Hitch removal/ probably rusted in...

What are some good hitch removal tricks

I bought this jeep and the hitch won't budge.

I've sprayed blaster rust lube in the small gaps and after two days soak tried knocking it out with a small heavy hammer and its still not breaking free.

Ideas??

heat is your friend. Torch it

Soak it in PB blaster for days, spray it twice a day for a week. Then heat. If possible, hit it with a propane torch and then beat it with a large hammer. If you can get at it from both ends, try that.

Hook it to a really heavy trailer or tie the trailer to a tree. Use the jeep to pull it out. You talking about the receiver or the ball coming out of the receiver?

Heat, spray, sledge hammer, repeat. lol

Sometimes nothing works....

hook a chain to the hitch and a tree. drive forward

Hook onto a heavy trailer and hit the rough dirt roads.

The pounding will knock the rust out and vibrate it loose in no time.

WS

I found it best to get up under vehicle and drive it out with a sledge hammer, maybe using another receiver to hit on.

Hook a log chain to it and snap it like a whip. May take a bunch of tries before it works. Used to pull stuck axles like that. Works kind of like a slide hammer.

Needs the Hot wrench…..dealt with one of those last week

Put a floor jack underneath it and see if you can break the corrosive seal

Yes indeed gravity box full of corn works

A torch is gonna be your best friend here. Get it good and glowing hot all the way around and go at it like you mean it with a heavy hammer

penetrating oil takes time to work , keep applying get from front and back

if you have the time spray it 2x a week for a few weeks

then drive it out often have to take the spare tire down for that

if that doesn't work a new hitch assembly is probably the smart way to go all new bolts and re-attach it to the frame

how much do you trust something rusted that bad

fluid film spray each time you put your hitch in after you get it out and clean it out

Alot of times you can drive it out from under the vehicle most receivers are not seal on the back.

We had a ball mount get rusted tight in a receiver at work on one of our 1 ton trucks. That truck regularly towed a flat trailer with a bobcat on it so the heavy trailer thing wasn't going to work. We beat that thing with a sledge hammer for 20 minutes in all directions and put a propane rosebud on it and got the receiver cherry red on the bottom. We tried prying it with a round pry bar through the receiver pin hole.

This is a maintenance shop with a half dozen guys who fix stuff for a living and we surrendered and let it stay where it was.

The Receiver

Not good

Soak it with pb get 8lb sledg. and beat it till it comes off.

I never leave mine in unless I'm using it. Mostly because I've smacked my shin against it and possible theft even with a lock. Plus the stainless ones are a bit cleaner sitting behind the seat. Bet this would lock up real good with the dissimilar metals.


Edit - it looks a little pink as it is reflecting the red shirt I was wearing while taking the picture.

Remember: there's fuel tank under there somewhere.

Good luck, I'm o for 2 on them.

This sounds like the best idea to me.

When you do get it out,apply a bit of axle grease to it when you put it back.

Lots of good ideas. I’ve recently started using a product called Free All…I like it better than PB Blaster. Just curious….I’ve never had a hitch rust in like that. Is this a northern issue from salt on the roads??

Just looked up this video , different method , but makes sense.
Short 2:26 , crummy background music , and I would not use a Pyrex glass pan , but it looks like it works with much less effort.

If trying to power pull it by attaching to a tree, use a tow strap with some stretch. It will give a compound pull. Doing this pull with a chain or cable is a hard on the vehicle and dangerous.

100ft of coiled up chain to a big oak,then floor it.
Make sure you film it.

Air hammers/air chisel can be better than a sledge hammer some times.

Boco - cruel, but I want to see the video.
Next he can replace the windshield.

B.F.H. and some heat.

What I was thinking, gives a little spring to it, sometimes equals a 2 for 1 pull! Although, I would suggest you find another "reciever" tube and reweld it in, or scarf (relief cut(can be done with grinder, or torch)) down each side and heat, beat, and repeat; then reweld it together! All depends on your confidence, ability, and availability of tools required. Good luck!

