How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Sort hitch class and receiver size first. Pin-hole alignment only matters after the shank matches the tube.
Watch on YouTubeHitch Drawbar Pin Hole Alignment Tips (Canada)
Lining up a hitch pin hole should feel calm, not like a wrestling match with the shank. When a ball mount or drawbar sits a little high, low, or crooked in the receiver, the pin holes refuse to meet and the temptation is to hammer or pry. This Canada tips page stays practical: how to line up the pin hole without forcing the shank, what rise or drop does to hole position, and which live CURT ball mounts and hitch pins we can honestly point to today. No invented legal cutoffs. Door sticker and hitch class still come first.
Parts-counter shortcut.
Support the shank, nudge height, then slide the pin. Pair this page with
drawbar versus ball mount,
hitch pin lanyard and clip tips,
ball mount rise versus drop, and
hitch pin, clip, and safety chains.
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 class selection, install habits, wiring basics, and ball-mount height before you dig into the product cards below.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Install habits matter. A crooked hitch or a loaded bumper changes how the shank sits when you try to pin it.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Lights come after the mechanical path. Do not skip a pin because you are rushing to plug in the trailer.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Rise versus drop changes where the ball sits and can change how the shank rests in the receiver before the pin slides home.
Watch on YouTubeWhy the pin hole fights you
A hitch pin only slides when the holes in the receiver and the shank line up. If the shank is cocked up, down, or twisted, the holes miss by a few millimetres and the pin feels stuck. Forcing it with a hammer can mushroom the pin, oval the holes, or scar the powder coat. Parts-counter advice is simple: support the shank, take weight off the tongue side, and nudge height until the holes look round from both sides.
Rise or drop on a ball mount changes where the ball sits relative to the trailer coupler. It can also change how the shank rests inside the tube before you pin it. A tall drop mount may want a little lift under the ball end while you align. A rise mount may want the opposite nudge. That is geometry, not a reason to pry against the receiver walls.
A calm lineup routine
Step 1Match the tube
Two inch shank for a two inch receiver. One and one quarter inch shank for a Class 1 tube. Wrong size will never pin cleanly.
Step 2Support the shank
Hold the mount level with one hand or a short jack stand under the ball end so the holes can meet without hanging weight.
Step 3Sight both holes
Look through the receiver hole. When you see a clean circle into the shank hole, slide the pin by hand.
Step 4Clip or lanyard last
Once the pin is through, secure the clip or lanyard so the pin cannot walk out on the road.
Do
Gentle nudges
Lift or lower the ball end a little. Twist the shank a few degrees. Wipe grit out of the tube so the shank can seat fully.
- Support weight under the ball end when needed
- Clean the receiver before you insert
- Use a pin sized for your tube
Do not
Force the pin
Hammering a cocked pin ovalizes holes and scars coatings. If the pin will not start by hand, the holes are still misaligned.
- No hammer on a crooked pin
- No pry bar against powder coat
- No mixing two inch pins into Class 1 tubes
Rise and drop
Hole position shifts
Changing rise or drop to level the trailer can change how the shank hangs before it pins. Re-check alignment after you flip a reversible mount.
- See rise versus drop
- See drawbar versus ball mount
- Re-sight holes after every flip
Live CURT hardware that helps
We stock ball mounts and hitch pins that match common two inch and one and one quarter inch receivers. Confirm the live card for shank size and drop before you order. Canada orders often ship free on qualifying baskets, so confirm the cart note before you check out.
Two inch mountCURT 45036Two inch Class 3 and Class 4 style ball mount with a useful drop. Confirm the live card for ratings.
Class 1 mountCURT 45521One and one quarter inch ball mount with rise and drop options for Class 1 tubes.
Class 1 mountCURT 45014Another one and one quarter inch ball mount option. Confirm drop and rise on the live card.
Two inch pinCURT 21510Five-eighths hitch pin with clip for everyday two inch receivers.
Class 1 pinCURT 21400One-half inch hitch pin with clip for Class 1 inserts.
Aluminum mountCURT 45362Two inch aluminum ball mount when you want a lighter shank. Confirm the live card before you tow.
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Alignment first | Sight a clean circle through both holes before you push the pin. If it will not start by hand, nudge height again. |
| Rise versus drop | Flipping a mount to level the trailer can shift how the shank rests. Re-check the pin hole after every change. See rise versus drop. |
| Drawbar language | Drawbar and ball mount get mixed in casual talk. Clear terms live on drawbar versus ball mount. |
| Clip and lanyard | A pin without a clip can walk out. Practical clip and lanyard habits live on hitch pin lanyard and clip tips. |
| No legal invention | We do not invent provincial cutoffs here. Follow the hitch card, the door sticker, and the handbook for your province. |
Related guides worth opening next
Drawbar versus ball mountClear language before you shop a shank.
Hitch pin lanyard and clip tipsKeep the pin from walking out once it is through.
Ball mount rise versus dropLevel the trailer without guessing hole position.
Hitch rattle noise fixWhen chatter remains after the pin is secure.
Parts-counter summary: support the shank, sight both holes, slide the pin by hand, then clip it. Rise or drop can change hole position, so re-check after every flip. Match CURT ball mounts and pins to your receiver size on the live cards above.
