The Shocker 20K HD Air Drop Hitch adds instant heavy-duty air ride towing to your pickup and trailer, transforming a rough, jarring tow into a genuinely smooth one. It's a miniature air suspension unit that mounts between your truck and trailer, channeling road shock, tugs, jerks, bumps, bangs, and sway through a built-in heavy-duty air spring bag and dual urethane bump cushions. This version pairs the HD (20,000 lb) air ride system with the larger 2-1/2" receiver found on 3/4-ton and 1-ton pickups, and it comes with an adjustable chrome combo ball offering both a 2" and a 2-5/16" ball with 1/2" to 4-1/2" of drop.

It's ideal for heavy-duty truck owners towing large bumper-pull trailers, big equipment, car haulers, campers, and stock trailers who are tired of the constant bumps, jerks, and vibrations of a rigid hitch. Beyond comfort, the air ride system naturally reduces trailer sway by filtering and absorbing the changing tongue weight that occurs on uneven or rough roads, and it reduces damaging wear and tear on your truck's driveline and frame, the trailer, and your cargo, saving you money on breakage and repairs. Best of all, you can fine-tune the ride: add air for heavier loads or reduce it for lighter ones, dialing in the perfect balance of ride comfort and load control. Made in the USA by Shocker Hitch in Jamestown, ND, it's a smart upgrade for smoother, safer heavy-duty towing every mile.

Key Features

• Heavy-duty built-in air ride suspension – A built-in HD air spring bag and dual urethane bump cushions absorb road shock, tugs, jerks, bumps, and sway for years of heavy-duty performance, creating a much smoother ride for both the tow vehicle and the trailer.
• 20,000 lb capacity, sized for 2-1/2" receivers – A 20,000 lbs. GTW / 2,000 lbs. tongue weight frame rating, built for the larger 2-1/2" receiver on 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks, with an adjustable 2" and 2-5/16" chrome combo ball and 1/2" to 4-1/2" of drop across 8 adjustment holes.
• Tunable air pressure for any load – Add air for heavier trailers or reduce it for lighter loads to optimize ride comfort, load control, and sway reduction for your exact towing weight.
• Reduces sway, damage, and wear – Filters and absorbs the changing tongue weight that causes sway, reduces the damaging forces of a hard connection (protecting your driveline, frame, welds, equipment, and cargo), and improves control and safety.

Features & Benefits
The heart of the Shocker is its rocker arm pivot design, which produces a distinctive down-and-back motion that filters road shock into the integrated air ride system and dual bump cushions. It works through the HD air spring bag, urethane cushions, and a greaseable 1" diameter 1045 carbon steel pivot bolt, which allows the pivoting rocker motion to happen smoothly and reliably. It's a simple, effective, and durable design built for years of heavy-duty performance.

The safety story is worth understanding, because it's the reason an air hitch matters on heavy loads. When you tow a trailer, road bumps and jerks displace the weight. When a bump causes weight to come off the front of your vehicle, it can put too much tongue weight on the hitch, and without an air hitch that can lead to poor steering and braking. When a bump displaces weight onto the rear trailer tires, that can cause the trailer to sway. The Shocker HD absorbs and cushions these forces, which is why an air ride hitch, combined with a level towing setup, is proven to be both safer and smoother. It's also easier and less stressful on you, your passengers, animals, tow vehicle, trailer, and cargo, while reducing the wear, tear, and breakage that a hard connection inflicts on your driveline, frame, and welds.

Heavy-duty construction and adjustability define the 20K HD. It uses 3/8" thick HD carbon steel side plates with 8 adjustment holes, a thick top plate, a heavy-duty air spring, and dual bump cushions, all finished in an impact-resistant premium matte safety red textured powder coat on the base frame with black powder coat on the floating paddle and receiver shank. The air bag sits under the receiver tube for a short 10-1/2" distance between the receiver pin and ball center, and you fine-tune the air pressure for your load (never exceeding 100 PSI, which can damage the air spring or bushings). A note on leveling: some HD air receiver hitches with a 2-1/2" receiver use a spacer block, which comes in the box, if the paddle sits at more than a 10-degree angle when aired up, install the spacer on top of the paddle to level the paddle and air spring bag. This hitch is for bumper-pull trailers and will not work with a weight-distribution hitch system, and it anchors a system of 20+ interchangeable ball mount options (combo, drop, raised, drawbar, clevis pin, sway bar tab, pintle, pintle-and-ball, and more).

Installation & Use

• Fitment: Slides into a standard 2-1/2" receiver hitch tube; great for 3/4-ton and 1-ton pickups with a receiver under the bumper, towing bumper-pull trailers with a 2" or 2-5/16" coupler.
• Before installing: Compress the air spring first. Use the provided cotter pin clip to push in on the valve core to release air pressure, and simultaneously push down on the paddle or squeeze the plates together to exhaust the remaining air.
• Mounting the hitch: Slide the shank fully into the receiver tube, align the pin holes, insert the 5/8" hitch pin, and lock it with the cotter pin clip.
• Installing the ball mount: Choose an attachment that lets your trailer sit level, install it into the Shocker frame, and secure it with the provided hitch pins and cotter pin clips.
• Setting air pressure: Hook up and load your trailer, then inflate the air spring; as pressure increases the unit rotates and lifts the hitch point. Add air until the top of the frame touches the tailgate-side bump cushion (or, for heavy loads, compresses it by about 1/8"). The "sweet spot" is reached once the main frame lightly compresses the truck-side bump cushion.
• Spacer block: This 2-1/2" HD version includes a spacer block in the box. If the paddle sits at more than a 10-degree angle when aired up, install the spacer on top of the paddle to level the paddle and air spring bag.
• Important cautions: NEVER exceed 100 PSI. Grease the hitch ball to reduce wear and improve shocker action. Connect your safety chains and electrical cord before towing.

