Aluminum Vs. Steel Hitches

To buy an aluminum hitch, or to buy a steel hitch. 

That is the question. 

Here at Weigh Safe, we offer an array of different types and styles of hitches to accommodate your towing needs.  Whether you choose an aluminum or steel hitch, our products will enhance safety and performance.  So,  here is something important to consider  when choosing which type of hitch to buy.

Let’s start with the basics by looking at the comparison of aluminum and steel here at Weigh Safe: 

ALUMINUM: A BREAKDOWN

Weigh Safe uses 6061-T6511 Aluminum. This aluminum is air-craft grade and is one of the highest grades that is aged to its strongest state. This grade of aluminum allows us to be able to hold a very tight tolerance throughout the entire hitch since it is easier to machine. This is why each of our ball mounts are direct to size and have a bold, clean cut appearance. 

Aluminum is more lightweight compared to steel, which is more user-friendly when it comes to lifting and carrying the hitch. Our Aluminum Weigh Safe Ball Mounts weigh between 17-23lbs, depending on the size. The sizes we offer are 4″, 6”, 8”, and 10” drop lengths with shaft sizes of 2”, 2.5” and 3”. 

ALUMINUM WEIGH SAFE BALL MOUNT

2” shaft: 12,500lbs

2.5” shaft: 18,500lbs

3” shaft: 21,000lbs

With aluminum being lightweight, it also means that over time it can wear faster compared to steel. At Weigh Safe, we accommodate this by using more material in the solid shaft portion instead of a hollow shaft. 

Hate dealing with rust? Our aluminum Weigh Safe hitches won’t corrode. One of aluminum’s greatest advantages is its corrosion resistance, which is one of the many reasons why we use it for our Weigh Safe Ball Mounts. If you either live in an area that is humid or you make contact with water regularly, aluminum will hold up great for your needs and you won’t ever need to worry about corrosion. Talk about a Peace of Mind!   We sell almost 10 aluminum adjustable hitches to every 1 steel adjustable hitch.  It is by far our most popular version.

STEEL: A BREAKDOWN

If you plan on towing higher amounts of weight, we got you covered. Steel is more wear-resistant and has the ability to tow higher amounts of weight, which is why we use it for our True Tow Weight Distribution Hitch and our Pintle Hitch attachment (coming soon!). Steel is not as compressible as aluminum, which helps with its ability to have a greater fatigue resistance over its lifetime. 

Since steel is heavier-duty, we use a hollow shaft portion on the Steel Weigh Safe drawbar to accommodate the weight, while we use a solid shaft portion on the True Tow Weight Distribution Drawbar for heavier-duty towing. 

Our Steel Weigh Safe hitches come standard with a black powder coating finish with an added zinc undercoating for more protection. This zinc coating adds additional protection to make it less prone to corrosion if the top powder coating ever comes off.

ALUMINUM

To keep your aluminum Weigh Safe Ball Mount in good condition, we suggest regular cleaning of the components. You can clean the aluminum components with regular soap and water to get rid of any road debris, dirt, salt, etc. You can also use a fine-grit sandpaper to really bring that aluminum shine back! This will allow the components to move smoothly and prevent them from getting “stuck”. No need for any grease or recoating for our aluminum products. 

 

STEEL

If you live in a humid area or you are exposed to water regularly, it’s crucial to regularly maintain your steel Weigh Safe hitch in order to minimize corrosion. We suggest safely storing your steel hitch away during the winter months or if you live in a humid environment/are exposed to water regularly. If the powder coating ever comes off of your Steel Weigh Safe hitch, we suggest using grease or a black spray paint to cover those spots to help prevent corrosion. 

Just like our aluminum components, we suggest regular cleaning of the steel components with soap and water to get rid of road debris, dirt, salt, etc. 

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