Removing rusted receiver hitch.

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73eldoconvert

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The hitch on my Suburban came to me solidly rusted in place. Its a typical 2" receiver type. It even came with a 1 7/8 ball that had been in there a million years, just what you need for a 3/4 ton rig. Impact and torch got that off. I soaked the draw bar with pb blaster and towed a trailer around. I got it to wiggle around a bit but it did not seem like it was going to pull out. I tried hooking a chain to a tree but just felt like I was doing more damage to the truck and tree than it was worth. Any other ideas? I was wondering how hard the metal was, maybe cutting it off with a sawsall then slitting the inside to hopefully collapse it slightly would work? I hate it being there all the time but I would also hate to destroy it so I could not pull a trailer too.
 
Are we talking about the "slide in" bar to which the ball bolts onto?

If so, maybe you could fashion yourself a puller with a drill, tap and a long bolt. I would drill and tap the end where the ball attaches. And thread a bolt inside the bar, so it bottoms out against the hitch on the inside. Then thread it in, pulling the draw bar out.


If you've soaked it in PB blaster, I would also try hitting it with a sledge any way you can (in, out, side to side). PB blaster and WD40 will only do so much, I find if you can move the two parts at all, it usually loosens things up to allow them to penetrate further and lubricate some more.



Failing that, I would be tempted to fashion some kind of external puller that pushes against the hitch itself.
 
The sawzall idea would work if you have a blade long enough. Of course once you cut the end off your committed, -leave some meat sticking out to grab/clamp on to.
 
I would try heating it up to a nice Orange glow and then hit it with a bucket of water.

The heat will vaporize the rust the quick chill with make it come apart.

Tom
 
Is any of it sticking out the back of the receiver? Try going in with it first maybe? Can you get to the back side of it to grind off rust before pulling it out?
 
----Original Message-----
From: sethracer@aol.com
Sent: Fri, Apr 9, 2010 7:14 pm
Subject: [fastvair] Penetrating Oils Compared


"RUSTY NUTS?

Penetrating Oils Compared

Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break
out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! They arranged a
subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque
required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

Penetrating oil ..... Average load

None ..................... 516 pounds

WD-40 .................. 238 pounds

PB Blaster ..............214 pounds

Liquid Wrench ...... 127 pounds

Kano Kroil ............ 106 pounds

ATF-Acetone mix... 53 pounds
The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic
transmission fluid and acetone.

Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this
one particular test. A local machinist group mixed up a batch and all
now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is
about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

Seth Emerson"

d
 
OR .....

You might try to FREEZE YOUR NUTS OFF......

"Freeze Your Nuts Off

By Benjamen Johnson On January 20, 2009 · · In Cleaning, Fasteners, Loctite

You might have some luck getting a corroded fastener unstuck by heating it, but you probably want to avoid soaking the fastener with penetrating oil or lubricant before applying a flame to it. With Freeze & Release, you can do the same thing with cold — get a fastener cold fast enough and the bolt and nut should contract at different rates, hopefully freeing the fastener — plus there's no problem using penetrating oil to speed the job.

While most people have a torch of some sort lying around, there aren't very many commonly available methods of freezing — that is, until now. Loctite recently released their Freeze & Release product that not only freezes the fastener to cause the needed differential contraction, but the spray also features a lubrication component to penetrate as the contraction cracks the corrosion.

A container of Freeze & Release can chill seized parts to -45ºF. Just shake the can and spray the seized fastener for 5-10 seconds, then wait 1-2 minutes for maximum effectiveness. If Freeze & Release doesn't work after a few tries, you haven't ruined the fastener and you can still try some other method.

There aren't a ton of places carrying Loctite's Freeze & Release yet. If you can find it, you could pay up to $10 a can.
Freeze & Release [Loctite]"

http://www.henkelna.com/loctite-freeze-release-7008.htm

http://www.loctitefreezeandrelease.com/instructions.htm

http://www.ferret.com.au/c/Loctite-Henk ... nt-n672370
 
You ever get the sucker out?
 
Interesting facts on the lubricants. Have had real good results with Kroil, especially the one with silicon in it, but yes it is expensive.

I used my air chisel with a blunt tip to drive it out, after soaking with JB blaster. It was on a minivan (class 2) with a vertical raised section that let me get at it pretty well. Beat on the vertical part, going back and forth from each side.

Could always just cut it all up with a sharp air chisel if that doesn't work, trying not to mar the hitch itself. Good luck!
 
I had a bronco that i bought from a boat owner, who used it almost daily. The hitch was powder coated and got rust behind the paint and swelled up. I never got it loose :banghead:
 
We had a 97 f250 plow truck and the receiver was frozen solid in it (had an in bed spreader so the hitch got plenty of salt). We screwed with it for a couple days and nothing loosened it. We hooked it to a large oak and it would just spin all 4 tires but the hitch still wouldnt budge. Dad finally got pissed and hooked up about 30' worth of chain, backed up clear to the tree and snatched the ever living crap out of it. I figured it was going to rip the hitch clear off the frame but never hurt it at all and the reciever came right out.

Robbie
 
Its still in there. I think the rust under the paint is what happened to this one too. I tried chaining it to a tree and it did not seem to move. I did not jerk real hard on it because I did not want to destroy the truck.
 
Like drdave said -you could use an air chisel/hammer if there is access or if it will fall out the other end. If its to difficult to cut inside you could cut it outside and weld the cut closed.
 
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