any tips to remove a old lock off receiver hitch? mines stuck right now.

[addiction2bass]

well since i sold my trailer i dont need to have my ball and all in my truck anymore and i tried removing it and its pretty stuck on there :( i finally got the key into the lock all the way but it still wont turn. ive soaked it in penatrting oil for a few days now the best i can and so far still nothing.
i figure most likely ill have to cut the pin off and trash the lock unfortunatly. :( its one of those master cylinder locks. i would have thought that rubber boot would have kept everything out of it but guess not.
guess i wont be keeping my locks on the truck that long again or maybe put some hot glue all around it next time to seal it waterproof.

anybody got any tips that MIGHT save the lock? or is everybody just going to say cut it?

[TheBigBlackHD]

Portaban.

[von_ogre]

Maybe try to heat up the lock some to see if it will loosen and turn? Otherwise I 2nd the portaban

[Quyonmob]

Used a "fire rescue" blade in my sawzall to take one off the F250 at work. Pretty dense metal, took a while (by a while I mean about 3 min, which is a long time for a 5/8" pin).

[silverado_lover]

Cutting torch IMO

[JWolfe75]

spray pb blaster in it for a few days

[speedracer326]

Does it look like this?

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/images/apw_products/images/reese/7006500.jpg?dSCzG7b

I lost the key to mine, these are actually worthless ass locks. I bashed the side with the lock with a hammer, took all of 2 swings and I had it busted in 2. That part where it necks down and the balls do their locking this is where it'll break with ease. The first hit actually bent it, the 2nd hit bent it the opposite way and it was done for. Way quicker and easier than screwing with a torch or sawzall.

[Quyonmob]

Does it look like this?

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/images/apw_products/images/reese/7006500.jpg?dSCzG7b

I lost the key to mine, these are actually worthless ass locks. I bashed the side with the lock with a hammer, took all of 2 swings and I had it busted in 2. That part where it necks down and the balls do their locking this is where it'll break with ease. The first hit actually bent it, the 2nd hit bent it the opposite way and it was done for. Way quicker and easier than screwing with a torch or sawzall.

I wailed on mine with a 15lb sledge for about 10 hits, no result. :dunno:

[speedracer326]

Damn, I must be a beast then. I only used a 24oz beater. Shoulda gotten your from Walmart like me.

[Quyonmob]

Damn, I must be a beast then. I only used a 24oz beater. Shoulda gotten your from Walmart like me.

I probably should have put down my purse. :looking:

[silverado_lover]

I probably should have put down my purse. :looking:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[speedracer326]

I probably should have put down my purse. :looking:

Maybe you'd have better luck swinging that. :lol:

[Quyonmob]

Maybe you'd have better luck swinging that. :lol:

You could have saved me a sawzall blade with that advice 2 years ago. :banghead:

[97NCZ71]

I probably should have put down my purse. :looking:
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[speedracer326]

You could have saved me a sawzall blade with that advice 2 years ago. :banghead:

I'm here all night.

[kcb37]

purses aside,
if you have a cut off wheel use that.
In the future take your ball out if your not pulling a trailer.

[Quyonmob]

In the future take your ball out if your not pulling a trailer.

No thanks. Has saved me from dozens of parking lot morons as well as 3 rear end "taps" and 1 rear ender when my extended draw bar stopped a cavalier (through the rad, touched the block).

[silverado_lover]

No thanks. Has saved me from dozens of parking lot morons as well as 3 rear end "taps" and 1 rear ender when my extended draw bar stopped a cavalier (through the rad, touched the block).

http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/d/d0/BoomHeadShot.gif

[canuckz71]

acetlyne torch would take care of it if you have access to one

[rebelbowtie]

Acetylene won't cut it, it's more than likely stainless. You can't cut non ferous metal with a torch.

And I know the hitch has "saved" you from parking lot taps but get in a real accident and it can do more damage than good.

Either drill out the lock or hit it with a cut off wheel on a grinder.

[Quyonmob]

And I know the hitch has "saved" you from parking lot taps but get in a real accident and it can do more damage than good.


If I get in a "real accident"" where I've been hit from behind, by all means let it do more damage, I sure ain't paying for it in that scenario, not in Ontario.

