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Stuck under the trailer/binkley


redcrzr

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If you saw my "bent ram" post in the tech. forum you'll know that I am having trouble getting out from under my trailer. I have raised, lowered, backed up & pulled forward and I can't get the jaws to release on the trailer saver hitch. I've sprayed with lube and this morning a broken spring showed up that I believe came from the inside of the binkley. The 2 side to side springs are still visible. I've tried banging and prying the jaws apart and don't know what else I can do. I did talk to TS and they were not much help. Any help would be appreciated.

Call me Murphy, cause if it's going to happen, it will involve me in some way.

Todd

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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Need to be relatively level. Back into pin slightly- make sure pin is pulled to move lever to 10 o'clock position- push / pull wedge block lever- lower landing legs enough to take weight off hitch-

If the wedge block doesn't move, jaws will not open.

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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As Jeff and Jim said, the lock block or "wedge block" must lock in the fully retracted position [ toward front of tow vehicle ] in order for the jaws to spread apart and release the pin. If the lock block is retracted, a pry bar inserted, where the rearmost tips of the jaws meet, should allow the jaws to be pried apart and release the trailer pin. You need to investigate the broken spring and contact Henry [ or someone with Binkley parts ] for a replacement spring. If the lock block is in position between the 2 jaws, It ain't gonna open, no matter what. A too- thick slick plate can put a bind on the jaws, causing lock and unlock problems. You might want to try unlocking the jaws with some weight on the hitch, just don't pull out from under it untill most of the weight is off the hitch. Let us know what you find that is causing problems for you. Be careful, though. Charlie P. S. The hitch will have to move slightly forward as the jaws open....the front of the pin presses against part of the jaws and holds them closed. so the hitch will have to go forward or the pin will have to go rearward a bit to let jaws release. I am having a hard time expressing what i mean, so i hope you understand. Wish i could be there to assist you in person. Does any of this make sense ???

Don't ever tell a soldier that he doesn't understand the cost of war.

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Here is some pictures off my hitch. The top view of the unlock bar shows how far "out" the block has to be to unlatch...you can just see the wedge block forward end showing under the corner of the unlock bar.--the block is almost out against the end of the channel.

 

post-9595-0-03233700-1461873974_thumb.jpg

 

Picture underneath showing the wedge block pulled out and the jaws swung open past it.

 

post-9595-0-52772100-1461873975_thumb.jpg

 

And a top/rear view of the open jaws.

 

post-9595-0-81048600-1461873974_thumb.jpg

No camper at present.

Way too many farm machines to maintain.

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There 'ya go, Jeff....a picture is worth a thousand words. The last picture shows why the hitch head has to move forward to allow the jaws to open. Thank you for posting the pictures. Dreamer2...... hope some of this helps. Charlie

Don't ever tell a soldier that he doesn't understand the cost of war.

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Thanks, it all makes sense, what doesn't make sense is my inability to unlatch the SOB. Notice I'm getting a little irritated with myself. Been a little busy again & will use my DW to try again tonight if the rain holds out.

Todd E.

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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If your are using a Teflon plate it may be what the problem is. I had one get out of position and I had the same experience. You might call it a bad word. It somehow got some of it down alongside the pin and it became another bad word .

A lot of prying and other stuff . Finally the pin came out.

Never used one since.

 

Now just grease. When I unhitch now, immediately cover with suran wrap then cover with a hitch cover.

 

Safe Travels, Vern

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If the block is pulled forward, all the way forward (as shown in the top picture in Jeff's post), the jaws should open when you try to pull out. I had one instance when my Binkley would not cooperate and Vern an I had to pry the suckers (to close) with pry bars.

I started with used Binkley which had quite a few years on it already and Binkley does not put any antiseize on them. The pins basically rusted to the jaws and then rusted to the head, but the rig sat for quite a while in the Florida humidity to make it so. As Charlie said I have some Binkley (actually of my own manufacture) parts on hand.

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I just got back from Trailersaver in Kentucky where they put them together.

 

The head which was replaced in Melbourne was defective and wouldn't lock open. The pin that goes into the block wouldn't without a hammer so of it came and a new head with the hole enlarged.

 

The guy you want to talk to is in Kentucky, he still makes them and used to own the firm before selling to current owner. Here is contact info.

 

 

Address: 378 Industrial Park Lane, Hardinsburg, KY 40143, United States

 

 

 

 

Phone:+1 270-756-0284

He is in there early, like before 7am local. I forgot his name but he has glasses and is retiring in a year or 2. Make reference to him fixing mine last Monday. If you were there he would roll his eyes.

 

If you can get your rig there even better. I went 400 miles out of my way to get mine dealt with and also got an education.

 

- Re the spring, I'm not sure which spring you are referring to but there is one on a bolt that was nearly pulled out of my current hitch....operator error on my part. Check with him and see if it is the same one as mine, it may be contributing to the problem. While I was there on Monday, he made reference to someone who hung the back of their truck from the hitch to pull off some tires or wheels and the bolt broke and the truck dropped.

 

- Re the Teflon disc, I'm told there are 2 thicknesses, 1/8" and 1/4". My Travel Supreme has a short hitch pin and with the 1/8" disc the jaws won't shut. This may or may not be what is happening in your case.