What's Included

• (1) Shocker 20K HD air ride receiver hitch for 2-1/2" receiver, with built-in HD air ride system and dual bump cushions
• (1) Adjustable 2" & 2-5/16" chrome combo ball mount (1/2" to 4-1/2" drop)
• (1) Spacer block (for leveling, as needed)
• (3) D-handle mount attachment pins with clips (two for the mount attachment, one for your receiver)

*A huge selection of alternate ball mount attachments (combo, drop, raised, drawbar, clevis pin, sway bar tab, pintle, pintle-and-ball, and more, 20+ options) is available separately.*

Care & Maintenance
A little routine care keeps your Shocker HD performing smoothly for years:

• Grease the ball and pivot bolt: Grease the hitch ball to reduce wear and improve shocker action, and keep the greaseable 1" 1045 carbon steel pivot bolt lubricated so the rocker motion stays smooth.
• Check air pressure: Periodically verify the air pressure is set correctly for your load so the paddle sits level; add or release air as your load changes. Never exceed 100 PSI.
• Keep pins clean and secure: Keep the D-handle pins and clips clean and confirm they are fully seated before every tow, along with your safety chains and electrical cord.
• Keep it clean: Rinse off road salt, mud, and grime periodically, especially after winter or coastal driving, to protect the powder coat finishes.
• Inspect before towing: Check the HD air spring bag, bump cushions, side plates, welds, spacer block, and finish for wear or damage; confirm the ball is greased and secure.
• Storage: Store the hitch and ball mount somewhere dry when not in use; keep the shank clean so it slides in and out easily.

Warranty
Shocker Hitch products are backed by the manufacturer's warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.

• Typically covered: Manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal, intended use.
• Typically not covered: Damage from misuse, exceeding rated capacities, exceeding 100 PSI, improper installation, accident, modification, and normal wear.
• Registration: No registration typically required; keep your proof of purchase.

*Warranty terms and duration can vary. Made in the USA by Shocker Hitch in Jamestown, ND.*

Terms to Know

• Air ride hitch: A receiver hitch with a built-in air spring (airbag) that acts as a small suspension between truck and trailer, absorbing road shock for a smoother tow.
• HD air spring: The heavy-duty air spring bag used on the 20K version for the biggest bumper-pull loads.
• 2-1/2" receiver: The larger receiver tube size found on many 3/4-ton and 1-ton and commercial trucks (versus the common 2" receiver).
• Combo/dual ball mount: A mount carrying two ball sizes (here 2" and 2-5/16") so one hitch fits most common bumper-pull couplers.
• Drop: How far the ball sits below the receiver opening; this combo ball offers 1/2" to 4-1/2" of drop across its 8 adjustment holes.
• Rocker arm pivot design: Shocker's shock-damping design that produces a down-and-back motion to filter road shock into the air spring.
• Air spring bag: The inflatable rubber bag that provides the cushioning; its pressure is adjustable for your load (never over 100 PSI).
• Bump cushions: Dual urethane cushions that add extra shock absorption on rough roads.
• Paddle: The floating metal plate above the air spring bag that should sit level when the hitch is properly aired up.
• Spacer block: A leveling block (included in the box on this 2-1/2" HD version) used to level the paddle when the aired-up angle would otherwise be excessive.
• Pivot bolt: The greaseable 1" diameter 1045 carbon steel bolt that lets the rocker motion happen smoothly.
• GTW/TW: Gross Trailer Weight and Tongue Weight; the 20K HD frame is rated 20,000 / 2,000 lbs, the 2" ball 10,000 lbs, and the 2-5/16" ball 20,000 lbs.
• Weight-distribution hitch: A system that spreads tongue weight across the vehicle; the Shocker air hitch is NOT compatible with it.

Specs at a Glance

•  Fits - Standard 2-1/2" receiver tube (3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks) 
•  Balls - 2" and 2-5/16" chrome combo ball 
•  Drop range - 1/2" to 4-1/2" (8 adjustment holes) 
•  Frame rating - 20,000 lbs GTW / 2,000 lbs TW (can vary by mount) 
•  2" ball rating - 10,000 lbs GTW 
•  2-5/16" ball rating - 20,000 lbs GTW 
•  Pin-to-ball distance - ~10-1/2"
•  Side plates - 3/8" thick HD carbon steel, 8 adjustment holes 
•  Air spring - Heavy-duty air spring bag 
•  Pivot bolt - Greaseable 1" diameter 1045 carbon steel 
•  Max air pressure - 100 PSI (never exceed) 
•  Finish - Matte safety red textured powder coat (frame); black powder coat (paddle & shank); chrome balls 
•  Spacer block - Included in the box (install to level if needed) 
•  Ball mount options - 20+ interchangeable attachments available 
•  Not compatible with Weight-distribution hitch systems 
•  Made in USA (Jamestown, ND)