I bought a used truck a few weeks back and have been trying my best to get the hitch out of the receiver (yes the pin is out ;-). It’s rusted in there so bad it just will not budge. I’ve tried dousing it repeatedly with WD-40. Today I heated it with an acetylene torch so hot you could fry bacon on it in a matter of seconds. With it blazing hot, using a 2″ ball installed upside down I beat on it unmercifully with the biggest hammer I own… nothing.
Any ideas how I can get this
thing out? It’s just lurking and waiting to take a chunk out of my shin.
Murphy’s law says I should hook up my trailer, no pin, no chains and get it up to eighty mph during rush hour traffic. That sucker will cut loose then.
Scott R.
Replies
Scott- you plan on using the hitch?
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
A friend tied a tow strap to a tree with a chain and put the loop at the other end over the ball. With the ball touching the tree he took off and hit the end of the strap at something like 20 mph with a mighty twang and thump. He said he used the nylon tow strap so it could absorb some of the shock. The second try left the ball and mount in the middle of the road and him a quarter mile farther away. I guess you could bend the frame if you did it too hard. It was fun to watch.
If you've got the torch, the trick is to heat the receiver (the female part) and "chill" the stinger. A shot of cold water might do the trick.
Some machinery parts are joined (or separated) by using heat and dry ice. The heated part will expand when it's hot enough and the cold part will shrink. (I'm not saying your hitch is; just spelling out the concept).
Sometimes, like in your case, just the temperature shock is often enough to break the corrosion bond.
You also might check and make sure somebody didn't tack weld the thing together. It's been known to happen and sometimes the welds aren't very obvious.
Jules Quaver for President 2004
Edited 11/29/2002 10:20:04 PM ET by Notchman
Is there any way you can get a Hi-Lift jack between the receiver frame and the hitch? You an apply a ton or so of force with these things. But the plate has to bear against the receiver, or the truck frame members; 'care you don't end up bending something you don't want to bend.
You could unbolt the receiver from the frame, and work on it; or, you could just bolt on a new receiver.
Scott, do you own a roto-hammer that has an old ugly chisel bit, and the hammer only option? Put the heat on just two adjoining sides of the receiver, after checking for the above mentioned welds, then once it is hot a little violent vibration should do it. I hope! I t might be fster to just replace with new one, but not near as much fun!! If you try the pull on a tree, don't use cable, unless it is REALLY Big, snapped cables lead to really ugly stories that end in hospitals. Good luck
Dan
Scott,
Find a body shop that has a porta power, small hydraulic cylinder with lots of power, shoud be able to push it off, fire depts sometime have them also.
Alan
You want to pull it out. A horizontal movement. Yet it sounds like all the corrosion breaking attempts you have made, have involved a vertical beating movement.
Soak it with wd-40 as before. Then put a metal plate up against the end of it, and drive it inwards with a few good solid blows from a 15 pound sledge. That should break the corrosion in the direction of travel that you want the hitch to move.
Now you should be able to pull it out fairly easy using the jack or the tow strap method already explained here.
Borrow the sledge.
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Scott, If the problem is rust then WD40 is not going to help much. Try Liquid Wrench instead. If you plan to tow with the truck, I'd just unbolt this hitch and replace it with a new one. I think it would be a much safer way to go.
Heat the receiver is the key, what you might need to do is a combo. if the shape permits, put in a portapower or gear puller arrangement, then heat the receiver. you might need to chill the ball, too. believe it or not, my subaru had the same problem, and the dealer used heat and a gear puller. Next time, liberally coat the sucker with grease or "never seize" before putting it together. i learned the hard way.
hey, next job that needs a crane, pick up that sucker by the ball, and swing and shake it in midair, that should do it.
listening for the secret.......searching for the sound...
I think a combination of heating and pulling sounds best. I'm thinking of a chain and a tree, and maybe a come-along. Put as much pressure on the hitch as possible. Then start heating the OUTSIDE of the reciever. (You want it to expand, like Notchman pointed out)Try to keep the hitch cool - Maybe have a helper pour some water over the end of it. Try to get the reciever red hot all the way around.
Keep the pressure on, and keep heating. Just don't stand behind the thing - it will come out like a bullet when it cuts loose.