 

Give him a call in the morning, send pics and explain as best you can.

 

Have him explain the things I was doing wrong so you don't.

 

Also ask him about proper lubing of the hitch especially where he explained to me so the main pivot pin doesn't wear.

 

Too much grease in the wrong places doesn't help, he will explain.

 

A new head is about 650$

 

I don't want to be too pushy but CALL him and post the results.

 

Roger

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I'm FREE at last. Talked to Roger's contact, he said bang on the jaws. After the auction all I could find to bang on it with was a brick & a 2x4. Didn't work, so I had 3 farm boys that were here to pick up some furniture look at it. They made contact with a mechanic friend who came over with some bigger pursuaders and he got me turned loose. I will now have the pleasure of taking the hitch apart to see if I can clean it up & replace the spring that I believe is missing. I see some "never seize" in my future.

Thanks all for your support, enjoy the weekend.

 

Todd E.

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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Being an ol' Ironworker, I knew that you should never force anything, always get a bigger hammer.

 

Seriously, if the truck and trailer are a bit "twisted" at the point of the king pin, they sometimes won't go in or out. Put a board or something under the low side to help straighten the twist out, and it will slip right out...in...something...

 

Paul

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Just Info On our new 43 mesa Ridge i kept having a heck of a time hooking up. I had pulled 2 5er's with this hitch and no problem but this thing just kept kicking me. So i went back to the dealer who still had our old Cardinal. I miced the old pin and miced the new one. New pin 1/8" longer. Put one of those 1/8" Teflon disc on and haven't had any issues since.Glad you got it apart. Hope you can find the spring and find where it goes! Please take pictures if you take it apart. My hitch is 13/14 yrs old. I keep it greased and oiled. Hope that keeps it going. I'm putting the Trailersaver # in my cell in hopes of never having to call up there. Stay hitched unless you don't want to. Pat

 

 

The Old Sailor

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The only things I hit with a hammer are the tires. If anything else needs a hit, it is out of adjustment or something else is wrong. I'd be looking for why the spring came out or find out if there are other problems.

 

We need an exploded view with numbered parts and a legend so we can better describe the problem.

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The only things I

We need an exploded view with numbered parts and a legend so we can better describe the problem.

Owners manual, stand on your head when you read it. That's right, everyone's favorite hitch is mounted upside down today, given the original designers' intent.

Parts manual. Go to page 394 of the PDF, unless you want to learn about every Holland hitch variant.

I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 

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I had the chance to disassemble and inspected what I could. Main bolt came out with minimal persuasion. the jaws are stuck tight, as expected. Jaw spring is missing. Not able to remove the jaw pins with my limited resources so I took the "head" to a local shop to have them pressed out. Hope to get it back on Monday. Ordered all new springs from TS. Plan is to clean it up, use something like never seize on the pins & bolts, reassemble and watch my DW smile in the rear view mirror as I glide into the king pin.

 

Todd E.

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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Check the main sideways pivot pin to see if there is any front and back movement. There are no grease nipples to lubricate that particular part. You could hear it click on my old head which was replaced in Melbourne. Evidently the ET has a bearing in that location. "Dave" at the TS factory said to squirt some lubricant in and under the main plate into the pivot point. I brought this to the attention of Aaron but there are no plans to modify the hitch. Dave said to use something that will lubricate but not collect gobs of dirt or dry out like some grease products do.

 

It was suggested drilling in a grease zert but Dave said that had been done and TS voided the warranty.

 

There is too much "riding" on this to take chances with a less than 100% fix. Had it been me, I would do at least what you have which is have a machine shop check it out or if that was not an option, ship it back to Dave for him to look at and or repair.

 

The thought of the hitch failing puts the fear of God, if I were a religious person, into me.

 

I will edit this later today with a better description of the parts.

 

Thanks Darryl, that was exactly what I wanted. Also re my comment about Mechanics and you rebuttal a couple of months ago. To clarify, there is indeed a huge amount of knowledge with this bunch, In Melbourne Charlie explain how the hitch locks, Randy about mixing old and new batteries, to say the least. I sold the head of my old hitch and picked up some hitch info from who bought it, then there was Dave at TS.

 

Edit.

 

In my case the clevis pin part 7 had worn an oval hole in the 5th wheel housing. Forward and back slop. That is the spot he said to keep lubed.

 

Also the safety pin 9 wouldn't go into the locking block 5 without a hammer. The locking block was also tighjt to the side of the housing away from the safety pin not leaving much of the pin in the locking block.

 

I got a whole new head

 

I'm no gearhead but at least I know how to identify if there is a problem so appropriate steps can be taken.

 

Roger D, finally home.

 

Everyone brings something to the table.

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We are finally back in business. Got the binkley back from the local shop with the "pins" loose & cleaned. Re-installed with new springs and sliding in & out of the pin just as it should. I do have a leveler leg that's groaning a bit when it extends. Looks to be slightly bent. I'll tolerate this for a bit & see how that works out. Thanks again to the people on this forum that extended their advice, it is always very helpful and much appreciated.

 

Todd E.

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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