Prev: dumb hitch ball question
Next: RainX 2 n 1 cleaner/treatment any good?
From: Nate Nagel on 20 Mar 2010 17:11
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

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
From: Nate Nagel on 20 Mar 2010 18:13
On 03/20/2010 05:11 PM, 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
>

never mind...

I couldn't believe that the frame was tweaked that much and I couldn't
see it, so I just took some careful measurements - frame is straight BUT
those holes do not line up. So I either have to wait until I can get
over to my friend's place and use his die grinder OR go buy a 1/2" hole
saw, if such a thing even exists.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
From: willy on 20 Mar 2010 18:14
After bolting it to the other holes that line up, take a die grinder
and make the other hole fit. It will be fine.
From: Nate Nagel on 20 Mar 2010 18:29
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

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
From: Tegger on 20 Mar 2010 18:45
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.


--
Tegger

 |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2 3
Prev: dumb hitch ball question
Next: RainX 2 n 1 cleaner/treatment any good?