Trailer hitch pin

[not2old]

I vote to keep it out until needed.

You or others walking into it is no fun. And putting it in and taking it out as needed keeps it from seizing. Nothing worse than needing it out and it won't budge

I have a 97 Dodge I bought for the Cummins motor that has the hitch seized in the receiver. I keep squirting penetrating oil in it to free it up to no avail. One of these days I'm going to have to decide on which part I cut off with a torch in order to save the other.

 

[bigtiller]

I'm with the leave it out club, but occasionally convince has trump so I leave it in.

I guess I'm about as "middle of the road" as you can get. :steeringwheel:

 

[Paul Thornton]

As someone who has walked into one I'm all for pulling them out. Mine is on the floor behind the drivers seat and takes. Less than a minute to install when needed.

 

[bigtiller]

As someone who has walked into one I'm all for pulling them out. Mine is on the floor behind the drivers seat and takes. Less than a minute to install when needed.

I won't put mine there. As a kid, I was in a car that we purposely rolled just for the fun of it. Everything that was on the floor ended up on the roof, along with my head.... Heavy things live a mark.

 

[LD1]

I have a 97 Dodge I bought for the Cummins motor that has the hitch seized in the receiver. I keep squirting penetrating oil in it to free it up to no avail. One of these days I'm going to have to decide on which part I cut off with a torch in order to save the other.

Had to take one out of an old 1998 Dodge half ton that was seized. Chaining to a tree and several Yanks didn't budge it. Took about 3 hours to finally free it. Lots of heat/quench cycles on the insert itself, 10 ton porta power from the back side down to the rear axle (spare removed), and whaling in the nut/threads of the ball we decided to sacrifice with a sledge. (It was a useless 1-7/8 anyway.)

Finally got it to start moving. Then back to the tree and chain to finish her off

 

[Creamer]

I was going to say heat and mechanical shock are the two best methods to get it moving. Then penetrating oil can creep in much easier. After it moves a little it is just pure force of whatever type but penetrating oil does lower the force requirements.

 

[aczlan]

For the amount of time you will spend trying to get a stuck ball mount out, look seriously into the cost of a new hitch, might be easier and cheaper to remove 3-5 bolts on each side and bolt a new hitch on. Then you don't have to worry about the hitch having rusted out from the inside or being damaged from being heated too hot.

Aaron Z

 

[civilian]

I won't put mine there. As a kid, I was in a car that we purposely rolled just for the fun of it. Everything that was on the floor ended up on the roof, along with my head.... Heavy things live a mark.

And probably no seat belts, hence the head on the roof! Jon

 

[bigtiller]

And probably no seat belts, hence the head on the roof! Jon

You're right, 1950 Fords didn't have them.

 

[Creamer]

Still the point is valid. Bottled water in the back of soccer mom vans have caused many injuries when the vehicle runs into something. They launch right up the inside of the tailgate and come flying forward. Non restrained cargo is worse in the cab than outside of it.