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Looking for: U-Haul Installation...err...removal guide.


luis
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So I was at my local JY looking for a trailer hitch for my '94, but I didn't see any Pathfinders there.

Then as I was about to leave, the JY guys fork lift in a 1990 Pathfinder with a U-haul hitch, which looks very clean!

 

Anyways, long story short, I couldn't get the last two rusted nuts off their bolt as they would twist, and then trying

to use my nut cracker, I end up shearing this tiny 2mm set screw which is used as a guide for the blade!! :headwall:

I did try jumping up and down on the hitch to try and snap the bolts.... :crossedwires:

 

The bolts that I'm talking about are in location items 3 & 9 in this piccy (this is from a curt mfg pdf):

post-14686-1238728734_thumb.jpg

 

I intend on attacking these last two nuts tomorrow either by hack saw or the fixed nut cracker.

 

My question is: why is the bolts twisting? Anyone have an idea of how to lots of blood, sweat and tears?

I suppose I should go to U-Haul and buy the nuts and bolts for this thing.

 

As a bonus though, I got a pristine U-Haul light harness!

 

luis...

 

ps: it's amazing how fast people swarm over the cars as they are brought out...

within moments, almost anything of value disappears!

kind of reminds me of the time lapse photography of a dead carcass in the forest...

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im the hitch specialest at my store. i work for uhaul. the back bolts are carrage bolts and they were put in the frame by pull wires what more then likely happened is either the plate broke over time and allowed the bolts to spin or the plates were rounded out. only thing u can do is cut them off cause theirs nothin in the frame for them to bite anymore their just gonna keep spinning

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How rusty is the frame? Maybe if you jump hard enough it will break off :lol:

 

I would just cut it off if you can...

lol...i did!! i did jump up and down!!! :bounce: but the truck sits on top of these welded rims...not very stable! :huh:

 

im the hitch specialest at my store. i work for uhaul. the back bolts are carrage bolts and they were put in the frame by pull wires what more then likely happened is either the plate broke over time and allowed the bolts to spin or the plates were rounded out. only thing u can do is cut them off cause theirs nothin in the frame for them to bite anymore their just gonna keep spinning

 

Carrage bolts? nutz. The bolt threads are rusty but the bolt head were fine. oh well...

 

If go to the uhaul store, could i buy the installation kit?

 

I did find the installation pdf for the hitch, and that pdf shows a mounting plate inside the frame. That is /not/ what I am seeing on the truck. Also, the reinforcement brackets where still on the truck, maybe I'm looking at a different type of hitch? or may be not!

 

Oh well....a cuttin' I shall go! :ar15:

 

Thanks guys!

 

luis...

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u wont see the plates and head of the bolt in the frame but im sure u can go and get the hardwear for it. go to one of ur local stores and tell them that u need a hardwear kit for that spicific hitch. it might take a wek or so casue they may need to order it but u can get it. how much is the boneyard charging u for the hitch. on average our brand new ones go for like 160.

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u wont see the plates and head of the bolt in the frame but im sure u can go and get the hardwear for it. go to one of ur local stores and tell them that u need a hardwear kit for that spicific hitch. it might take a wek or so casue they may need to order it but u can get it.

Okay, there's two uhaul stores close by, i'll swing by one of them and ask. As it is, there's some rust on the hitch, and paint chips, so i'll be repainting it before i install it.

 

how much is the boneyard charging u for the hitch. on average our brand new ones go for like 160.

The yard's price list shows 30$. I'll update post when I actually buy it.

I noticed that the uhaul website is listing this hitch for 195$. Do the prices vary by the store?

 

 

edit: I didn't mention before: this is the class 3 hitch. Model: 75020

 

cheers!

luis...

Edited by luis
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Well, I got it. 36$ after taxes and what not.

 

It doesn't seem to bad:

Image002.jpg

 

With some sweat and a few choice words, I got one of the bolts off.

The bolt next to the exhaust just didn't want to come off.

So, after stuffing the receiver with a handy post sitting in some car,

I bounced the hitch till the bolt head in the frame came out:

 

Image003.jpg

 

The square tube is in pretty good shape, very little rust blisters, however, both end mounts (what are they called?)

are just full of surface rust. It seems that someone didn't clean the metal before painting them.

I started scraping the lifted paint and sheets of it just peeled off! ah well...36$ can't complain too much!

It too bad i can't use the warranty to complain to u-haul! :-p

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