Check your Hitches

[tbsimmons]

The other day I was at a friends house and noticed his hitch off the truck, late 2000's Chevy 3/4 ton.
Well the hitch was cracked almost all the way around the receiver.
He pulls a triple axle bumper pull toy hauler with the truck on a weight distributing hitch.
I was shocked when I saw it. Even the side plates going up to the main hitch were cracked.
So check them hitches boys and girls. You never know.

 

[Zmann]

not saying it isn't a good idea to perodically check your hitch
but of course your buddies fell apart it's a GM :shocked:

they actually were known for issues and one look will tell you why without being an engineer
the one in this picture has been beefed up with a square tube cross and a square tube from the receiver to the new tube

so subtract that extra tubing and you see the cantilever forces involved and the hail marry OEM addition of bolting it to the bumper for support

 

[dsberman94]

Yup. Only the geniuses at GM would design a hitch like that and use round tubing.

 

[tbsimmons]

His was not round.
This was not meant to be a GM bashing thread, it was meant to be a hey, I might check something under the truck I never look at.

 

[tbsimmons]

I looked under some of the GMs here at work. Most are round. Some are the square type on the Fords. Even my 1/2 ton looks beefier than the round ones.


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[mikeeg02]

Chevy has used the round type in OEM applications since the 99 body style on all the half ton up trucks. If it's not the round type, it's because someone either replaced it with aftermarket, or added the hitch to the select few trucks that don't come with them these days.

 

[tbsimmons]

My halfton was bought new and it came with the towing package from the factory. Looks to be installed at the factory but who knows.


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[mikeeg02]

Well if I remember correctly an OEM hitch from Chevrolet is ~350. That's the round tube type with all hardware. We just put on one of our work Chevies that didn't come with one. Typically the aftermarket ones can be had for less than 200. Dealer probably saved money and added an aftermarket one. Usually they have a sticker on them saying Reese or another brand. All the gm hitches have gm stickers.

At least that I've seen. I have been wrong before.

 

[Zmann]

Chevy has used the round type in OEM applications since the 99 body style on all the half ton up trucks. If it's not the round type, it's because someone either replaced it with aftermarket,

Agreed even my 05 2500 hd had that round hinge I mean hitch

not really bashing GM in general I just do not want everybody think Ford has a weakness at the hitch