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From: Steve W. on 20 Mar 2010 19:34
Nate Nagel wrote:
> OK, so I got the hitch ball that I mentioned in my previous post removed
> (the less said about that the better, but it involved a very large
> Crescent wrench, a pipe wrench, and a 4 foot cheater bar)
>
> Now I find that I have another "opportunity" as the motivational
> speakers would say.
>
> The truck in question is a '93 F-150, extended cab 2WD if it matters.
> The challenge that I'm having is that this trailer hitch that I have is
> obviously intended to be located by drilling out two existing holes in
> the truck's frame to 1/2", and then drilling two additional holes on
> each side. Insert hardware, torque down, et voila. Easy, right?
> Welll... not so much.
>
> It is imperceptible to the casual observer, but placing the hitch under
> the truck reveals that the driver's side frame rail is ever so slightly
> curved in at the very end - not surprising, as I know that the truck was
> rear-ended at least twice prior to my acquiring it, both time requiring
> replacement of bumper braces (the main reason I wanted to have the Class
> III hitch on there; I don't care what the rating on the bumper says, if
> it folds up like wet cardboard when hit from behind, I don't
> particularly want to rely on it for a connection to a trailer.)
>
> So one of the holes that I need to drill is about 1/4" or so from where
> it should be. Obviously I can't enlarge a hole off-center, nor do I
> have a porta-power.
>
> Any ideas how I can rectify this myself, or should I just take it to a
> frame shop and likely spend about what the truck is worth just to mount
> my cheap used trailer hitch on my cheap used truck? Do you think a
> sledgehammer is even worth trying?
>
> nate
>

Step drill would do it if you drill the new hole and use the hitch to
help align the step drill.

--
Steve W.
From: Nate Nagel on 20 Mar 2010 19:47
On 03/20/2010 06:45 PM, Tegger wrote:
> Nate Nagel<njnagel(a)roosters.net> wrote in
> news:ho3i960d3h(a)news6.newsguy.com:
>
>> On 03/20/2010 06:14 PM, willy wrote:
>>> After bolting it to the other holes that line up, take a die grinder
>>> and make the other hole fit. It will be fine.
>>
>> Right, but I have no air tools :( I really need to work on that,
>> because if I *had* air tools, I'd be out in the driveway mounting my
>> trailer hitch rather than surfing Usenet.
>>
>> nate
>>
>
>
>
>
> How about this:
> Find the center of the hole position you need. Punch a center mark.
> Starting with a 1/8" drill bit, make successively larger and larger holes
> until the holes merge with each other. Then use files to finish off the new
> slotted-hole.
>
> Tedious, I know, but I've done exactly this when I needed a hole just
> slightly off from the existing one, but not far off enough to allow a
> completely new hole.
>

I just threw it in the bed for now, I'm hoping my friend calls and/or
emails me and tells me that he's going to be around tomorrow so I can
use his superior tool technology. I'm kinda lazy.

nate


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From: Kevin on 20 Mar 2010 21:07
willy <danceswithbeers(a)embarqmail.com> wrote in news:b09ffcec-0847-4266-
adab-eb7bb6cbc043(a)19g2000yqu.googlegroups.com:

> After bolting it to the other holes that line up, take a die grinder
> and make the other hole fit. It will be fine.

just use the hole and drill it out off center no big deal. Your makeing
this a big deal over nothing. KB

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From: cuhulin on 20 Mar 2010 22:23
A rat tail file will do it.
cuhulin

From: Scott Dorsey on 21 Mar 2010 11:22
Nate Nagel <njnagel(a)roosters.net> wrote:
>On 03/20/2010 06:14 PM, willy wrote:
>> After bolting it to the other holes that line up, take a die grinder
>> and make the other hole fit. It will be fine.
>
>Right, but I have no air tools :( I really need to work on that,
>because if I *had* air tools, I'd be out in the driveway mounting my
>trailer hitch rather than surfing Usenet.

Frankly, this doesn't sound like an improvement to me. I'd rather be
doing almost anything else rather than mounting a trailer hitch.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
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