aks 2004 stabiliser hard to close

[lucrus]

Hello everybody,

last year a problem with my AKS 2004 stabiliser appeared, after years of good service: it started needing a great force applied to it in order to close the stabiliser friction pads to the tow ball of the trailer hitch. When I say "a great force" I mean I literally have to jump over the handle with my full weight.

I've already tried replacing the friction pads with new ones, but the problem is still there, even if I did not fit any of the provided shim washers to the friction pads spindles.

What could be the cause of such problem then?

 

[JTQ]

How easily does it move when not fitted onto the ball?
ie is there excessive friction in the cam mechanism that pushes the pads on?
I have always put a few spots of oil on these at each service and mine 11 years on remains free working.

 

[Raywood]

They are stiff but should not be that bad but hopefully a bit of oil will cure it.

 

[lucrus]

How easily does it move when not fitted onto the ball?

Very easily.

ie is there excessive friction in the cam mechanism that pushes the pads on?

No, it doesn't seem so.

I have always put a few spots of oil on these at each service and mine 11 years on remains free working.

Thanks for the suggestion, I might try the same.

 

[lucrus]

In the end it seems the culprit was a misplaced O-ring that should keep the friction pad in the correct place.
I removed the friction pads, disassembled the handle, noticed the misplaced O-ring, put the O-ring back into its correct place and now everything seems ok.

I'm leaving tomorrow for the holidays and let you know if my solution should turn out to be wrong, but I'm pretty confident it is ok now.

 

[camel]

The rubber 'O" ring sits in a recess and before now when I have changed the side pads the 'O' came out with the pad and it was split in two, since then I have always had a few O rings spare,

 

[Firkle]

Lucrus,

I had exactly the same problem with my hitch after the pads were replaced during the service and the O ring was not seated correctly.