Remove your hitch.

3930dave · Jun 14, 2014

brokenknee said:
Not illegal to leave in, in MN; that being said if the hitch or ball obscures your license plate in any way that is illegal. I know an officer that has and will write that citation. Some may just use it for PC to make the stop.

My truck is long enough that the weight-distributing drawbar head I use will hang over the borderline of a downtown parking spot. Esp. in one jurisdiction that is notorious for issuing parking tickets (for anything/nothing), I make sure to take that drawbar off, the odd time I'm downtown with the truck.

Rgds, D.

Soundguy · Jun 14, 2014

brokenknee said:
Not illegal to leave in, in MN; that being said if the hitch or ball obscures your license plate in any way that is illegal. I know an officer that has and will write that citation. Some may just use it for PC to make the stop.

guess towing a trailer would obscure your vehicle license plate too eh?

D7E · Jun 14, 2014

brokenknee said:
Not illegal to leave in, in MN; that being said if the hitch or ball obscures your license plate in any way that is illegal. I know an officer that has and will write that citation. Some may just use it for PC to make the stop.

I believe it is illegal here . Tickets for it are common , Saying that ...when i sold my 1999 F150 i had to pull it out with the backhoe

Markcuda · Jun 14, 2014

Here is what I use, indestructible.

JBourquin · Jun 15, 2014

3930dave said:
If you haven't already, try blowing out some of the crud from the cylinder with compressed air, soak with your favourite metal juice, and repeat - for as long as you have patience..... works sometimes..... at least well enough to release the lock once.

Yet another good example of the "fun" we get to have in salt country......

For light duty security (kids w. no tools) I use a pin with a tiny hasp, takes a small padlock, which seems to stand up OK for occasional use. I think it was a Reese part (?).

Good luck, grind safe if it comes to that....

Rgds, D.

I did try picking some crud out of the lock, it's pretty solid. I may have caused it. I tried packing the mechanism with never seize before putting the pin in and cap back on. That stuff hardened up so bad I might as well have packed it with JB Weld..

I'm thinking if I smack the lock side with a sledge enough I may just shatter the locking cylinder and pull the pin from the other side. Won't hurt to try anyway.

3930dave · Jun 15, 2014

JBourquin said:
I did try picking some crud out of the lock, it's pretty solid. I may have caused it. I tried packing the mechanism with never seize before putting the pin in and cap back on. That stuff hardened up so bad I might as well have packed it with JB Weld..

I'm thinking if I smack the lock side with a sledge enough I may just shatter the locking cylinder and pull the pin from the other side. Won't hurt to try anyway.

A penetrating oil may do a good job of softening up the NeverSz - easy enough to try.

Rgds, D.

JBourquin · Jul 8, 2014

Well, got my pin out. Kinda disappointing though, only took about 30sec. All I did was smack the lock towards the front of the truck with a ball-peen hammer. Spun the pin 180* and hit it again. Took a total of about 4 hits to snap the lock side of the pin right off. Doesn't really reassure me on the security of these things. Needless to say, if someone wants your hitch, they're gonna have it. Only thing these locks do is keep honest people honest.

Soundguy · Jul 8, 2014

that's all any locks or chains or doors and gates do.. keep honest people honest.. and keeps the opportunists out.

the determined guy with a roll off truck and a bag of tools will take what he wants..

newbury · Jul 8, 2014

JBourquin said:
Well, got my pin out. Kinda disappointing though, only took about 30sec. All I did was smack the lock towards the front of the truck with a ball-peen hammer. Spun the pin 180* and hit it again. Took a total of about 4 hits to snap the lock side of the pin right off. Doesn't really reassure me on the security of these things. Needless to say, if someone wants your hitch, they're gonna have it. Only thing these locks do is keep honest people honest.

I've started using a lock on the hitch pin also, but mainly for stopping some joker at a rest area pulling my hitch pin while I'm in the restroom. After further thought it may be better to just carry spare hitch pins and make sure I always check the pin before pulling off.