The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 So I have a 31" tire mounted on my rear mounted tire carrier. From the pin on the hitch to the outside of the tire is about 18 inches. I ordered a 13 inch ball mount but I'm still worried that my spare will hit the trailer jack. Have any of you had to deal with this problem? What was your fix? My trailer is brand new and I really don't want to have to relocate the jack on it. The jack on the trailer is only 8 inches from the center of the ball. If the ball mount I ordered works it's going to be an extra tight fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NissanNismoZ Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Wouldnt this be where a drop down hitch is necessary? ive never really towed, but it seems like it may help.. Sort of like this: http://www.hitchcorner.com/ball_mounts.htm#drop_down I think some you can have, for say an adjustable height with the ball..but i cant seem to find it..hope this helps!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Not a dropped hitch, but maybe an extended one that puts the ball further back, or extend the tongue on the trailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NissanNismoZ Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJSquirrel Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I've towed with my 32" spare on my pathfinder without any trouble. You may need a drop to level the trailer tongue out, but you don't need any kind of extension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Remember I don't have any type of lift at all. A 2 inch drop will level my trailer. Anything lower would be way to low. Like I said I ordered a 13 inch ball mount. That was the longest one I could find. I hope it works cause outside of that it's looking like I'm going to have to relocate the trailer jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 It probably wouldn't be amazingly difficult to relocate the tire up either... just build something that bolts onto the carrier studs, then install studs into that thing for the tire to bolt onto. But probably more hassle than you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 But probably more hassle than you want. That pretty much sums it up lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlBlue Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have a 31X10.5 spare on my 91, which has a regular hitch from CT and on my set up there is not enough (vertical) space between the bottom of the spare and the top of the ball to secure a coupling onto the ball without opening the tire carrier at some point. In most cases I just swing the carrier out of the way and connect and then close the carrier. On my boat trailer,the bow roller/winch- angle forward on the tongue and prevent the spare from closing if I swing it all the way open to connect. Even this is a minor inconvenience, I just swing the carrier open a little instead of all the way, back up, and proceed as normal and close it up once connected. Any other trailer (utility/yard/snowmobile) has let me swing the carrier open and connect as normal, as long as I remember to open the carrier 1/4-/1/3 of the way when I am backing up. Tongue jacks etc have never presented a problem. There are a lot of different configurations available for hitches, but I have never found it enough of a problem to merit changing any hard ware, worse case scenario I guess you could take the spare off and toss it in the trailer. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have a 31X10.5 spare on my 91, which has a regular hitch from CT and on my set up there is not enough (vertical) space between the bottom of the spare and the top of the ball to secure a coupling onto the ball without opening the tire carrier at some point. In most cases I just swing the carrier out of the way and connect and then close the carrier. On my boat trailer,the bow roller/winch- angle forward on the tongue and prevent the spare from closing if I swing it all the way open to connect. Even this is a minor inconvenience, I just swing the carrier open a little instead of all the way, back up, and proceed as normal and close it up once connected. Any other trailer (utility/yard/snowmobile) has let me swing the carrier open and connect as normal, as long as I remember to open the carrier 1/4-/1/3 of the way when I am backing up. Tongue jacks etc have never presented a problem. There are a lot of different configurations available for hitches, but I have never found it enough of a problem to merit changing any hard ware, worse case scenario I guess you could take the spare off and toss it in the trailer. Hope this helps! I guess I'll just have to wait and see when I get my ball mount in the mail. I'll post pics and more info if it ends out being an issue where I have to modify something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I towed my 20 foot trailer with a tongue jack right behind the bulldog hitch. The jack is close to the spare but it never hit. I'm not sure how long my ball mount is it's but it's not excessively long. You should be fine. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverton Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 my ball mount is pretty long, I haven't measured, but it has two pin holes in it for two different length settings. the one that puts the ball the farthest out and a 1970s travel trailer with a tongue jack, I had to remove my spare tire, and it's only a 31x10.50 on a Lego. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Throw the spare on the trailer if it hits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1987caddy Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Is the hitch welded or bolt-on? When I installed my curt hitch, there was front to back adjustment. Put mine all the way to the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Is the hitch welded or bolt-on? When I installed my curt hitch, there was front to back adjustment. Put mine all the way to the rear. It's a factory Nissan hitch (bolt on) with no adjustments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Trailer should have a long enough tongue...I've got a 33 on the back of my truck and its almost 2' from the hatch...towed an enclosed trailer from SC to Utah... so I guess look at the trailer before you tow but never seen this as an issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarehouseRat Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 or replace the trailer jack with a unit that pivot out of the way problem solvedtrailor jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 or replace the trailer jack with a unit that pivot out of the way problem solvedtrailor jack If it hits I may just do that. Not sure just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) So I got my ball mount in the mail today. It worked. The trailer jack is far enough away where I can tow it. It's still pretty tight. I'll have to be really careful not to turn too tight. I'm still going to move it back though. I'll be taking the trailer with me when I go to get the rear bumper made and the rock sliders and have the guy help me mover the jack back just for peace of mind. Anyway here is a pick of my dirty ass pathy with the trailer hooked to it. Ready to hit the road. One step closer to my mover to Syracuse NY. Edited July 27, 2011 by The_Magicians_Eye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1987caddy Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Good luck with the move. My girl is from Syracuse and still has family there. Let me know if u have any questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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