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Ball Mount Mod - stop that clunk!

My new RAV4 hitch works great, but the ball mount is really loose and CLUNKED!!!!! like crazy over large bumps. I measured over 0.070 inches clearance between the top of the mount and the inside of the receiver opening. Here's how I fixed it.

First, with a new receiver you need to get a flat file and dress out the top and bottom of the opening to remove any lumps in the powder coating and any steel burrs. On a used receiver you need to remove any dirt or rust. You can paint the opening later if desired.

The shim plate I made from 0.040 inch stainless steel from my scrap metal box. I bent a lip at the left end, and the two plates are sort-of parallel, with one lying on top of the ball mount tube and the other inside it. The curve goes over the retaining pin to keep the shim in place while towing. To the right is a stack of aluminum shims made from metal duct tape.

Close up of the shim, plate. It looks a little messy because I had to re-bend it from a previous "won't work" version 1 design.

The aluminum tape shims are added one at a time until the ball mount is a snug fit in the opening (it took 5 on my mount). Tap them down hard with a hammer to make sure you aren't feeling any air pockets. I thought I might have to drill out the hole with a 9/16 bit, but it lined up perfectly.

The final assembly, with the locking pin in place to hold the steel shim into the tube.