Salvaging Trailer Hitch

[robm]

My old Loyale is on its way to the recycler. (Blown head gasket and not enough steel left in the body to warrant fixing it.) I want to salvage as much as I can from it, including the trailer hitch.

 

I mounted it about 9 years ago, and cannot remember the details, all I remember is having to remove the bumper to mount it. It is a Hidden Hitch, who no longer list this hitch, so there are no instructions available for it.

 

Does anyone know what is involved? Some plastic/rubber bits came off, the hitch went on, then they were refitted.

 

Thanks.

[ShawnW]

I did one years ago, I recall taking the rear compartment lid open and having to drill thru in specific spots thru the tunnel of the frame but it may have been a different brand. I wouldn't sweat it, just start removing the bumper, remove the bolts securing the hitch and make a few notes of how it was.

[robm]

Sounds like the same one. The nuts had long sheet metal tongues to locate them inside the frame rails, from inside the rear smuggler's compartment. Any good references on removal of the bumper? The rest is easy, I can see it, it is the bumper part that I can't remember.

Edited September 21, 2012 by robm

[ShawnW]

Pretty sure its just 4 bolts that are accessed from under the car. Should be 14MM bolt heads.

[Subarutex]

If its a wagon, you get to the rear bumper bolts through the smugglers hatch.

[Gloyale]

2 rubber caps on each side of the tool hatch (smugglers cove) cover the 4 bumper bolts.

 

I don't think you have to remove the bumper. You have to for install to insert the nuts w/tabs onb them into the framerail.

 

But for removal, just unbolt the hitch from the bottom. 3 or 4 bolts at each side where the old recovery hooks were, and one big one at each end on the leading straps that go forward up to the framerail.

 

Now if you want to get the nuts out of the frame for reinstall, then yes....4 more bolts to remove bumper (and 2 10mm bolts at each corner for the skin, but those are ussually rusted/ripped already.)

[robm]

I got it. It was the 10 mm head/ 6mm dia. bolts that I forgot about, but rust took care of them.

 

Salvaging the hardware in the frame rail took a bit of work. One came out OK, the other I had to get creative. I bored a hole into the rail, stuffed a 1/2" rod into it, and jammed a long crescent wrench handle between the rod and the backing plate, to stop it and the carriage bolt (round head, square beneath it) from rotating.

 

There are also a bunch of 8 mm bolts that hold it on. Only one survived, the rest snapped. The strange thing was that they would turn about 3 turns, then get stiff and snap right off. They were too long, so they went into the rail and got rusty. The threads in the welded on nut were OK, it was the bolt threads that stuck out that were rusty amd seized when rotated into the nut. Next time, I will use bolts that are the right length, and lots of antiseize.

 

The next question, is how to reinstall? Getting those bolts deep into the frame rail will be interesting, without the original hardware that came with the hitch. I will have to make some straps or sheet metal bits to get them into place.

Edited September 24, 2012 by robm

[RXJ]

pretty sure we had one welded on long ago..i could be wrong.. it went to the scrap yard with the car