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Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..??
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=59167		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Liberty02sport [ Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..??
Hit a a few salvage yards and cam across a couple of trailer hitches and has some questions.....The first one seems to be a drawtite class II 1-1/4in. and looks to be mounted to a '04 liberty. The second one looks to ba a U-haul and IIRC was the class III 2 in. model and was made from round tubing instead of square.

Question is how much of a hitch do I need as a recovery point ?? I don't want to tow anything with it, just use for recovery. I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find a hitch that would be rated for a Mack truck and would allow me to destroy the liberty trying a recovery it wasn't rated for before the hitch gave any ground. What say you on hitch size, class rating, etc........Thanks in advance, gonna try to get back to get the suggested hitch sometime this week as either one is only going to cost me $50. :BANANA:
Author:  BugginKJ [ Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
If using it just a recovery point a class 2 will be fine but if the class 3 is the same price, I would buy the class 3. If you ever decide to tow something the class 3 will serve you better, not only that I like the extra beef a class 3 brings. :JEEPIN:
Author:  tommudd [ Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
Don't even consider the ones with the 1.25 inch receiver, only thing they are really good for is to mount a bicycle rack on, plus you'll not find anything as far as recovery to fit in there.
Go with the second one, more than likely it is a U-Haul or similar and will work much better :wink:
Author:  huntbuggy [ Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
Weak point of any hitch install is the bolts. Most aftermarkets from uhaul, drawtite and reese come with cheap 8.8 bolts. Definitely change them out for 10.9 for strength.

If you have a factory installed gas tank skid you might already have 4 out of 6 required 10.9 bolts in there as it is. (If you do have the skid note install is a bit trickier as the aftermarket hitches go over the skid and lining everything up can be a chore - easily rectified with a couple of jacks to hold everything where it should be when you bolt up).

If it's the tube steel hitch might want to clean it up and throw some paint on it, my last one rusted pretty bad - probably from the inside as water kept getting into the tube somehow. The square tubing Reese towpower type are open and water doen't hide anywhere but I regret not pre-painting mine a bit when I put it on new a couple of years ago as the places where metal on metal or rocks have occurred are rusting already.

:2cents:
Author:  Xodius [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
Why is it that everyone that wants a hitch is in the midwest? LOL, I can't give mine away out here.
Author:  woodtick [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
Cause not too many people tow a boat in the desert! :-)r
Author:  kskj [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
I have the uhaul hitch on mine. It was there when I bought the liberty. Been pulled of of rocks more that once with it and got rear ended a couple of weeks ago and the hitch took most of the hit and it did not budge. Punched a hole in the front of the car and a few thousand in damage to the car. Almost know damage to the liberty.(knocked the spare tire in 1/4 to 1/2 inch on one side)
Author:  djta11 [ Thu Mar 03, 2011 12:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
Xodius wrote:
Why is it that everyone that wants a hitch is in the midwest? LOL, I can't give mine away out here.



Challenge accepted :lol:
Author:  Liberty02sport [ Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
huntbuggy wrote:
Weak point of any hitch install is the bolts. Most aftermarkets from uhaul, drawtite and reese come with cheap 8.8 bolts. Definitely change them out for 10.9 for strength.

If you have a factory installed gas tank skid you might already have 4 out of 6 required 10.9 bolts in there as it is. (If you do have the skid note install is a bit trickier as the aftermarket hitches go over the skid and lining everything up can be a chore - easily rectified with a couple of jacks to hold everything where it should be when you bolt up).

If it's the tube steel hitch might want to clean it up and throw some paint on it, my last one rusted pretty bad - probably from the inside as water kept getting into the tube somehow. The square tubing Reese towpower type are open and water doen't hide anywhere but I regret not pre-painting mine a bit when I put it on new a couple of years ago as the places where metal on metal or rocks have occurred are rusting already.

:2cents:

Yeah the U-haul has a couple of rust spots and flaking paint/powdercoating (?), I'll take a small hammer to test and see if it's just some surface rust or if it's rusting from the inside out. If it's just rust from getting dinged up a bit then no worries but if I tap it with the hammer a hole appears then I'll pass.

If I do pick it up I think I may just wire wheel the rust spots and then hit it with some duplicolor rattle-can bedliner to freshen it up and keep the rust from coming back.
Author:  Liberty02sport [ Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hit the salvage yard.. looking at some trailer hitches..
GOT IT!!!! It's a U-haul 2" hitch the specs according to the stickers on it are 3500/350lbs. and 5000/500lbs. All the hardware was 10.9 grade bolts except ONE LOUSY BOLT was 8.8 !! It should clean up and work GREAT !!!
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