My receiver hitch--removal and re-install? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jul 20, 2005
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5
Messages
17
Hi MuD!

My 80 came with a hitch, good and stout, but I want to take it off until I need it. The thing is, are there going to be loose nuts in the frame where the mounting bolts go? I can feel what seems to be a six-sided nut in there, but how the heck would I ever get a wrench in there to tighten them? Plus they'd roll all over the place once the bolts were out. Or are those nuts permanently mounted inside the frame piece? I've attached photos that show the bolts and the small holes near them

Thanks Mud!

--Lindsay
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They are welded inside the rail,
be careful with them as they can break loose and are a major pita to deal with, also I would recommend putting the bolts back in the nuts once the receiver is off to prevent rust from puilding up in the nut threads.
Dave
 
Hey Lindsay - I have always threatened to do the same one day, but never got around to it. A few weeks ago I was rear-ended pretty hard, the car that hit me was crunched through to the radiator pretty good, and I suffered zero damage except for scratches on the receiver hitch! I'm leaving it on now ;) .

Even without the hitch the frame is pretty strong though.
 
PHAEDRUS said:
They are welded inside the rail, be careful with them ...

Also, take care when you are removing these bolts. Mine had zero rust on them but I still stripped one taking it out. Apparently there was a lot of sand and dirt up in there and I didn't clean it up good before wrenching it out. Drilling and tapping is a PITA. Use anti-seize when you put the bolts back in.

-B-
 
I took off my receiver hitch and had it Line-Xed. The bolts were very non compliant on the way out, so before I re-installed it I took a 12x1.25 tap and ran it thru the "internal nuts". Plus it removed some of the corrosion.
 
I'd leave it on, I've landed on that thing so many times while offroading it's saved my rear stock bumper. Plus it's more protection in the back.
 
OZCAL said:
A few weeks ago I was rear-ended pretty hard, the car that hit me was crunched through to the radiator pretty good, and I suffered zero damage except for scratches on the receiver hitch! I'm leaving it on now ;) ..


Same here ... now I even leave the hitch ball in!! If I'm getting hit - they're getting the worse of it. And the way folks here drive it's only a matter of time.

:D :D
 
i'll add to the damage multiplier in the rear end collision event. waaaay back in the day when i was learning to drive, i was the one doing the hitting. i had a 83 honda civic and i hit a malibu i think. it had a bumber mounted ball. all it did was crush the energy absorbers on the malibu. my honda's bumber was V'd where the ball hit and the bolts sheared. pushed the rad back into a mount and all this was at 5 miles an hour. 5!
 
OZCAL said:
Hey Lindsay - I have always threatened to do the same one day, but never got around to it. A few weeks ago I was rear-ended pretty hard, the car that hit me was crunched through to the radiator pretty good, and I suffered zero damage except for scratches on the receiver hitch! I'm leaving it on now ;) .

Even without the hitch the frame is pretty strong though.

Lindsay,

I'll strongly second this. I've been rear ended three times, slow speed each time thankfully. All three times, I had Zero, Nada in the way of much damage.
One time a 4runner w/o his bumper put a couple of dimples in my rear crossmember, which he paid for, but in the other two instances, damage to the other vehicle and nothing to me. I directly attribute that to the hitch, which took the hit. Unless you really hate the look - leave it on.

As others have said - those nuts are welded on inside the frame.
 
it's staying

I took your advice, I am leaving it on and I even went and bought a D-ring recovery shackle which fits in the receiver hitch. I was going to take it off to save weight (and gas!!) but your ideas on safety are better. Thank you!

--Lindsay
 
I took mine off. I like driving the wagon as light as it can be. And I even leave my heavy 35" spare out unless I'm going on a trip. I live in a small town and can walk if I need to get the spare that bad.
If someone rear-ends you, then why not just take the $1000 that their insurance will give you and buy an aftermarket bumper?
Also, when other 80's drag their hitch on a section, I just drive right through it, because the protection is also the reason it's scrubbing (ex. crossing the Fain's Ford river crossing at Tellico trail #4, I've never scrubbed but every 80 with a receiver does)
 
Scrub and protect, or see dents and big $$ ONLY if it's due to someone hitting you..and that's if they don't run off. I think protection wins, too many variables against you with the latter.
 
I did do the tennis ball modification on mine to avoid scratching cars when parallel parking. Tip - poke a hole in the tennis ball before trying to stuff it in there.
 
alkaline747trio said:
Scrub and protect, or see dents and big $$ ONLY if it's due to someone hitting you..and that's if they don't run off. I think protection wins, too many variables against you with the latter.

Well, I'm not worred about dents, kind of shows me that atleast I'm pushing my wagon to it's limits and I have dents. I do need protection though because that's never bad. But one thing is for sure, I'm not worried about the plastic bumperettes. And the center section of the rear bumper (frame) is obviously stout enough to handle a sit-down 'n scrape on rocks so that and weight is why I've justified not having the hitch. I don't have anything to attach to it either...

One day when I grow up, or grow a money tree, I will get a rock bumper.
 

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