3" hitch issues on 2018 F350
First short trip out (75 miles) using the 2" Hensley Arrow in the 2-2½ and then in 2½-3 sleeve it seems I have bent the oem pin and can't get it out of the hitch. I already new this would be a problem...
Forum Discussion
wrvond wrote:
I was using my twenty-something year old Reese weight distribution hitch with 2" shank, which meant I had both sleeves installed. There was a lot of slop in this set up and I bent the 5/8" diameter Reese locking pin I was using.
I then purchased a Blue Ox Sway Pro with 2000 lb. bars and a 2.5" shank. I had to use the OEM pin for a while, but it worked with no issues. I have since purchased and installed a Bolt locking pin. I must say it is pretty beefy, and the pin looks much more substantial than anything else I have seen to date - including the OEM pin.
I did a bit of research prior to my purchase of the Sway Pro. Nobody, with the possible exception of Gen-Y makes a WDH with a 3" shank.
I decided against the Gen-Y hitch mostly because it doesn't seem to really be a purpose built unit. The weight distribution assembly seems to simply slide over the shank in some way that really wasn't clear to me.
There still appears to be some up and down movement allowed, which I don't think adversely affects anything. However, since I will probably not ever purchase a three inch shank, I am considering doing a few spot welds on the back side where the 2.5" insert meets the 3" receiver.
Thanks for the feedback. I thought I had figured out the cause but now after reading your experience that might rule my theory out. Below was my thinking...
thinking about this more I might see the problem. The hole I am using in the stinger is a hole I added. I drilled it to the next size up I had from 5/8 so it's a tight fit. It may actually be holding the stinger in the center of the hitch tube so that when the WD was loaded up and then pulled out here I bet it bent the pin at the edge of the 2" stinger. I will get the 2.5" hitch and see how that all fits up.
The 2.5" hitch will help immensely I think regardless and I have been thinking of the same thing about the sleeve. I may make a sleeve from cold rolled flat bar and a heat shrunk band around the outside and a bolt through the front into the end of stinger. No welds at the midpoint to cause a stress crack.