That cavalier piled in to my burb doing around 25mph while I was at a dead stop. Car was written off, burb, not a scratch... Then again, had the draw bar not been in, she probably would have piled that tin can of a car into the 14FF. :D

[Quyonmob]

http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/d/d0/BoomHeadShot.gif

Almost, it hit the exhaust manifold. :D

[addiction2bass]

LOL well in the winter i do keep it in just for that reason. guess ill jsut stick with the simple pin and clip instead of the lock. im gonna go try the sledge and hopefully not hit my truck.LOL

[addiction2bass]

ok well not so bad... took about 3dozen or so swings on that sucker to finally snap the tip that held the lock off. its still in the lock locked.LOL think it held up pretty good. nobody else would have kept beating it trying to steal my little hitch ball.lol it was a master lock. only thing im disapointed with this lock was the chrome on the pin flaking off! lock held up pretty good. i beat my truck so hard a saucer size hung of rust came off my rear bumper :( kinda sucks. i need a new rear bumper within the next year for sure! wish i swapped bumpers off my trailer before i sold it last week :( i didnt want to sell my truckbed trailer BUT bills adding up and i need to sell the stuff i dont really use and start knocking chunks outta the credit card bills! i can always build another and next one i build will be so much better!!!! im going to use a good rust free mostly bed and make awhole new frame!!!! it was my first so now i know WHAT NOT TO DO and what to do! next one will be a beast and take anything i throw in it! still not sure if ill use stock rear springs or not. i know it will be stock axle tho to match wheels cheap enough.

well heres the lock damage. tho its bent way more that it looks in th epicture. dam near make the circle a oval ;)
thanks guys a saw or cut off wheel would have takin me forever! took me about 5mins tops to knock it off.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e250/addiction2bass/2011-09-17174113.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e250/addiction2bass/2011-09-17174125.jpg

[Honey Bear]

A small quantuty of C4 placed strategically will remove it with no problems.

[addiction2bass]

i just got it off ;) ya posted right after me ;)

[FordeatinZ71]

cool, glad ya got the lock off...i was gonna post and say "it's just a Master lock, not like it cost that much at all, cut it and get another"...also, to the two fart smuckers that suggested the "portaban", two things...

1. what's a "portaban"? is that some sort of way for the admins to ban you using their cell phones? its called a "Porta-Band". as in a portable band saw. not a ban saw.

2. how in the hell would they expect you to fit a band saw in there to cut through the hitch pin? people need to make sure their brains are fully engaged before putting their mouths (or keyboards) into gear...

[RichLockyer]

Next time, make it more fun.

Torch....

Heat, quench, heat, quench, heat, quench... make it nice and hard (brittle).
Then empty a can of canned air, holding the can upside down.... make it nice and cold (even more brittle).

Good whack with a half-jack and it should shatter like glass.

[Honey Bear]

i just got it off ;) ya posted right after me ;)

Damn I was hoping for explosion videos.

[addiction2bass]

lol dont think i could get any of that, let alone blow up my own truck.lol and no torch cause that would screw up my hitch and i dont want to replace that even tho it is alittle worn i think. ive been meaning to put a few tack welds on the receiver and grind them down just enough to it fits in there pretty tight but just never have, but if i haul my dads trailers ill defiantly have to do that. i just need to wire up these dam electric brakes. i swear im just so dam lazy.... ive had everything i need to wire them in for almost a year now ive just never felt like actually crawling under the truck and such and wire them in good! and now that i dont have my small trailer anymore im going to need to do that!!!!!

[speedracer326]

addiction2bass, did you swing a purse or a hammer at that?

[Gorp]

Acetylene won't cut it, it's more than likely stainless. You can't cut non ferous metal with a torch.

Stainless is ferrous. I'ts steel alloyed with chromium, nickel, and molybdenum that make it stainless.
Check this link: http://www.engineershandbook.com/Materials/stainlesssteel.htm

[addiction2bass]

addiction2bass, did you swing a purse or a hammer at that?
O screw you buddy.lol 1st off my hammers only like 3lbs. Its my hammer from my junkyard bag not thebeast 10lbs good oe
Ne, and 2nd t most of all my bumpers only like 6-10inches off the ground and my tips right there I'm not crushing my tips or mybust my hand on the concrete.lol

[rebelbowtie]

You mad bro?

[FordeatinZ71]

don't be mad brougham...it's really ok broseph...

[ToyHauler]

i use this left in all the time with a hitch cover cause i always kill my knees if i leave the hitch in. have had it for years and havent had any corrosion or stuck in issues.http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower-7005600-Sleeved-Receiver/dp/B0008G5FVU

[addiction2bass]

Lmao I don't get mad. I get glad ;) I was just busting a lock off not smashing a Large sledge into my truck

[FordeatinZ71]

Hefty hefty hefty!

[RichLockyer]

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!