I'm not a fan of jerking things - Too easy to tear things up. Those tow straps can bust, and then they're like a big rubber band breaking. Just about anything can happen.
Be sure to let us know what eventually works.
I have an answering machine in my car. It says, "I'm home now. But leave a message and I'll call when I'm out."
Notchman, I did heat the receiver and cooled the ball mount... twice. My thoughts exactly about the temp shock breaking the bond. No go.
Luka, All beating attempts were horizontal/out, by using the 2" ball mounted inverted and swinging at it with a sledge from under the truck.
A lot of good responses I just may try a body shop that has the capability to straighten frames let them try pulling it out. Right now I'm resigning to the fact that I just may end up replacing the receiver.
I have an 88 F-150 4x4 that I'm trying to sell and it has a hitch. Does anybody know if that hitch will bolt on to a 97 F-250 HD? (Both are 8' beds)
Scott R.
Measure the mounting pattern on both trucks. I know that 99 and up HD's are different than the f-150's. But I'm thinking that the '88 and '97 have the same body style?
Good luck,
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
http://www.lazarobuilders.com
Umm...Scott, I thought I told you I welded that hitch into the reciever when I sold it to you!
I have an 88 F-150 4x4 that I'm trying to sell and it has a hitch. Does anybody know if that hitch will bolt on to a 97 F-250 HD? (Both are 8' beds)
I believe the '97 250HD still had the old body style (the 97 250 Light Duty's had already changed). And when I checked on http://www.reeseprod.com, they recommended the same hitch for the 88 Ford pick-ups as for the non-light-duty 97 Fords.
But I'd buy the same model of hitch as is already on the 97, to avoid drilling new bolt holes in the frame. Drilling 9/16" holes in the heavy frame members, upside down, is a real b i t c h, and putting extra holes in the frame probably isn't a good idea.
WHY would anyone weld a hitch into a receiver? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a receiver? I mean, on my truck, sometimes I need a 2" low hitch for the small utility trailer, a 2" high for the horse trailer, a 2-5/16" for the 5-ton hay/equipment trailer, and a 2-5/16" wieght distributing hitch for the RV. Why would one intentionally give up that flexibility?
Some people, if they lose the hair pin and subsequently lose the retainer pin, will weld the hitch in because they don't really give a ####. Those same people will drive around with a chunk of blue tarp duct taped into their broken out windows or use an old pickup canopy for a doghouse.
My Dad had a neighbor once who had a Chevy engine to put in a Ford. Measured, marked and shot the new mounting holes in with a 30/06.Jules Quaver for President 2004
"But I'd buy the same model of hitch as is already on the 97, to avoid drilling new bolt holes in the frame. Drilling 9/16" holes in the heavy frame members, upside down, is a real b i t c h, and putting extra holes in the frame probably isn't a good idea."
Barry, my apprehension exactly. They are different makers.
Yesterday I bought some liquid Wrench (couldn't find the real good stuff LPS 3 or 4 can't remember) and soaked it repeatedly. Today I'm going to try rigging up my bottle jack and pushing it out (If it works on it's side, never tried it before) I'll post results later today, if I still own any sanity.
That SOB hitch caught my shin three times while I was doing other work (probably wouldn't have happened if the truck wasn't a tight fit in my garage). I came real close to cutting that bass-turd.
Scott R.
Chain the receiver to a tree or strong pole, and just idle along until it pops out. Nice and slow. Some vehicles have a switch which will trip in an accident which will need reset if you go too hard at it. The momentum of the truck will surely pull it out, it can't be that stuck. If you have a trailer then that up and drive around awhile (with the pin in!) It should be loose after that too.
I GIVE UP!!!! For now at least.
I did learn something today my bottle jack will work on its side, as long as the pump is kept low in the oil.
Four tons of force along with some banging with my sledge didn't make it move one bit (no heat this time). Right now I'll just keep shooting it with Liquid Wrench super penetrate and give it a try in a week or so.
Yep Mark it's that stuck! I've been pulling a trailer (pin in).
Scott R.
they will weld it in after it is stolen a few times and giving up on trying to figure out how to electrocute the person who steels the next one .
Fred, I wish somebody would steal this one.
A noble man that prevail in removeth of said hitch shall be named king. Dammit!
