Do what you feel is needed however from my experience I don't see any evidence the shank is "ruined" that chipped paint looks more indicative of the crappy paint they use then it being bent. If you see a crack in that weld around that gueset that I am not seeing then obviously that is a issue but I see none.

 

A stock far as the video.

Receiver and shank play looks fairly typical.

The issue I see is eventually that wobbled out pin hole will need to be addressed.

 

Here is the rubber snubber for your anti-wrap leaf

2000-2005 Ford Excursion 4x4 Rear Axle Leaf Spring Rubber Bumpers OEM 1C3Z4730AA | eBay




.

 

Yep, like Pirate said, that is the anti-wrap leaf / traction bar.
Yeah, receiver play really doesn't look too bad to me, a tight fit can cause lots of issues getting drawbars in and out if there is any rust/mud/dirt involved.
As far as the beat up hitch pin hole goes, many times some of that sort of damage is caused by the bend on the typical hitch pin getting into the hole and as the hitch loads/unloads while traveling it takes little bites into the hitch. Eventually all those little bites will result in the mushrooming out of the hole edges. A straight pin with no bend will eliminate this or for a quick and easy fix try placing a small hose clamp on the pin just before the bend, that will keep the bend away from the hole and allow only the straight section to contact the hole.

 

Put a straight edge along the bottom of your shank, I doubt it's bent.
Our hitch receiver has always had that much slop.
The shank is 2" and the receiver is 2 1/32".
For those with Equalizer hitches the pins/clips and bars were my biggest gripe.
Where do you put them when not hitched up?
The pins/clips fit nicely in a soap box from Walmart when the L pins are rounded over a bit.
A section of PVC fence panel and a long eye bolt work well for storing the bars under the tongue.

 

In one of the photos you provided, it appears that the receiver is indeed bent upwards.

As a first step, I'd recommend you verify that the the fully loaded and ready to tow tongue weight of the trailer is within the capacity of the W/D system you're using and also within the capacity of the hitch on your Expedition. Many folks don't realize that the weight of anything stowed in the cargo area of the TV behind the rear axle MUST be added to the trailer's tongue weight figure.

In the early 2000's models, I understand that the Ford OEM hitch used on the Expedition was manufactured in China. I've heard of rust problems and also that the steel used to construct the hitch was of questionable quality. Now for the bad news, none of my hitch manufacturers Draw-Tite, Curt, Torklift or B&W offer a replacement hitch for the 2003 Expedition. Your best bet will be to find a skilled fabricator with the experience to not only stick the metal together to provide you with a replacement hitch, but to also have the knowledge to do the engineering work so you'll have a hitch with a known capacity, rather than something you'd have to guess at.

If you click the below link, you can see an article that explains how to determine the actual, as pulled tongue weight of your trailer/camper.

https://www.etrailer.com/expert-66.html

 

Which photo are you specifically referencing?
If it's the OP's first photo I think his hitch may be bent downwards.
There is a larger gap between the bottom of the plastic trim to the top of the receiver tube than ours has which is 7/8".
When you sight along the top of the receiver cross-tube the 2 bumper bracket tabs that are sticking down are 1/8" above the cross-tube.
Or our bumpers are adjusted way different.
If it's the pic with the Equalizer installed the receiver/shank fit has a fair amount of slop and the shank tilts up when the tension bars are installed.

 

Not for nothing, but this is the Excursion forum, the OP has an Excursion, not an Expedition, and there are indeed aftermarket trailer hitches made for the Ex, available to the OP, as both Curt and Torklift make replacement hitches for the Excursion.

Stewart

 

Here's the thread from Torklift talking about their Excursion hitch.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post16773229

Stewart

 

I sort of wondered if that's what caused it in the first place and it's just gotten worse now that there's play in it. Short term I like the hose clamp idea, but I'll probably go with a straight pin in the long run.

 

I totally dig the bar storage! That's on the list for sure! I always end up standing the bar up on the trailer or chucking them in the back of the X. Neither of which are great storage solutions...My bar pins are a little different, but again great idea on the little box to put them in! Thanks!

 

Thanks! I saw some from energy suspension but they were twice as expensive. Short term these'll work just fine!

 

These hitches look awesome and for sure would handle anything I'd ever put behind the X. Still trying to decide what path to go down and budget may play a part given the Cummins swap. We'll see how it rolls out! Thanks!

 

I've been using the Stowaway Hitch Tightener with our boat trailer and it works great.
When I install the tightener on the WD hitch used with our TH I'm wondering if it should be installed upside down - plate on top.
The tension in the WD hitch is holding/tilting the ball mount upward at the receiver opening.
The tightener with the plate on the bottom tries to pull the ball mount downward which is fighting the WD hitch tension.

 

In my experience, the one time when slop (a shank migrating around in the receiver tube) isn't a problem is when a weight distribution system is used. The spring bars usually exert enough leverage on the shank that it's shoved tight against the inside top of the receiver tube to the point where it will not budge in the slightest.