Wondering how to remove my hitch

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JTalley
I sleep in my van
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Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:56 am
Location: Sulphur, Oklahoma

Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by JTalley »

I've never towed anything with my van, and my spare won't fit underneath with the hitch on there, so I was gonna take it off. It's a class II hitch, and I knew it was bolted to the frame, but when I went under there with my tools, I found out that the bolt goes up into the frame. I'm pretty sure there's a nut on the other side of that, but I couldn't find any way of getting to it. How do I take it off?
Jake

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Ed- 1992 Astro, RWD, 4.3l V6 (purchased Feb. 2011)
FlowTech Red Hots glasspack exhaust (finally got it put on there!)
Old rides (earlier to later)
2004 Honda 250 Rebel (my dad's bike, he let me use it)
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Kidhauler
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Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by Kidhauler »

The frame is threaded so it should just unbolt for the mist part. On a hidden hitch there are 2 big bolts that might have a nut so they might need a grinder.
1999 Safari Touring edition.
trailer tow pack with a 3:73 posi
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JTalley
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Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:56 am
Location: Sulphur, Oklahoma

Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by JTalley »

So the frame is threaded? I just assumed that it wasn't, so I didn't want to try removing it until I got some advice from people who knew about it. Thanks! When I get home from school I gotta get started on that. I don't really like driving with no spare.
Jake

Image
Ed- 1992 Astro, RWD, 4.3l V6 (purchased Feb. 2011)
FlowTech Red Hots glasspack exhaust (finally got it put on there!)
Old rides (earlier to later)
2004 Honda 250 Rebel (my dad's bike, he let me use it)
Neko- 1991 S10 Blazer, 4x4, 4-door (SOLD Feb. 2011)
Custom (aka failed) diy paint job- red with black stripe

ihatemybike
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Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by ihatemybike »

FYI, it's a captured (spot welded) nut in the uni-frame and thanks to rust they can break free. It that happens you can cut the bolt head off with a cutting wheel.
Aaron

2005 Astro (Gandalf) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, 130k+ miles
1997 Astro (Grumpy - $250 Rally Van) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, LSD, 2" lift, 31" tires, 335k+ orig engine, $30 eBay fuel pump
Prev Astros:99,97,00,94,87,86

LiftedAWDAstro
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Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

Do you have the space saver donut spare or a full-size spare? If you use the donut spare you can leave the hitch on. It may come in handy someday whether towing a trailer or placing a bike rack in there.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

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Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy
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Topic author
JTalley
I sleep in my van
Posts: 383
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:56 am
Location: Sulphur, Oklahoma

Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by JTalley »

I couldn't find a donut, so I have a full-size spare. I already tried to mount it, but it wouldn't fit.
Jake

Image
Ed- 1992 Astro, RWD, 4.3l V6 (purchased Feb. 2011)
FlowTech Red Hots glasspack exhaust (finally got it put on there!)
Old rides (earlier to later)
2004 Honda 250 Rebel (my dad's bike, he let me use it)
Neko- 1991 S10 Blazer, 4x4, 4-door (SOLD Feb. 2011)
Custom (aka failed) diy paint job- red with black stripe
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1Gary
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Re: Wondering how to remove my hitch

Post by 1Gary »

I don't know how,but on Ole Yellar there is a u-haul hitch and a full size spare.
1979 Malibu drag race only car
1999 Sonoma 4.3 5 speed-Rufus
1989 Astro-Ole Yellar cancelled-still selling off parts
1985 Astro-shop van R.I.P. my friend
1994 Astro LT RWD W4.3 rod knock RIP
1982 Winnebago single rear wheel-Chevy 350 Scraped 1/28/13-broken dreams......


Rochester,NY
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