Scott R.
There is a fine commecial oil called 'Kroil Oil' that I have seen crawl up a wall. Worth a shot. Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Yes, what you're thinking of is Kroil, or the newer silicon vesion called SiliKroil, from Kano Laboratories, 1000 S. Thompson Lane, Nashville TN. I've used it on VW and Porsche mufflers where the nut was rusted down to where I had to use the next smaller wrench on it, and the remaining threads sticking out were rusted below the root diameter, so the nut just slid off after I got it turning. This stuff is much better than WD-40 or Liquid Wrench. It's also good for cleaning concrete out of J-bolt threads.
Squirt it, whack on it, give it some time to soak in, then do it all over again several times. Give it over night and do it some more.
-- J.S.
This has got to be the best accumulation of ideas I've seen in a single thread, with a couple exceptions (wink wink)
Right now I'm giving it a daily soaking of Liquid Wrench and will keep an eye out for some Kroil. In a couple weeks I plan on giving it another go with the torch, if it just doesn't fall out on its own.
Scott R.
J.S. you are my HERO!
I found a can of Kroil in the back of a recently repaired JARTRAN rental truck (remember them?). The drive shaft center bearing failed and they fixed it and I got this can of the most amazing penetrating fluid ever seen and I never knew where to get more of the stuff.
I got so I was using it for only the most IMPORTANT things, like holy water or something, because I'd had it so many years and worried about when it would run out.
But now, thanks to you, I've got an address and a company name.
I'm on it and ordering some new cans right now!
This stuff is WAY better than any typical 'over the counter' product like WD40 or whatever. Goes on like a foam (great sheeting action to prevent surface rust) and penetrates like rubbing alcohol (great for un-sticking things) and leaves a film like silicone or heavy oil (perfect for re-juvenating old bath fan bearings for just a few more years of groan/rumble free operation if squirted in there once in a while).
Norm
Norm --
Yes, SiliKroil is the best thing ever for disassembling rusted and/or stuck stuff. But on those fan bearings, you might want to change to WD-40 after you get them loose. Kroil tends to turn gummy if you use it as a long-term lubricant. It's the greatest product ever for its intended purpose, and for a lot of other things like as a cutting lubricant and on forming dies. But long term lubrication is the one thing it doesn't do well.
The same company also makes a product called Kreen, which you put in the oil and gas to clean out car and truck engines. If the problem is crud in the rings, this stuff can buy you tens of thousands of extra miles before you really need to overhaul.
-- J.S.
WD-40 is not a lubricating oil either.
It is good for flushing out old caked up grease and oil, but then you need to apply a real lubricant. A few drops of 3 in 1 oil would be much better.
wd is basically kerosene...go ahead.......take a whiff!
Now look at the price compared to kero.....wow, some profit!
Eric
hey scott
you could take the hitch off of the truck and bring it to a auto repair shop or a welding shop and have them put it in a press and press out the reciever
or another trick is put your truck in well ventilated area (outside)get abottle of propane from your gas grill and hold the valve against your reciever and open the valve the propane is extremly cold (wear gloves)it may shrink the reciever enough to get it out we use this method to replace pins in excavator buckets sometimes
or use propane to burn truck
good luck
I had to do this a few years ago.
1) Lots of oil
2) Make a "popsickle" out of a platic container that will fit inside the hitch from behind.
3) Chain hitch to a tree
4) Heat reciever
5) slip in "popsickle"
6) wait 2 mins.
7) Jack-rabbit start truck.
8) RepeatDitch
OR unbolt 6 bolts that hold it too the frame, throw away, then buy new receiver for $150.
Keith,
More like get a sawzall or acetylene, lay under the truck, eat dirt and rust and cut the frozen nuts off. The whole procedure takes less than 2 hrs. Oil and "popsickle" overnight.
