Ball-less in Bed.

[DTroy]

I have a gooseneck ball in my bed and I'd like to take it out. But it isn't budging. It's not a hideaway type.



I'm looking for advice. Do they normally just drop in or thread in ??



They drop a lot of salt on the roads here in winter, so everything gets rusty.



Is this thing rusted in place or what?

 

[Nyoest]

They thread in with right hand threads. Crawl under your truck with a wire brush and a can of Deep Creep or PB Blaster. Clean the threads as good as possible with the brush and soak it down. A day or two later soak it again. Get a pipe wrench your not particulary proud of and put a five foot pipe on the handle. Stand on the ground (Sometimes it helps to take the tail gate off) and Git-r-Dun. I can grunt for you if it'll help



This might seem a little extreme but I've removed several and usually end up doing it this way. I'm sure if you had a torch and heated the nut it would be a lot easier.

 

[DTroy]

I should have mentioned. This one doesn't use a nut on the bottom.



There is a through bolt that is a fail-safe. The bolt doesn't actually have to be a bolt.



It looks like it just sits in there. And yet it won't move. No threads are visible.



No name is showing so I can't research it.





Thanks for helping me with the grunting... .

 

[Learguy]

SOAK IT with penetrating fluid EVERYDAY for a week. Does it have a little wire tab on the side? If so, squeeze it and pull straight up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch and then turn CCW, pull it straight up, it's out!

 

[DTroy]

Hmm, no wire tab.



The shank of the ball and the truck bed hide the top view. From underneath you can see the smooth shank extending through the plate that is welded to the frame.



If I had a camera here I would take a pic. I'm no stranger to a wrench, so this one surprised me.



It looks as if it just slips in. Are ANY of them made with a smooth shank?





And the salt I mentioned, made the 'Master Lock' hitch pin one solid piece. I will have to cut it off. And my pintle hitch doesn't open anymore. Just imagine what the salt does to the chassis.

 

[NLofton]

Yea, I had one with a smooth shank with a 5/16'' hole through the bottom for a safety pin or bolt. You may have to get the hammer out and beat the **** out of it !!!!

 

[GWBourne]

it could be welded in there...

Grant

 

[ndurbin]

Take the bed off or atleast block it up enough to slip something inbetween the plate and the bed (unless your handy with a torch) and cut the plate out. I'll bet $10 the balls welded on since there is no nut or threads on the shank underneath.



Nathan

 

[MMeier]

My '97 had a smooth shank on it, just slid into a sandwich type of plate deal underneath with the 5/16 bolt to act as a safety pin. Should be able to tell if it is welded in or not though. Whatever you do be careful when you start prying and pulling on it, when it breaks loose it 'll let you know!!

 

[DTroy]

Thanks everybody...





I must have the same type as nlofton and mmeier. I saw the smooth shank so I figured it would come out. I used a BFH until I was blue in the face. I can't really get a good swing under there either.



I will soak it with Kroil the best I can. Because of the shoulder up top I can only try to get the oil to wick up along the shank. Not the greatest.



I was thinking of using a come-along to pull up on it with a tree limb.



Good point on it being welded. The only way that I would be able to find out is to lift the bed a little. (they made the hole in the bed that tight)



I don't mind the ball until I have to haul furniture or something. Stuff always gets banged up by the ball.



I took a cooze (beer can insulator) and put it on there in the meantime.

 

[PToombs]

You could build a frame from 2x4's to hold stuff above it, like a deck. Salt sucks. When I got my truck my cousin left the pintle in the reciever for too long. I had it in the press at work, 40 tons on when I put the blue wrench to it. Once it moved, it was 20 tons to push it out. salt :{

 

[DTroy]

I wish they would use that "other" stuff. I'm not positive what it's made of, but they spray it on.

It's not supposed to tear equipment up like the salt.

 

[Nyoest]

Did you get it out?

 

[DTroy]

My truck has been out of service. (In another state)



In a few minutes I'll be leaving on my trip to go and fix it. I'm doing a VP change-out today.



Hopefully I'll have it back this afternoon.

 

[Boomer II]

I guess I'm the only one that thought the thread title might be X rated.

 

[PToombs]

I guess I'm the only one that thought the thread title might be X rated.

And I thought I was the "smut it up guy"! :-laf :-laf

 

[Cattletrkr]

I've heard of guys somehow chaining the ball to a big loader and lifting up the back end of the truck and bouncing it. Ball never moves. You're best bet would be to torch the entire hitch frame out and put in a new one. I'd recommend the one sold here. You can get at it from the bottom with a rod and hammer if/when it ever does freeze up and get if loose easily. I've had them in each of my last two trucks.



P. S. Yes, I'm biased. That's dad's website.

 

[bmoeller]

I wish they would use that "other" stuff. I'm not positive what it's made of, but they spray it on.

It's not supposed to tear equipment up like the salt.

It is either calcium chloride or magnesium chloride. I hope it is the calcuim stuff they use. The magnesium chloride is VERY bad stuff. It damages brake parts and wiring harnesses. Several states are being sued because of the damage.

 

[Cattletrkr]

CaCl is used for dust control on gravel roads. I've never heard of it being used to melt ice, although it maybe is, I dunno.



A few years ago MN experimented with a corn based liquid that would prevent ice from forming on roads. Non-corrosive and effective. Haven't heard anything for a couple years so I don't know if it panned out or not.

 

[DTroy]

Don't they have something that is citrus based?



I vaguely remember something that was vegetable or fruit related ??