Some guys will surely disagree with me, but this WILL work:
Forget lube/spray, you're past that point. Obviously, be careful with the gas tank, but get it HOT, glowing all around,if you can't yank/drive it out,re-heat it and have the garden hose ready. Quench that sucker! Steam will penetrate places you can't imagine. BTW,I have lots of experience with rusty junk, LOL.

I got home from fishing one day pulling a boat trailer. I unhooked trailer, then some days later I needed the hitch ball for my other truck. I went to pull the pin, but it was gone!
Some jack wad stole it at the boat ramp and left me bad. they could have got somebody killed.
I couldn't figure out why I didn't lose the trailer on the way up the ramp or on the way home.
Found out quick enough when I couldn't pull it out. I ended up applying propane torch heat to the receiver to make the metal expand and make the hole bigger. The hitch came out then. It doesn't take all that much heat, and yes, the gas tank was right there.

Bad idea. I know someone that tried that and set their air bags off costly mistake

Long chain it to an immovable object then floor the gas.

Video it and let us know how it goes.

I had the same issue on a f250, tried most of what was posted here, torch was the final solution. Go straight to the heat.

I tried the "log chain to a tree " trick. I ended up buying a new rear window.

Get 2-3 of your buddies together, buy a couple or three cases of beer. Start a bonfire and begin drinking. There will be solutions thought up,,, more fun than these lame suggestions you're getting here.

BEST.ADVICE.YET!!!!

Is it welded in. I've seen that before.

Russ

KY Jelly for Kanuks?

Hahaha
Nice Boco

It's a o6 jeep probably no air bags

The 1st plumb tree stump broke off...hahaha

Second try chain to a recently dead apple tree stump...heat applied with a propane torch first
...






Success

Now to clean and Lube

Maintenance guy you need to get some people, with more experience.

LMAO…..

For what is worth, if someone else is having this problem they hitch is made of pretty soft metal and a reciprocating saw with a good metal blade can cut the hitch out. I had one that wouldnt budge and that what I ended up doing.

That's what gives it the extra added Yee Haw. And if it blows the hitch is going to be the least of his worries.

I guess people who tow stuff all the time leave the hitch in place.
With road salt here they will get welded in like that.
I take the hitch out and leave it in a bucket of black oil since I only use it off and on when needed.
.

Now that you got that out. Take either flap disc or heavy wire wheel to it. When I did one mine the hard part was cleaning receiver pocket. Got a big straight file and scrubbed it out with that. I tried doing the grease thing tovost them. But I do swap mine enough I don't like the mess handling them with grease. So I sprayed in a bunch of Rust-Oleum in pocket and on the hitch. I keep better eye on them now too.

Mac

I have found lube of any kind just attracts and holds dirt inside. Ends up like concrete!

I just clean inside real good with file and wire brush then male end with wire wheel.

I just found out recently that its illegal in Alberta to leave them in when not in use!

if you add the steps that I am seeing more and more of , then is it in use ?

https://www.zoro.com/reese-tow-go-h...yf1zu9iyUBoCuTYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


be especially funny if you got pulled over and the cop stepped up on the step to look in your bed as he cam up to the back of the truck then told you that your hitch needed to be put away as it was not in use , and you were like but you just used it
they likely wouldn't have a sense of humor about that

Don't feel bad. It is illegal to use bungie cords to tie down a ladder on a vehicle in NJ.
You have to use rope , wire , etc. But no bungie cords even if is secure with rope.

Bud of mine lived there. His ladders rattled like crazy , could not add a bungie cord to keep them quiet




Police look for out of state people who are unaware to write them tickets.

I get mine out by hitching a chain to a tree and the hitch and drive away, works for me.

Worked for me too. Set off the airbags.

Oops!! Probably be a good idea to pull the Air bag fuses before ya giver the berrys!

Dang bet that was a rude awakening.

For those that run into this in the future I found it was best to remove the ball and reinstall it upside down. Makes it much easier to hit with a 12lb sledge. A little heat helped as well.
A big coarse file inside the receiver will remove the flake rust. Paint both after removing rust and grease them when installing.

And well they should be!!!!! I have plenty of scars and dent in my shins from them.