Posted 2006-06-02 4:06 PM (#42569) Subject: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Veteran
Posts: 144 Location: Hickory Hills, IL
OK, so I tried to take my draw bar out yesterday , it has been in the truck since I got it in December.
It is stuck solid. Tried a 10lb sledge hammer to break it loose after liberal doses of PB Blaster. No luck. I asked a friend of mine who has done a lot of trailering and he suggested: A big tree and a tow rope. Ease it out, don't snap the line.
Will this work or is there a bettery way? I don't have a torch (or any suitable big trees or a tow rope, but I should be able to find both those...).
The current draw bar looks like it will be fine for bringing my new trailer home, but it is only rated at 5K lbs and has a 1" ball hole, I would like to go to 10K lbs and 1 1/4" hole, probably on an adjustable drop or possibly even a WD setup.
Posted 2006-06-02 7:03 PM (#42582 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Veteran
Posts: 171 Location: Liberty Hill Texas
I would try a chain instead of a tow strap a little less chance of snap back. However it should lossen on its own if you put on penatrating oil liberly and go tow something.
P.S. if possible find a stell post or ballard to pop it out trees should only be used as a last resort. It is way to easy to damage them.
Posted 2006-06-05 12:50 PM (#42642 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by statzk on 2006-06-02 4:06 PM
OK, so I tried to take my draw bar out yesterday , it has been in the truck since I got it in December.
It is stuck solid. Tried a 10lb sledge hammer to break it loose after liberal doses of PB Blaster. No luck. I asked a friend of mine who has done a lot of trailering and he suggested: A big tree and a tow rope. Ease it out, don't snap the line.
Will this work or is there a bettery way? I don't have a torch (or any suitable big trees or a tow rope, but I should be able to find both those...).
The current draw bar looks like it will be fine for bringing my new trailer home, but it is only rated at 5K lbs and has a 1" ball hole, I would like to go to 10K lbs and 1 1/4" hole, probably on an adjustable drop or possibly even a WD setup.
Thanks in advance!
~Kevin
Not clear from your post if it was already in the truck when you bought it in December, or if you put it in then.
In either case if it has endured a salty road winter (or several) it is likely to be rusted in there good and solid. Forget trying to tow trees around, you're FAR more likely to dig ruts, burn rubber and/or overheat the transmission (if automatic). The REALLY bad news is that the receiver and the ball mount are probably trashed by now )-:
Spend money, spend MORE money, get used to it, you're becoming a hoss trailer guy (-:
Posted 2006-06-05 1:21 PM (#42646 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 634 Location: Tipton, IN
Your hitch is probably open on both ends, thus allowing salt/water/road crud to enter at the rear of the drawbar as well as at the opening where you insert it. So I would suggest you also spray PB Blaster in that end as well. Do you have a tractor? If so, hook up the ball mount to the tractors drawbar by way of a chain or nylon jerk strap and try to pull it out.
Posted 2006-06-06 9:19 AM (#42680 - in reply to #42650) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Northwest Indiana
Originally written by Terri on 2006-06-05 4:32 PM
Spend money, spend MORE money, get used to it, you're becoming a hoss trailer guy (-:
Dont put stuff like that one here!!! You'll scare my husband!
If he hasn't figured that out by now, he never will. Just the other day as I was reviewing my CC statement, I had to go ask the fiance' what the $250 charge and the tack shop was for.
Posted 2006-06-06 10:30 AM (#42683 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by statzk on 2006-06-02 3:06 PM
OK, so I tried to take my draw bar out yesterday , it has been in the truck since I got it in December.
It is stuck solid. Tried a 10lb sledge hammer to break it loose after liberal doses of PB Blaster. No luck. I asked a friend of mine who has done a lot of trailering and he suggested: A big tree and a tow rope. Ease it out, don't snap the line.
Will this work or is there a bettery way? I don't have a torch (or any suitable big trees or a tow rope, but I should be able to find both those...).
There is definitely a better way than a tree and a rope. This could be very costly in terms of health or broken truck parts. I would undo the four bolts holding the hitch to the truck frame. Then take the whole piece to a shop having a hydraulic press. A typical shop press can apply 50 tons safely. You could hang your truck by the hitch and not get that amount of force. Much less apply it safely.
Edit to say it's not applying the force. It's what happens when the draw bar breaks loose !!
Posted 2006-06-06 11:42 AM (#42688 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Friend of mine has this problem though she said she'd never removed it in 4 years..... I think we sprayed WD-40 and Lithium grease on it and with a lot of tugging and pulling, it did finally come out.
I removed mine each time so I don't run into this issue. I also seem to remember that if you have the receiver in place and aren't towing anything, you can get ticketed for this. If a vehicle ran into the back of you and hit this, it might also be another traffic infraction, but I'm not a cop and not positive about it. Better to remove it and not have the issue to begin with.
Posted 2006-06-06 1:20 PM (#42695 - in reply to #42688) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
I've never heard of it being illegal to leave the hitch in. Very few around here take it out and the one I know that does, does it because he has had it stolen twice.
Posted 2006-06-07 9:08 AM (#42719 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Regular
Posts: 51 Location: Mt. Horeb, WI
Had that happen to me once. Had to put a chain on it and secured the other around a tree and pulled it out. When you do this keep driving a short distance after it comes loose because the receiver can bounce back an hit the car or truck so don't stop if it comes loose
Posted 2006-06-07 10:15 AM (#42724 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Veteran
Posts: 144 Location: Hickory Hills, IL
Thanks everyone for all the info. I did haul a trailer this weekend (4 hours each way!!!) after applying tons of PB Blaster. Hopefully it will have done something. My receiver is not open at the other end or I may have had better luck getting it out...
The draw bar was in there in December when I got the truck- I have no idea how long it has been in there. I would like to get it out without spending big $$ on a new Class IV receiver. I may remove it from the truck and take it to a machine shop as a last resort. Sounds like the chain & stump method for the win- but if it doesn't come out I'll take the whole thing off. I took it to a camper place and all they did was suggest I buy a new class III hitch (they didn't have any class IV in stock I guess! LOL).
Posted 2006-06-07 11:27 AM (#42725 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 671 Location: THE GREAT NORTHWET, OREGON(THE REAL GODS COUNTRY)
Hey, did you try hammering it in a little ways ? there may be a little mushroom on the holes and by tapping it in it might knock it off enough to loosen up.
Posted 2006-06-07 12:25 PM (#42728 - in reply to #42569) Subject: RE: Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Kansas City
This is a case where you need to be VERY careful. A little tug with a chain and a tree MIGHT be OK. Having grown up on a farm where it seemed I got every piece of equipment stuck (including sinking a tractor to the axles and oil pan) I have seen first hand what happens when ropes, chains, tree, and hitch break loose in any given order. Pulling like that means something has to give, be it the hitch, chain, tree, wheels or transmission. When a chain breaks it flies back toward the truck as fast as a bullet. When it hits the sheet metal on the truck it slices it like butter. A long enough chain can somehow find its way (like fog in a scarry movie) to your rear window, come through the glass and slice your head off.
I would suggest professional help. One trip to the ER (or morgue) will cost more than a new hitch or a machine shop.
AND, unless you have real need for it to be off - look at the bright side - it can't be stolen.
Draw bar stuck in receiver- how to remove?
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