Al-ko Hitch Stabiliser.

[Dustydog]

Today‘s annual service required the stabiliser pads changing due to wear. Labour and two new pads £32.00. Ok. But the Al-ko “O” rings were missing! No idea why . So my mobile chap after a lot of hassle and fettling replaced the “O” rings. £5.00 each🙀🙀🙀.
He told me he must fit oem . I’m fine with that . He doesn’t know why so expensive . Ask Al-ko. On removal and refitting he said use loads of penetrating fluid to assist in removal and refitting into the new “O “ rings. BUT do not contaminate the pad surfaces.
Rather expensive 🤬🤬🤬

 

[Jaydug]

You got off lightly! I changed my Winterhoff pads myself last summer and the two new pads cost me 40 quid.

 

[RogerL]

I'll find out on Monday how much my mobile AWS is charging - I've asked for the friction pads to be replaced as they're no longer polishing the towball, so presumably ineffective.

 

[Paullus1959]

On the advice of my independant approved service engineer, I periodically pop the pads out to inspect them for damage or glazing. If the contact surfaces have become glazed then a light rub with very fine grit paper and a squirt of brake pad cleaning spray sorts it out. Cleaning the tow ball with said cleaner before hitching up was recommended too.
He also said that with a little bit of care and maintenance the pads should last for years.

 

[Buckman]

Today‘s annual service required the stabiliser pads changing due to wear. Labour and two new pads £32.00. Ok. But the Al-ko “O” rings were missing! No idea why . So my mobile chap after a lot of hassle and fettling replaced the “O” rings. £5.00 each🙀🙀🙀.
He told me he must fit oem . I’m fine with that . He doesn’t know why so expensive . Ask Al-ko. On removal and refitting he said use loads of penetrating fluid to assist in removal and refitting into the new “O “ rings. BUT do not contaminate the pad surfaces.
Rather expensive 🤬🤬🤬

What sort of mileage have you done as they are supposed to last over 30k. I am not familiar with the "O" ring. What is it and where does it fit? Do you have a link or a picture?

 

[otherclive]

On the advice of my independant approved service engineer, I periodically pop the pads out to inspect them for damage or glazing. If the contact surfaces have become glazed then a light rub with very fine grit paper and a squirt of brake pad cleaning spray sorts it out. Cleaning the tow ball with said cleaner before hitching up was recommended too.
He also said that with a little bit of care and maintenance the pads should last for years.

I just used to use some fine emery cloth and gently rub the pads in situ then rinse out with brake cleaner. The tow ball was cleaned with degreasant or brake cleaner.

 

[Dustydog]

Had ours 15 years and reckon she’s done 75k miles. The pads were well worn. Popping out the pads can dislodge the o rings which sit inside the hitch housing . They secure the pad stem in the hitch. None of the videos I have seen show how to fit them I watched my engineer and must say he found it very fiddly

 

[JTQ]

This ? £1.50 a piece.

 

[JTQ]

What sort of mileage have you done as they are supposed to last over 30k. I am not familiar with the "O" ring. What is it and where does it fit? Do you have a link or a picture?

They are just discernable in Fig 16 of THIS document, one per side.
Residing in the annular groove machined within the bore of the arm's stub axle, that holds the pad's shank.

Its primary function, IMO, is to apply a little friction to resist the pad slipping bodily into the void where the ball, when in use, fits.
If the pad should get displaced significantly into the void, the pad then risks being sheared off its shank when the ball enters?

Just as with the elastomer seals on the pistons of disc brakes, it locates the pad where it needs to reside, and self adapts over time to keep the pad where it should be.

IMO, not a great technical challenge for an "O"ring, so I would not be unduly concerned if other than an OEM one that fitted, was used on mine.

What is a "challenge", at least in my case as I age, is the job of installing them with the head in place. I removed and fully serviced the whole coupling head a few years back, and would repeat that if I needed ever again to fit one of these rings.