[Honey Bear]

Stainless is ferrous. I'ts steel alloyed with chromium, nickel, and molybdenum that make it stainless.
Check this link: http://www.engineershandbook.com/Materials/stainlesssteel.htm


Yes and no. For purposes of scrap metal anything that will not attract a magnet is considered a non ferrous metal. There are grades of stainless that will attract a magnet, but it is considered a ferrous metal. Ferrous is an adjective used to indicate the presence of iron.

[TheBigBlackHD]

cool, glad ya got the lock off...i was gonna post and say "it's just a Master lock, not like it cost that much at all, cut it and get another"...also, to the two fart smuckers that suggested the "portaban", two things...

1. what's a "portaban"? is that some sort of way for the admins to ban you using their cell phones? its called a "Porta-Band". as in a portable band saw. not a ban saw.

2. how in the hell would they expect you to fit a band saw in there to cut through the hitch pin? people need to make sure their brains are fully engaged before putting their mouths (or keyboards) into gear...

Excuse me, Porta-Band. We just called it a portaban at work. I've cut 50+ hitch pins off with the one we had at my old job, its really not that hard. Some people should learn to work with their hands before jumping to conclusions on the internet.

http://saws-tool.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Portable-Band-Saw.jpg

^What we had.

[speedracer326]

O screw you buddy.lol 1st off my hammers only like 3lbs. Its my hammer from my junkyard bag not thebeast 10lbs good oe
Ne, and 2nd t most of all my bumpers only like 6-10inches off the ground and my tips right there I'm not crushing my tips or mybust my hand on the concrete.lol

Actually, the purse comment was more for quyonmob. He may not be handy with a hammer, but he sure is a good sport. :lol:

[rebelbowtie]

Yea good luck getting the right angle on that with a truck with as much static drop as he has, without putting it on a lift.
Simple fact porta band isn't a tool most people own, and it's clumsy and takes up a lot of room in my tool box. I have one yes, but 9/10 times I would choose a grinder or chop saw over a porta band.

[TheBigBlackHD]

Yea good luck getting the right angle on that with a truck with as much static drop as he has, without putting it on a lift.
Simple fact porta band isn't a tool most people own, and it's clumsy and takes up a lot of room in my tool box. I have one yes, but 9/10 times I would choose a grinder or chop saw over a porta band.

Well we kept ours in an F550 utility bed. I've cut pins off a few wrecked and decommissioned crown vics for the local SD and havent had a problem. Lay down, stick the black stopper on there, 2 seconds on the trigger and its good to go. Everyone needs a portaband.

[ToyHauler]

we got a porta-band, usually just use a saws-all with some good lenox or milwaukee blades.

[Honey Bear]

I just chew through steel with my teeth.

[ToyHauler]

your dentist must be rich

[Gorp]

Yes and no. For purposes of scrap metal anything that will not attract a magnet is considered a non ferrous metal. There are grades of stainless that will attract a magnet, but it is considered a ferrous metal. Ferrous is an adjective used to indicate the presence of iron.
Hey, I'm not trying to argue here, but "stainless" is a general term for a wide variety of metals both magnetic and non, but all contain some level of iron (fe) and are considered ferrous.
Here are a couple more links I dug up that might be of interest:
http://www.machinist-materials.com/stainless_table.htm
http://www.ssina.com/overview/alloyelements_intro.html
Before I became a machinist, and more specifically began to machine aerospace stainless regularly, I assumed stainess was non-magnetic and steel was.
But it's not that simple.
It's the nickel content in the 300 series stainless that makes them non-magnetic. These are "AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEELS Fe-Cr-Ni (Mo) alloys". Fe(iron), Cr(chromium), Ni(Nickel) and Mo(molybdenum).
Now "scrap metal" is something I only need to consider when I've "scrapped" a part. Not a good day.:gone2far:

[rebelbowtie]

I took some metallurgy classes on top of my welding classes, so I know what you're saying...just not able to comprehend it like you obviously do. Disregard whether stainless is ferrous or not and focus on the fact that it can't be cut with am acetylene torch. You can heat it up and it will melt, but it just makes a mess.

[FordeatinZ71]

Excuse me, Porta-Band. We just called it a portaban at work. I've cut 50+ hitch pins off with the one we had at my old job, its really not that hard. Some people should learn to work with their hands before jumping to conclusions on the internet.

http://saws-tool.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Portable-Band-Saw.jpg

^What we had.

lol you're cute..."learn to work with my hands?!" boy, i have worked since i was 12 (helping my grandfather with his plumbing, carpentry and electrical business) and went in the Army at 17 as a mechanic. every job i have had has been manual labor/construction/maintenance. i've forgotten more about working with my hands than you know...

