Why the U-Haul Hitch Ball is the Best in the Towing Industry
U-Haul is not only North America’s largest installer of permanent trailer hitches and accessories, but it’s also the industry leader in towing innovation!
The U-Haul hitch ball is a prime example. In the last decade, the U-Haul hitch ball has evolved to include more safety features than any other hitch ball on the market.
1. 5,000-lb Rating on All Hitch Balls
U-Haul is the only hitch manufacturer that has a minimum 5,000-lb rating on every single hitch ball. This is because every U-Haul hitch ball is cold-forged. Heating metals to forge products will alter the composition (and therefore strength) of the metal, but cold-forged metals retain their grain structure for maximum strength.
The screw threads on the U-Haul hitch ball are also rolled instead of cut. Rolling the threads eliminates the risk of stress-risers, which are jagged microscopic edges caused by cutting steel. These stress-risers can lead to premature failure. Rolled threads, on the other hand, do not carry such risks.
2. Hardened Flat Washer Instead of Lock Washer
Lock washers will fatigue over time due to embedment until they eventually fail. In other words, the surface of a lock washer in use will flatten incrementally over time until it is too relaxed to maintain its original grip. However, the hardened flat washer used for a U-Haul hitch ball does not experience this same deterioration over time, thereby reducing the possibility of the ball coming loose.
U-Haul also regularly tests these hardened flat washers to confirm that they meet U-Haul’s strict levels of durability and reliability.
3. Clamp-Indicating Fastener
Our patented, industry-leading fastener system provides yet another layer of certainty against loosening by wedging itself between the lock nut and hardened flat washer when tightened. This fastener will also visually confirm that sufficient torque value has been applied, meaning an expensive specialized tool like a torque wrench is not needed.
The U-Haul hitch ball comes with two fasteners as well, so you’ll have a spare if you remove the original.
4. Industry-Leading Safety Cotter Pin
When a vehicle towing a trailer gets into a bind, there may be more force generated that loosens the lock nut than was initially used to tighten the hitch ball. The U-Haul safety cotter pin prevents this nut from loosening entirely which would then cause the trailer to disconnect from the towing vehicle. However, the weight of the trailer still remains on the ball mount’s screw threads, not the safety cotter pin.
These key features (plus more!) make the U-Haul hitch ball the most reliable choice on the market, and it’s super easy to use as well.
If you’re interested in purchasing a hitch ball with a ball mount, we recommend our Towing Starter Kit, though we have a wide range of individual hitch balls and ball mounts to choose from as well.
To have a hitch receiver installed on your vehicle first, simply enter your vehicle information and zip code into our reservation finder to schedule an installation time at a hitch center near you.