Can't Remove Hitch Pin, Not Rusty

[NOT My Bro-s Taho]

I towed a (5 x 8-ish) single axle trailer 5 miles loaded with a Case 222 lawn tractor. It appears that the hitch flexed, and the formed end of the pin rotated down into the slot for the safety chains.

Is this a "normal" thing? Is the hitch that flexible?

I should be able to get it out by removing a little material from the end of the leg but do I have to?

 

[Grady_Wilson]

From the looks of the first picture, the pin was much smaller than the hitch pin hole.
It allowed it to move up and down, along with allowing the hitch to move inside the receiver.
This caused the pin to move upwards during the movement of towing and get inside the safety chain loop.
I would see if you can lift the hitch bar enough to move that pin up to rotate it out of the loop.
Or, you could just cut the pin and source the proper sized pin for the receiver.

 

[OR VietVet]

Wiggle and tug. The hitch flexed enough at one time during the tow and allowed the movement. Lots of rust there. The second pic looks like could easily use a pry bar out of your tool box and pop it out. Plus, like @Grady_Wilson said, check that pin size when you get it out.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I had a similar situation with a locking hitch pin, where it rotated, and I did not have the clearance to insert the key.

The Dremel is your best friend. Cut it off and replace it.

 

[PPV_2018]

Putting some weight on it / jiggling it plus a BFH tap from the left side couldn’t break it loose?

 

[GMCChevy]

You should be able to get something on it to pry the end back out of the hole with. Pretty bad if the hitch flexes that far to let it drop in there to begin with.

 

[Fless]

Push down on the ball to lever the pin up into the high point of the hole, then turn the pin with something persuasive. Maybe hook up a heavy trailer to apply the weight to the ball.

 

[89Suburban]

Are you sure the tow chain/hook didn't get too tight in a turn and bend the pin? Cut it off with a dremel or sawzall or something.

Maybe use a floor or bottle jack with a piece of metal stock to push/pop it up out of the hole somehow.

 

[Geotrash]

Are you sure the tow chain/hook didn't get too tight in a turn and bend the pin? Cut it off with a dremel or sawzall or something.

Maybe use a floor or bottle jack with a piece of metal stock to push/pop it up out of the hole somehow.

See? This is my kind of ingenuity right here. Whenever I encounter something like this hitch pin, my mind immediately goes to the biggest, strongest tools I have to get shit going the right way again.

If you can't fix it, force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

 

[homesick]

Are you sure the tow chain/hook didn't get too tight in a turn and bend the pin? Cut it off with a dremel or sawzall or something.

Maybe use a floor or bottle jack with a piece of metal stock to push/pop it up out of the hole somehow.

I don't think I'd reuse that pin, regardless of everything else.

joe

 

[Geotrash]

I don't think I'd reuse that pin, regardless of everything else.

joe

+1.

 

[EvergreenZ71]

View attachment 449955View attachment 449956View attachment 449957

I’d also suggest looking into a rust converter to treat / coat the hitch after cutting the pin.

 

[hillstrubl]

I'd spray some white vinegar in there a few times, then penetrating oil and start whacking it with a 3lb hammer. ... or just cut it off.

 

[Doubeleive]

crow bar and I would have that out in seconds....

 

[Fless]

Once the pin is out, do a careful inspection of the holes in the hitch. If the pin was too small to begin with it could have been wallowing out the holes all the time it was under towing use.

 

[NOT My Bro-s Taho]

Thanks everybody for your observations and suggestions, Grady_Wilson pointed out the obvious that I missed: wrong pin. I was in a hurry (never happens to anyone else, right?) and couldn't find the bigger drop hitch that had the pin in it. So, I grabbed the next hitch and the pin out of a small hitch for my VW diesels. After I got the hitch and pin aligned, it popped out with a minimal love tap.

As for the rust, welcome to the rust belt. When the material coatings and everything got pretty good a few years ago, they switch from rock salt and sand to a brine solution. This one is pretty clean for this area.