Forum Discussion

ritterjd's avatar
ritterjd
Explorer
Oct 29, 2016

Removing ford 5th wheel hitch

Okay, what's the secret? We recently purchased a ford f350 that already had the ford hitch prep and a Reese 25k hitch installed. Trying to pull it out this morning and I can only get 1 out of the 4 mounts to turn.I can't even add a little leverage to the arms or they may bend.

It looks like they may be frozen in the under bed rail. How can I release?
  • take a hammer and tap on the pucks see if they break loose sprat some pb blaster on them
  • Ok have a B W in my Ford using the pucks. The forest one was hard the rest were easy. My guess there could be stuck and maybe rust in the pucks after a time. Might get a rust cutter and spray it down in there. Give it a few minutes and try again.
  • And when you get it out put some never seize on the pucks!!!! Or white lithium grease...
  • ritterjd wrote:
    Okay, what's the secret? We recently purchased a ford f350 that already had the ford hitch prep and a Reese 25k hitch installed. Trying to pull it out this morning and I can only get 1 out of the 4 mounts to turn.I can't even add a little leverage to the arms or they may bend.

    It looks like they may be frozen in the under bed rail. How can I release?



    Must have been pretty tight when installed. Don't know about adjustment, but the Reese picture frame can be adjusted. Which I had to do to with my installation. Would have to think the Reese puck system should be adjustable ,same as the Reese picture frame , same type system.

    The locking arms on the picture frame that I have are right at 16 inches ling, lots of leverage to lock ,and unlock. On the initial setup, they were way too tight, had to lean on them if I wanted to close them, didn't want that. Adjusted them so they were snug, with no up, and down play.

    I think in your case they were pretty much forced shut, and with a little time , and corrosion they have stuck shut, a little PB blaster as said, and then adjusted when reinstalled.
  • After looking at a PDF on your hitch, same pucks as the Reese picture frame, and can be adjusted. If you can't close them snugly by hand, and have to use something, then IMO they are too tight. Once you get them released, adjust accordingly.
  • Worked on it for a while this morning and gave up for now,before I break something. Need it next weekend for one last trip before winter.

    I no longer think that the pucks are frozen in the rails. I think that it is simply that the jam nuts are torqued down too tight. The soft steel wrench that came with the truck also came bent out of shape and won't loosen the nuts. A regular 1 1/2 inch wrench can't get in there. I'll have to find another tool or have the guys at work make me one I guess.
  • If you are talking about the 2006 truck in you signature, I do not believe that they are OEM pucks. Maybe a Reese under bed mount system? Or have you just not updated your sig line. Chris
  • Me Again wrote:
    If you are talking about the 2006 truck in you signature, I do not believe that they are OEM pucks. Maybe a Reese under bed mount system? Or have you just not updated your sig line. Chris


    No sorry, I haven't updated my sig line. This truck is a 2011 F350 Lariat DRW.
  • It might help if you could put some weight or down force on them.
  • garyp4951 wrote:
    It might help if you could put some weight or down force on them.


    There ya go. Hook up the FW, then try and loosen the latches.

    Lyle