called Curt.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
I was laying in bed this morning and go to thinking about what I said in my earlier post about the bushings being all in the head.
I was wrong and need to correct my statement.
There is a big square bushing in the base along with round bushings where the head pins to the base.
These parts are in the list that I provided.

Peace
Dave
 
Top