This is short notice, but if you go to Auto Anything, then use the 15NOW code, you can get a new hitch for $197 and free shipping.

I know some think it is junk, but it's not as bad as the rusty nubs I have riding back there now. Not likely I will be pushing the limits on how sturdy it is either.

Move quick if you need one, 15NOW ends tonight. In the "details" it says CURT items are excluded, but it took it fine.

I see some bad reviews online about AutoAnything, but for this price I will give it a try.

 

I used autoanything for my wheels and lug nuts and had no problems They seemed good to me!

This is good for 10% off $150 or more: ESP1429WS

I think I have a 15% off one too, if I find it in my email I'll post it up too.

 

The 15NOW is up on the header of the website. No email needed, just have less than an hour, depending on when they call 10/2 being over.

 

Internet problems made this a double post

 

Just ordered my Hitch from them. $197 w/free shipping! used the 15NOW code, and they extended the savings until 10/5! my price on a Factory Ford hitch is either $380 or $480! so that is quite a bit of savings. and in reality it will do just fine for my needs!

 

WOW! Fast service. I ordered my hitch fri. a.m. And got it sat. at 1:00 p.m. No issues, and it looks good. I'll get a better look tonite.

 

You are about 5/6 hours south of me, and the hitch is about 3 hours south according to FedEx. I guess if I lived "less north" I would have mine too.

 

I busted open the box and this is what was in it...

 

I find it odd that they list 12,000 lbs trailer and 1,200 lbs toung wt for the with and without a wt distribution hitch....

 

Just thought I would post this up: Use Code EOC1406WS

20% off $200 or more

 

That makes it $185.18 delivered. Nice. On top of that, they are giving away a free hitch cover. It shows up in checkout.

 

Yep, mine is still sitting in the garage. I will be installing it next spring! No need to offer it to a winter when it's not necessary! I just figured for the price that it is i might as well buy it now and have it for next year.
I will be sealing the inside of the hitch with E-coat to keep it from rusting.

 

No pictures yet, but I will have some from the aftermath to prove it happened. I finally got the old one off. What a mess. It was even worse than I thought. The instructions tell you not to drop the tank. Big mistake. Especially if things are rusted. I don't know how I could have done it with the tank sitting there. I lifted it up high enough to remove the tank completely. IMO the only safe way to have done it. The instructions also indicate that there are welded nuts on the frame. Wrong. I am not satisfied with the fasteners they sent considering the condition of the originals. It was impossible to find 18mm bolts where I live, so I coughed up ~$4 a bolt to get a set of 3/4"x2" bolts plus nuts, washers and lock washers. The 18mm work with the 3/4 for the some washers though. I want to clean up some rust and coat some things before reinstalling. That always seems like the longest part of the job. Anyhow, pictures should be following later today.

 

can't wait to see final product installed!

 

So I finally got the pictures and some time all in the same place.

Here is the result of my work yesterday.






You may think it doesn't look so bad, or you may be horrified. The biggest problem I had was the night I bought it I tried to hook up a UHaul dolly for my car to get towed home after the purchase, and I couldn't get the ball in from all the rust in the receiver. I have since gotten it to work better, but a huge mess.

When I was attempting to take the tank out, I had a horrible time trying to disconnect the fill tube. After nearly an hour struggling, I realized that with a little twisting, it would come out with the tank once it was disconnected from the fender. I went ahead and wire wheeled it to get the bulk of the rust off and "rust encapsulating undercoating-ed" it. I hope to not have to replace it like Christina had to on hers.



This is part of what they got wrong on the installation instructions. I would have been totally screwed if I were planning on leaving the tank in the frame like they suggested.




Not exactly welded to the frame as described.

So the following presents the condition of the surrounding frame rails before and after clean up. There was some asphaltish undercoating that was thick- yet sparse, making it just enough to be a pain to remove with a wire wheel, SOS pads and pre paint solvent.













Here is the after-clean up appearance.
















Like I said in the beginning, I took the tank out. I am trying to address the rust on the metal shroud, at least in the areas I can't reach when it is installed. I will have to go back after it is re-installed to do the bottom portion. I am using a loctite rust converter, seems to work fairly well. I am doing to the same to the frame rails. Then I am going to coat all of it with one of the DIY bed liners with Kevlar. I used the same stuff on the door sills while I was doing the rails and under side earlier. In fact, I don't think I posted it before. I was noticing a lot of deep scratches and this seems to be holding up well after applying it. It wraps around to the pinch weld. Here is the before, I will take a picture tomorrow of the after...Can't believe I didn't capture that moment in my life yet.





Anyhow, here is the tank before coating.



With the Ex up in the air, makes me wish this was the view all the time. Guess I just need to lift it, instead of go without a gas tank.