Let's see..... 2 hrs. divided by $150.00 is $75.00 an hour......saved. Now take $30.00 of that saved $ and buy a nice plastic CHEVY logo hitch insert.Ditch
I know why I'm confused. You guys are figuring it is a hollow ball mount, and thus can insert a icesicle into, and I was envisioning a solid hitch that slides into the receiver, like the one I have. I pull bigger trailers, and use only the solid ones. (by the way, I'd still get out the impact and take it off, I'm paranoid that after all my banging it, it would have developed some stress crack somewhere, that would fail at the least opportune moment, and I'd wind up killing a nice family of 4 on there way to church or something) That family of 4 comes into my mind lots of times when I'm getting ready to do something foolish, stupid, quick without thinking in my vehicles. I don't know how many times they've saved there lives by just being there.
Those CHEVY logo thingies make a fine target for a sledgehammer.Jules Quaver for President 2004
Just asking the obvious, you have removed the keeper pin, haven't you?
Never had one stuck as bad as yours, but have had to loosen a few full of sand/salt by using a floor jack under receiver and a couple of wacks.
Best of luck
Scott,
I had the same thing happen on an older vehichle.
Put a metal blade in the sawzall, cut the ball mount off, then reach up inside the ball mount with the metal blade where there is still a piece of it in the receiver, make two cuts on one flat face to remove a section, the rest comes out with a few hits on a chisel.
Took less than 10 minutes.
BTW, I'd already tried the jack, hooking the ball mount to something else, all that. It didn't work for me, either. <G>
DRC
Call my brother. He works in a welding/fab shop. At least thats what I do and what ever vehical I give him always comes back with a nice hitch on it. Well, I have to paint it. DanT
You might try an old oil field trick. Get a heavy log chain, 3/8 or bigger, connect it to the hitch then back off so you have some slack and snap the chain up in the air then back. It's surprising how much impact force that will exert. It you can't snap the chain yourseld I've seen 3 or 4 men do it. Wear a good pair of gloves!!
CAn you edit a message after posting on this board?
I forgot to mention heating helps.
Once you get it out. I'm surprised you haven't gone the country boy route, get a six pack under your belt to help you de-evolve and get into a BFI (Brute Force and Ignorance) mood, drag knuckles out to the truck, wait until 2:30 AM for it to feel right, and use the tree, strap and popped clutch technique. When you wake up at noon one, possibly more than one, of four conditions will exist: hitch out; mount out; tree down; truck longer. Either way the hang over will allow you to handle it will as sense of detachment and humor.
Free yourself from your inner, over civilized, feminized self. Shake loose the shackles of effete rationalism. You know you want, need, to. What would Conan do? Testosterone whispers seductively at night and throbs in your temples every time you look at the truck. It is part of you. Hardwired into the base of your skull. Give in to the dark side. Love your inner barbarian. Glory in the force, sweat and muscularity. Sack the village. Embrace the horror.
Once you get it out you might try a heavy coat of a good zinc based anti-seize compound on the hitch before you put it back in. The stuff won't wash off and works well. Redo it every year or two and the trees around your neighborhood will sleep more soundly at night.
My roots run deep into backwoods and redneck ideals. So getting liquored up on cheap wine and taking an approach that would greatly devalue the truck in mere seconds is very much a part of my psyche The urge to misuse some lighter fluid and a firearm right now is awful!
However my upbringing allows me to remain reserved, use discretion and map out a tactical approach to the predicament at hand whilst I savor the bouquet and flavor of a fine Canadian brew. In the mean time my urges, derived from a bloodline we don't talk much about, will be satisfied in front of the television. Watching hockey, hoping a fight to break and NASCAR for an inevitable crash. YEEEEHAAAW!
Scott R.
Edited 12/6/2002 11:51:24 AM ET by Scott R.
Edited 12/6/2002 12:04:10 PM ET by Scott R.
connect the engines tail pipe to it and feed the truck some refried beans, seconds and thirds, there's a fast food place called taco hell , got a drive thru to I thin k make sure no ones behind you.
Oh man, between 4lorn1 and you I can't see straight. Gufawed out loud! Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
Yea. I know you were jerked up right by upstanding folks. But let me ask you one question.
Which methodology is going to make the best story for the grand kids when you are in your dotage:
1) I squirted penetrants at the problem, minced and tinkered it to death. Time for my Metamucil.
2) I toughed it out and taught that hitch a lesson in one bold stroke. It was it or me and I wanted it more. If you don't believe me you can ask the neighbors about the night I woke them up at 2AM and damn near tore their tree down. It still leans a bit toward the road. I am the man.