Why does my 3-car wedge wobble like its going to shear off the 2 5/16" ball?

I'd be willing to bet you that if he had been in a class 8 truck with air brakes the outcome would have been different for him even if his load did the same thing.

I personally seen the outcome of this wreck. There's no doubt he wasn't paying attention or had a medical issue. And I call the wedge breaking the ball and coming thru the cab of that dually a definite equipment failure.

In fact we just had a similar situation last week. The vehicles were damaged but none came off.

But you do what you want.

 

The common denominator to a large # of P/U / Wedge trailer mishaps is the ball or hitch breaking off and the trailer going thru the back of the cab. I personally know someone that was going north on US 95 near Parker, AZ on 2 lane. A driver coming south in a car crossed the center line and hit him head on. He is not very tall at about 5'-3". That is what saved his life, as the trailer broke off and sheared the cab off. Had he been taller, he would be pushing daisies right now. In a head on collision or any other serious accident, when was the last time you saw a real semi trailer / 5th wheel on a class 8 truck do that?

But oh well. You guys have at it.

 

I wonder if those who had the ball break had the right weight ball? Hitches and balls have different ratings.

 

Hence the reason we upgraded to a 30k ball. Hell it is only a $35 investment.

 

Well yes the guy probably never hit the brakes but the equipment used was a problem. The trailer broke loose and went through the cab. Several years ago there was a truck that crossed the median down south and hit a car hauler (stinger truck) head on down on I-10. The cars stayed in place while both of the tractors burned to the ground. Sadly both drivers lost their lives in that crash. The point is the cars were hand strapped on a chain trailer and they never came off the trailer and the unit that was behind the sleeper was just a shell of a car that burned BUT was still sitting in the same place as where it was loaded. The fifth wheel never broke on the truck but it did rip the tongue from the front cross bar where it welds to from the impact. The tractor ended up against the trailer right beside the trailer tandems. Just gives you an idea of how bad the wreck was but the point is the fifth wheel never broke unlike what a ball hitch would do in that sort or situation.