[Gorp]

I took some metallurgy classes on top of my welding classes, so I know what you're saying...just not able to comprehend it like you obviously do. Disregard whether stainless is ferrous or not and focus on the fact that it can't be cut with am acetylene torch. You can heat it up and it will melt, but it just makes a mess.
Yeah, it's all good. The best part of the Internet is the knowledge base.
I'm much more of a metal cutter than a welder by a long stretch.
I used to make fixtures for welding assemblies and I always had something to learn about what went into welding. I'd configure the material at the welder's request to either draw heat away or retain it depending on the cross section and composition of what was being welded. An art really.
One last thought: you never really know what "can't be done" 'till you give it a try yourself. Sometimes an unorthodox approach that everyone assumed won't work turns out to be a brilliant solution.

[rebelbowtie]

Yeah, it's all good. The best part of the Internet is the knowledge base.
I'm much more of a metal cutter than a welder by a long stretch.
I used to make fixtures for welding assemblies and I always had something to learn about what went into welding. I'd configure the material at the welder's request to either draw heat away or retain it depending on the cross section and composition of what was being welded. An art really.
One last thought: you never really know what "can't be done" 'till you give it a try yourself. Sometimes an unorthodox approach that everyone assumed won't work turns out to be a brilliant solution.

I've done plenty of both during my time as a fabricator...lately I just drive boats.

[FordeatinZ71]

well...MY D!CK'S BIGGER THAN BOTH OF Y'ALLS!

[TheBigBlackHD]

lol you're cute..."learn to work with my hands?!" boy, i have worked since i was 12 (helping my grandfather with his plumbing, carpentry and electrical business) and went in the Army at 17 as a mechanic. every job i have had has been manual labor/construction/maintenance. i've forgotten more about working with my hands than you know...

And you dont know how to use a portaban?

[FordeatinZ71]

uhm, yes...i can use a porta-banD fine...but, as Tim agreed with me on, with his lowered truck you could not get the proper angle to cut the pin.

[TheBigBlackHD]

I promise you could. Go find me a truck with 10 inches of ground clearance and give me 5 mintues and I promise you I'll have that pin cut through with 0 problems. You dont need 40 foot of clearance for something that is 12" tall at its widest point. And the blade are flexible so you dont a straight on approach. But who cares, he got off, its done and over with.

[Quyonmob]

Actually, the purse comment was more for quyonmob. He may not be handy with a hammer, but he sure is a good sport. :lol:


well...MY D!CK'S BIGGER THAN BOTH OF Y'ALLS!

Handy with the hammer that matters. :D

[addiction2bass]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e250/addiction2bass/97%20C1500/DSC00682.jpg

its gone now yall. chill.....
i got a port...saw as well but with the hammer it worked breaking the pins lock point. if it wouldnt have broke then i would have tried the old saw. i do love the band saw but at times its to big to get into some spaces! it might have gottin in there but in all honesty i would have used recip saw or cut off wheel just so i wouldnt have to jack my truck up and be lazy ;)


to anyone that has one stuck themselves ill just suggest beat the crap outta the lock first, and if that doesnt work in 15mins of beating on it THEN bust out what ever cutting method you got out and cut the whole pin off. i would never use a torch either way. no way i want to set my truck on fire or burn up any wires or paint off even the hitch. for the time it might save ill spend triple that cutting away with a blade!

[jwstewar]

When Dad first started getting his dementia, he lost the keys to the lock for his hitch - he had a cover in it, but needed to install a hitch to tow their camper. He couldn't remember where he put stuff, but he knew how to do stuff. He got one of his big pipe wrenches. Put it over the end of the lock. Worked it back and forth 2 or 3 times and the lock was off in probably 30 seconds. No loud noise or anything. Took longer to get the pipe wrench then it did to get the lock off.

Dad has been gone for about 9 months now and I still haven't found those keys. Or the parts for his '69 Sears Suburban tractor that he took parts of off that I promised him that I would make run again.

[NHurless93]

Cut off wheel or acetlyene torch would be the best options, sawzall will take quite a few blades and some time good luck

[Quyonmob]

sawzall will take quite a few blades and some time good luck

1 blade an 3 min if you read the thread. :D

[addiction2bass]

unless you use a old cheap ass blade.LOL
i use those white torch blades they are a wider neck blade and cut much straighter with less chance of binding and twisting into pretzel. ;) i hate bending blades! those rarely get bent! they will practically jerk the saw out your hand back and forth before the blades will turn into a Z shape.