Did something dumb today.

[Hilltop366]

You should just go ahead and get a trailer tongue jack.  

[Old Greenhorn]

[Hangs Head] Yeah, that trailer has one, with a wheel. But it wasn't 'loaded very much' and to save time I just picked it up and humped it on. That jack is kind of due for replacement and I don't enjoy using it, or trust it too much, but yeah, I could have used it today.
 Did I mention I only had 2 cups of coffee?

[Magicman]

If two cups make you that dumb, just think what 3-4 would have done.  :D

[Old Greenhorn]

I don't really fire on most cylinders until I have 4 or more cups. 2 is barely an eye opener.

[SawyerTed]

Yup. I had to learn the hard way about my back.  I still think I can do stuff I shouldn't have done 20 or 30 years ago.  :D :D

The cost of a tongue jack is cheap compared to lost wages for several days or worse yet, surgery $$$$$!  

The spine Dr told me to do better or I was headed for surgery.  That was in 2011.  I've not been back to see her since and I've only had minor back pain.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Well, I have a great chiro man, but I should not go doing things to enhance his retirement accounts. ;D
 Yeah, I have a jack, I should probably use it, or replace it with one that works better and move that one to the small trailer I use for firewood.
 Just dumb, no other excuse. (more coffee would have helped though, did I mention......)

[doc henderson]

so Tom, you state you are taking the ibuprofen and alcohol internally, but some of us, we know that leaves a lot of options open to the imagination!..  shall we assume you mean ORALLY?  Let us hope and pray!   8)     

[Southside]

OG you should have used the wire brush on your balls, at least that's what Ted would have done.  :D

[SawyerTed]

Sure does stiffen your spine!  :D :D :D

[Old Greenhorn]

Yes Doc, PO of course.

SS, it would take a long time to wire brush that ball down to 2". ;D Actually I grease my balls. The 2-5/8 one generally gets more grease because of the heavier loads and that is what I noticed to make me realize I had the wrong ball on the truck.

Ted, it sure did. This morning it is a lot better. Last night I was pretty miserable and went to bed at 8:30. This morning it's much more tolerable.

[SawyerTed]

Tom, glad it's better and hopefully not too serious.  

[Resonator]

I've heard in years past dropping a loaded trailer tongue makes a jackstand look like a wise investment. Dropping it on a cinder block, with your hand pinched in between, finalizes the jackstand decision.
I've also heard if you load all the firewood to the back of the trailer, and the hitch coupler isn't latched, the back of said trailer will become very "down", while the front tongue will be very "up".

[SawyerTed]

To make a tail heavy trailer do a pirouette just chock one wheel on a hill. In the right conditions the trailer might do two or three.

It isn't as pretty as it sounds, especially the ending. 

A tongue jack only provides one more thing to dodge.  

[bigblockyeti]

I've also heard if you load all the firewood to the back of the trailer, and the hitch coupler isn't latched, the back of said trailer will become very "down", while the front tongue will be very "up".

I did a little of this on Friday but it was backing my ATV off the trailer down the ramps after unhooking it from the truck.  Luckily I backed down quickly and the tongue jack only rose up maybe 2' then slammed down, it would have been worse if I stopped in the middle and let it go sky high, something would have surely been damaged.  As is, it seems no worse for the wear but I certainly won't be doing that again, not unless it's on a trailer that has rear jacks.

[Don P]

We did that with a pallet of concrete bags a week or two ago. Luckily just crash and burn into the stone pile. Hmm, there's been another pallet in the back of the pickup since, no wonder I'm sick of mixing  :D. We thought that tightening the latch dookickey would help but it is not adjustable. My partner went to HF and their 2-5/16's were not adjustable either  ???.

[Old Greenhorn]

As previously stated in reply 3076 and 3080 and just to be clear, I do have a jack and it was in use. What was not stated was that said jack was nearly at the top of it's stroke and getting wobbly so I only had to lift and drop about 2-3". I know I was dumb, but geez, not that dumb.

 Wen removing heavier stuff via the ramp I always chuck a pair of jackstands under the back edge, it's just safer.

 I thought all of the couplers were adjustable!? Otherwise when you wire brush your balls how are you going to take up for the size difference?

[firefighter ontheside]

Better to try and put a 2" tongue on a 2 5/16 ball than putting a 2 5/16 tongue on a 2" ball and not realize what you just did.  I've heard that if you do what I just mentioned that the trailer can come uncoupled.  I've heard that.  I myself have never taken my trailer somewhere to load up a large walnut log and as soon as the weight of the log is on the back of the trailer the tongue lifts off the ball.  Like I said, I have never done that.  If I had done something like that, I would never tell you fellas about it.

[Old Greenhorn]

Classic. That is, if it ever happened to 'somebody'. Give me time, I might do that one too. It may take a few years, but it might be next week. Not likely to be that soon though as I am somewhat 'sensitized' to ball sizes right now. (Size matters) ;D :D

[Don P]

Umm, I heard of someone moving an entire log home package up a steep mountain road like that. Too dumb to fail  :D.

[Old Greenhorn]

 Come to think of it, you just reminded me about 'a guy I know' who was in the fire department and was answering the call on a week long wildland fire. He took his pickup to the firehouse at 5am (probably only had 2 cups of coffee) and hooked up the 6 wheeler trailer and headed the the CP for the fire as requested. His normal habit was to drive a few miles, then pull over, check the load, hitch, connections, chains, etc. before running the rest of the route. Well he had to delay that until he found a safe and easy place to pull over. When he did, he found that he never closed the latch on the coupler. Nobody around, no damage done. Nobody ever knew. Too dumb to fail is right. I would not want to be 'that guy' explaining to his Chief how the 6 wheeler got splattered over the 4 lane. :D ;D

[doc henderson]

good to have some tongue weight!

[Otis1]

All of these scenarios hit close to home, whether attempted by me or someone I know. Serious question what is the best grease for a ball hitch? I once suggested it to my FIL and he said all it does is make a mess and collect dirt. I assume he tried bearing grease or something in the past. His ball was so rusty it creaked when the boat trailer turned.

[Old Greenhorn]

I use any grease handy, usually a GP grease. The point is to lubricate that friction point, particularly under heavy loads. That squeaking tells you the steel is wearing and sometimes friction welding and breaking all at the same time and repeatedly. This causes dimples and more wear and pretty quickly too. Also enhances rust entry points which all adds up to a downward spiral. The coupling is the weak point in the chain and will wear through first.
 They sell cheap ball covers my Pop always had on his hitches. If it's been a while since I used the hitch, I use a throw away rag, wipe off the dirt, and put fresh grease on. Grease and oil are always cheaper than steel.

[Otis1]

Good to know. I like the multi hitches with 3 different size balls and the tow hook. Easy to change when you finally realize you got the wrong size. 

[rusticretreater]

I keep a plastic container in my truck toolbox that has a greasy rag in it. The rag is rolled up like a tube and the ends of it are clean.  I just pull it back and forth and it lubes it up.  I usually also have a can of silicone lube in the box too.