How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Hitch class and receiver size come first. Rise and drop only matter after the shank matches the tube on the tow vehicle.
Watch on YouTubeBall Mount Rise versus Drop (Canada)
Most shoppers ask for a drop ball mount because the trailer coupler sits lower than the hitch. Rise is the other way around. You need rise when the hitch on the tow vehicle sits lower than the trailer coupler, or when a lifted truck and a low trailer still leave the coupler too high after you measure. This Canada parts-counter page explains when to flip a reversible mount, how rise and drop relate to hitch height and ride height, and which live CURT ball mounts stock rise, drop, or both. We will not invent legal cutoffs for trailer height or coupler angle.
Practical Canada ball-mount advice. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Related reading:
how to measure ball mount drop,
hitch height and ride height,
ball mount trailer hitch guide, and
drawbar versus ball mount.
Prefer the full index?
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). Use them for hitch class, install habits, wiring basics, and ball-mount height so rise versus drop shopping stays tied to a real measurement, not a guess in the aisle.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Hardware that sees road salt still needs a recheck habit after the first trips of the season, ball mounts and hitch pins included.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Trailer lights still need a plug-test habit. A crooked tongue from the wrong rise or drop can look like a lighting fault when the trailer sits wrong.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
CURT ball-mount selection is where rise versus drop decisions belong. Measure first, then choose the stamped rise or drop that levels the trailer.
Watch on YouTubeWhen you need rise instead of drop
Measure from the ground to the top inside of the hitch receiver, then from the ground to the bottom of the trailer coupler, with both vehicles on level ground and the trailer loaded the way you actually tow. The difference tells you whether the ball needs to sit higher or lower than the receiver. If the coupler sits higher than the hitch, you need rise. If the coupler sits lower, you need drop. Open the measure ball mount drop guide for the tape-measure steps, and the hitch height and ride height guide when a lift kit, air bags, or a lowered car changed the story after the last measurement.
Common rise cases in Canada include a low hitch on a car or crossover paired with a trailer that sits tall on its axle, or a truck that sits high enough that a drop mount would leave the tongue pointing downhill. A downhill tongue can unload the hitch ball, mess with trailer brakes and lights feel, and make sway worse. Level is the goal, not the biggest drop stamped on the shelf.
How to flip a reversible ball mount
Many CURT fixed ball mounts are stamped with both a rise number and a drop number because the shank can be flipped. Insert the shank so the ball platform sits above the receiver for rise, or below the receiver for drop. The live card usually lists both figures, for example two inch rise or four inch drop. Use only one orientation at a time, keep the ball hole facing the correct way for your trailer coupler, and confirm the hitch pin still lines up cleanly through the receiver.
Some mounts are rise-only or drop-only. A fixed five inch rise mount will not become a drop mount by flipping if the card never lists a drop figure. Read the live title and description rather than assuming every black shank flips both ways. Loaded mounts with a factory ball already installed still follow the same rise-or-drop orientation rules on the shank.
Parts-counter habits before you order
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Measure twice | Measure hitch height and coupler height on level ground with the trailer loaded. Then open the measure drop guide. |
| Ride height changes | Lift kits, leveling kits, and worn springs change the number. Open hitch height and ride height before you reuse last season mount. |
| Shank size first | One and one quarter inch and two inch shanks are not interchangeable. Match the receiver opening before you chase rise or drop. |
| Flip only when listed | Use the rise figure when the coupler sits high, and the drop figure when it sits low. Confirm both numbers on the live card. |
| Tongue weight still wins | A level trailer with too much tongue weight is still unsafe. Open the ball mount guide and tongue-weight tips on the hub. |
| No invented cutoffs | We will not invent legal cutoffs for coupler angle, rise inches, or provincial tow rules. Confirm local requirements yourself. |
| Pin and lock | Secure the shank with a hitch pin or receiver lock sized for the tube. Recheck after the first salted Canadian trips. |
| Loaded versus bare | Some mounts ship with a trailer ball already torqued. Others need a separate ball sized for your coupler. Confirm the live card. |
Live CURT ball mounts with rise, drop, or both
These are stocked CURT ball mounts that show available on the storefront today. Confirm shank size, rise, drop, and rating on the live card before you order. A one and one quarter inch Class 1 shelf and a two inch Class 3 shelf are different carts.
Rise · one and one quarter inchCURT 45014Fixed Class 1 style mount with about five inch rise for a one and one quarter inch receiver. Confirm the live card.
Rise · one and one quarter inchCURT 45021Class 1 ball mount with a one and one quarter inch shank and about three inch rise. About two thousand pounds on the live card.
Rise or drop · one and one quarter inchCURT 45028Reversible style Class 1 mount with about four and five eighths inch rise or six inch drop on the live card. Flip for the orientation you measured.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45040Two inch Class 3 style mount with about three quarters inch rise or two inch drop. Confirm ball hole and rating on the live card.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45250Two inch mount with about three quarters inch rise or two inch drop. Hollow shank friendly with an anti-rattle kit.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45270Two inch mount with about two inch rise or four inch drop when you need a bigger flip either way.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45230Two inch mount with about two inch rise or four inch drop and dual pin-hole length options on the live card.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45280Heavier two inch mount with about four inch rise or six inch drop for larger height gaps. Confirm Class rating on the live card.
Rise or drop · two inchCURT 45340Forged two inch mount with about one inch rise or two inch drop and a larger ball hole on the live card.
Drop · loaded two inchCURT 45036Loaded two inch mount with a two inch ball and about two inch drop when measurement calls for drop, not rise.
Drop · loaded two inchCURT 45056Loaded two inch mount with a two inch ball and about four inch drop for a larger drop measurement.
Drop kit · two inchCURT 45141Towing starter kit with a two inch ball, about two inch drop, and a keyed hitch lock on the live card.
How this sits beside the other height guides
The ball mount trailer hitch guide covers shank size, ball size, and rating basics. The measure-drop page walks the tape measure. The hitch-height and ride-height page explains why a lift kit or a sagging spring changes last years number. This page is the practical fork in the road: choose rise when the coupler sits high, choose drop when it sits low, and flip a reversible mount only when the live card lists both figures.
Related guides worth opening next
Measure ball mount dropTape-measure steps for hitch height versus coupler height.
Hitch height and ride heightWhy lift kits and sagging springs change the mount you need.
Ball mount hitch guideShank size, ball size, and rating basics for Canada shoppers.
Drawbar versus ball mountWhen the parts counter talks drawbar language instead of ball mount.
Parts-counter summary: measure hitch height and coupler height on level ground, choose rise when the coupler sits high and drop when it sits low, flip a reversible mount only when the live card lists both figures, match shank size before you chase inches, and never invent a legal cutoff from a store page. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
