Hitch Removal Tips?

[tinbanger]

Had a nice shiney Lexus get a bit to close this week . Ended up with my hitch ball partially buried in my back bumper

 

Here's my problem the hitch has been rusted into the reciever for a few years . I had tried in the past to hammer it out but not much room to swing a hammer.

Do you think cutting of the hitch and hammering ( towards front of vehicle) would work.Perhaps the impact helped loosen it ,havn"t had a chance yet to try.

 

This is my old tow vehicle (99 venture) but still use it for towing especially ice fishing gear.

 

Guess nothing to lose trying to cut it off as the hitch is most likley scrap and not too much $$ to replace. Cheaper than the Lexus repair

[bigfish1965]

I think I would have the Lexus owner pay for that. I wouldn't even touch it at this point. But if you insist you can always spray the heck out of it with a penetration oil, let it sit for a few days, beat it with a hammer, then tie to a tree with a good rope and try to drive away...slowly of course.

[Chris Cross]

Worst case, get out the cutting torch.

Try lots of heat on the hitch part not the reciever part.

Or just cut it off!

CX

[tinbanger]

its my winter beater and the other driver wasn't an a jerk about it so traded a bit of good Carma for a damaged hitch

 

Like the tree idea may wait till my neighbours away and give it a try ( with his tree )

 

Tinbanger

[Vanselena]

If you can try and remove the whole hitch mount and then take the tongue out

[tinbanger]

take of the hitch! way too much work . Maybe combine,flammable liquid, cutting torch , chain ,tree ( beer)

 

what could possibly go wrong

 

Tinbanger

[Whopper]

take of the hitch! way too much work . Maybe combine,flammable liquid, cutting torch , chain ,tree ( beer)

 

what could possibly go wrong

 

Tinbanger

 

LOL set up a video camera first!

[irishfield]

Dave...try pulling the pin first! LOL

 

Take a chain and drive over to Walmart and use one of the parking lot light standard cement bases...or come over here and I'll yank it out with the tractor.

[tinbanger]

Yee haw a good old fashioned tractor pull

[pidge]

at work we use whats basiccaly a corded jack hammer ( to knock bricks of a house out ). If you know an electrician or hvac guy he would likely have acess to one. Maybe you could hit it with that and shake it loose enough to, like Irishfield said pull it from a cement post? just an idea?

[Carp]

If you're near me (Mississauga) I can give you a hand if you can't get it out.

I have some very persuasive tools and chains.

 

I still don't understand how the ball ended up into the bumper.

Did the hitch bend or was the pin sheared, causing the hitch to slide forward in the receiver and

into the bumper ?

 

Anyhow, if ya need help and you're not to far, send me a message.

[tinbanger]

thanks for the offer carp.I'll give it a go on saturday and see what happens

 

Its a class II hitch , the impact bent the hitch bar . The reciever seems ok .

 

TB

[cisco]

Heat the bar and bend/hammer the sucker back down to where it was. Good ta go.

 

Or, if no room to swing a hammer to beat it out, try attaching a length of strong chain and then at the last link away from the hitch, slide a tire iron through and then beat on the tire iron as close to the chain as possible while holding it at the other end. Then have some beer and laugh your butt off about the Lexus.

[dwc67]

air hammer will get it out, wear ear plugs

[b2kptbo]

 

 

Its a class II hitch , the impact bent the hitch bar . The reciever seems ok .

 

 

Don't know if your trailer will tow straight, could be a danger and illegal. Might want to get $500 for a new hitch...

[nelly]

Had a problem getting the hitch off years ago from rust. I went to my local mechanic and he put the car up on the hoist. He then drill a small hole into the back of the plate. He got a small thin bolt and tap it out completely. When ever it got tight, he would only tap the two side of the tongue lightly. Never on the ball. When it finally came out, he spray it with wd 40 and put some grease on it. Total cost for me was $20.00

[Headhunter]

I had a similar situation a coupla months back... guy drove into the back of my Jimmy and bent the tow bar up and under the bumper.

