rusted receiver removal.

[20 20]

I'd try the acetone and trans fluid 50-50 mix seems to be a favorite. An old trick the state does up here is to get things HOT then instantly poor COLD water on them, it helps bust up the rust. A sledge hammer while applying tension, along with the above, will more then likely work.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Mine is rusted in place. At least no one can steal it. I just leave it, for me there's no real need to take it out anyway. Sure, I've walked into it, but you only do that once. I put a convert-a-ball on it with interchangeable balls from 1 7/8 to 2 5/16, which makes it a snap to change sizes.

 

[The Haymaker]

I just went through this after having mine in for a few years. To make matters worse, I had drilled and welded a 5/8" nut on the side, rearward of the pin, to allow for a bolt to be tightened down on the male portion of the receiver to eliminate "roll" of a dirtbike carrier and slop when hauling a trailer. I twisted off the bolt so had to grind the nut off.

After a few weeks soaking with PB, I still could not get it to come free, even when tied off to a telephone pole.

I finally got mad and heated the hitch to the point that the paint was smoking. Tied the truck off to the pole, put it in 4L and applied the max pressure I could without spinning on the gravel drive. Put it in park and started wailing on the hitch, side to side, with a sledge hammer. It finally started inching out.... Well, millimetering out.

I wire brushed the whole unit, applied liberal paint, and will no longer leave the hitch in place.

 

[Hawghauler]

I like the air hammer idea, usually works for me. Mopar used to sell a heat riser solvent that came in a black and white spray can that ate through rust like a hot knife through butter. Drop your insurance for an hour and it will pop out as soon as you need it to stay in place.

 

[jayste]

Take the pin out and hook your $50,000 bass boat or tractor and trailer up to it. I guarantee you it will come out! Just don't forget to hook the safety chains up!:laughing::thumbsup:

No, really, I'm curious if and how you get this thing out. Let us know what works. Thanks.

 

[VTFireftr]

Can you acess the rear of the receiver?

Get under the truck and take a 5lb sledge and a piece of scrap metal and beat the snot out of the back of the hitch until you force it out. Make sure you wear eye protection for all the crap that will fall into your eyes when beating on the hitch. Hearing protection probably wouldn't hurt either.

Good luck.

 

[Hawghauler]

Can you acess the rear of the receiver?

Get under the truck and take a 5lb sledge and a piece of scrap metal and beat the snot out of the back of the hitch until you force it out. Make sure you wear eye protection for all the crap that will fall into your eyes when beating on the hitch. Hearing protection probably wouldn't hurt either.

Good luck.

No one knows more about rust than a Vermonter. The typical color of cars there is oxide.

 

[VTFireftr]

especially the imports and GM's.

 

[Maine wild blueberries]

hey I get all my hitches at he junk yard. just let them now make and model they will fix you up at a fraction of the cost. the hitches just go in the crusher pile

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would not trust a hitch after its been heated. You will not have piece of mind. I would just order a new one from the net. I can get them all day long for about $100.

In my trailer business I see a busted hitch every summer. Who knows why they brake but its not worth it. I nearly had one break on my F-250. If it does you are screwed. The safety chains do you no good at that point and you will be lucky if only the trailer gets totaled. I have seen trailers come off and go through the wall of a house. Luckily in that instance no one was home but it hit the couch where a kid was watching cartoons just 1 hour before.

Buy a new hitch.

Chris

 

[rjkobbeman]

I would not trust a hitch after its been heated.

So, where do you get hitches that have not been welded?

 

[Diamondpilot]

So, where do you get hitches that have not been welded?

You know what I mean. Is it really worth the effort if you can not pull it out in 4 wheel low to heat and beat on the thing? I am as frugal as the next guy but after 20 years in the trailer business I would not trust it. They are just too cheap through E-Trailer.com and companies like that.

Chris

 

[timswi]

You know what I mean. Is it really worth the effort if you can not pull it out in 4 wheel low to heat and beat on the thing? I am as frugal as the next guy but after 20 years in the trailer business I would not trust it. They are just too cheap through E-Trailer.com and companies like that.

Chris

I've seen trailer hitches collapse as well. Somtimes due to rust, other times, who knows what caused it...Not a pretty site, or feeling for that matter.

Applying excessive heat (red hot) could weaken the metal in the very spot where you need the strength. Initial welds are engineered into the strength calculations.

Ever notice that cutting or welding a ROPS is never allowed. They have initial welds too. The metal will weaken.

 

[George2615]

I recently had a friend stop over with the same problem. He couldn't get his hitch out of the receiver. I tried heating it with a torch but that didn't work. What did work was plenty of PB Blaster and hitting each side (left, right, top, and bottom) with a sledge hammer. Then used a 3 lb hammer to tap it out. After about a half hour of beating it finally came out.

 

[Mace Canute]

A couple of years back, a friend wanted to remove his home built running boards from his 1 ton Chevy Dually. This were fastened to the truck frame on each side with 2 1/2" square tubing with 2" square tubing slide inside holding the running boards themselves. It was a fairly tight fit between the two. He had these mounted for about 12 years (1985 truck) and was a little worried about whether or not they would come off easily. He asked me to give him a hand, so one day when I was at his shop, he put the unit up on his hoist and undid the bolts and with me on the outside to grab the framework, he was under the truck with a large deadblow hammer to knock it free. It took 3 hits and I had it off in my hands. The reason for this was because he "Rust Checks" his truck every year, a once a year procedure. Zero rust. If you want to remove a receiver easily every time, make darn sure you keep it oiled up at least! Even hydraulic oil is better than nothing.

 

[The Haymaker]

You know what I mean. Is it really worth the effort if you can not pull it out in 4 wheel low to heat and beat on the thing? I am as frugal as the next guy but after 20 years in the trailer business I would not trust it. They are just too cheap through E-Trailer.com and companies like that.

Chris

You guys fret about metal fatigue and temperance too much! I'm not hauling a 160k lb excavator. Besides, I may have written "until the paint smoked"?

As for the "why?" I got tired of banging my shins on it and I have a rack I welded up to carry my BoneBreakers crossways on the bumper. Easier than loading in the bed, no straps, and it frees the bed for my wife's quad if she want to go too.

If you weld with enough heat so you can get the job done quickly, you aren't going to hurt something like a ROPS. Proper welds are fine. You'll never convince me otherwise.

 

[tulenutn2o]

Aero-kroil oil. Tap,bang,bang,tap.Worked for me.

 

[20 20]

Once you get it out use grease before installing another. It can be a bit messy but it's way better then having to beat the crap out of stuff.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Mine was greased and it still rusted in place. You have to not leave it in when not towing. The problem is that most receivers are open at both ends, so crap gets in there from the front. If you welded a plate on that sealed the front of the receiver opening, that would probably help.

 

[Jim in ICT]

How about drilling and tapping the hitch for grease zerks?