After much driving around and talking to folks in the know, it was determined that the tow bar was not the only part bent... the actual truck frame was bent as the tow bar assemblyr attached to the frame.

I'd have someone who knows the vehicle have a look. If it's a similar set-up as my Jimmy, you'll never tow correctly again, unless you get the frame straightened.

Total cost for a new bumber assembly, frame straightening and installation....

$1100.00! The "rocket scientist" (no offense to our resident!) who missed seeing the school bus stopped in the opposite lane and hit us, paid for it all!

Check out your frame!

HH

[Garyv]

Worst case, get out the cutting torch.

Try lots of heat on the hitch part not the reciever part.

Or just cut it off!

CX

 

 

Chris gave you real good advice, but in reality Mr Lexus should be paying for everything needed to get your hitch fixed or replaced!!!!

 

Two years ago prior to the Christmas parade in town, I had a guy tag the bum end of my Dodge...it was dark and snowy, he had an older junk type vehicle full of kids and after a quick look at the damage I said ( trying to be a nice guy ) you really didn't hurt my vehicle with your car so Merry Christmas, just go and enjoy the parade. Next day after I realized my lights were not working properly and the trailer wiring was toast ( shorted ) as well as the connector and the protecting shroud was ripped away when finally fixed paid $195 out of my pocket....Merry Christmas to me!

Edited December 15, 2006 by Garyv

[Carp]

Don't know if your trailer will tow straight, could be a danger and illegal. Might want to get $500 for a new hitch...

 

 

$500 for a trailer hitch ?

WOW !!!

 

Are you towing the space shuttle launch pad ?

 

I don't think I've ever paid more than $150 and that's a 5000lb. capacity receiver.

The last one was a 3500lb receiver I installed myself on my Chevy Venture van.

Not sure of the exact price, but no more than $100 - $120 @ Princess Auto on sale.

 

Might be time to change your trailer hitch supplier b2kptbo.

[b2kptbo]

$500 for a trailer hitch ?

WOW !!!

 

Are you towing the space shuttle launch pad ?

 

I don't think I've ever paid more than $150 and that's a 5000lb. capacity receiver.

The last one was a 3500lb receiver I installed myself on my Chevy Venture van.

Not sure of the exact price, but no more than $100 - $120 @ Princess Auto on sale.

 

Might be time to change your trailer hitch supplier b2kptbo.

Carp, buddy relax, was just trying too help the guy out...

[bigfish1965]

Paid nearly 400 for my hitch....stupid Chrysler.

[Carp]

I'm relaxed b2kptbo, but just a little shocked.

I guess that's about the going rate at a dealership....maybe ?

My newest vehicle came with a factory installed receiver, wiring and tranny cooler.

I know to get all that done by the dealer later would have been quite a bit of money

 

I know you're trying to help, we all are.

I wasn't trying to start any friction.

Don't need any enemies.

Besides, you'd probably knock me into the ground.

I'm just a tiny muscleless runt. Jeez, I only weigh 137lb.

O.K. 139lb., but I had a big lunch.

 

Get your gear ready and let's go fishing instead.

[b2kptbo]

No friction bud, just that the way I took his post was he was doing the cash thing and not through the insurance. So if he's doing all the work the price of the repair should reflect total replacement and again was the safety thing.

 

Bill...

[John Bacon]

its my winter beater and the other driver wasn't an a jerk about it so traded a bit of good Carma for a damaged hitch

 

Like the tree idea may wait till my neighbours away and give it a try ( with his tree )

 

Tinbanger

 

 

Personally, I'd still make the Lexus owner pay for the damage. If he is not a jerk, then he shouldn't have a problem taking responsibility for his mistake. If he uses his insurance to pay for his own repairs, then it shouldn't make any difference to him if the insurance covers your costs as well.

 

If you do try the "tree think", keep in mind that if it does work the reciever may become a dangerous projectile. A "Darwin Award" is a definite possibility.