You know that part of your brain that tells you what to do and what not to do? Apparently mine doesn't function properly....

Anyway, during my weekly off-roading excursion I managed to get my F250 stuck in a bottomless hole...and the only way to get it out (short of a helicopter) was to have a very large 4x4 wrecker back up the edge of the hole and (using the boom) pick the whole rear of my crewcab truck up by the trailer hitch in order to drag it out. We tried pulling it out the 'normal' way first, but it quickly became clear that the axles would pull off the truck before it came out of the hole...and one of my best 3" straps lost its life in the process (next time I'll get a 4").

Anyway, we got the truck out of the hole and it's in mostly one piece, but the hitch is twisted off to the side a little less than an inch. It *appears* to be the hitch that's bent and not the framerails, but I won't know for sure until I take it off. My question is this - does anyone know of a hitch for the Superduty that's stronger than the factory "heavy-duty" Ford hitch? Not that I plan to do this again (at least for another week or two), but apparently I need a stronger attachment point. I'm hoping to find something that goes farther up the framerails, without having to have a fab shop build something up special.

I'm also trying to decide whether or not I'm going to take the cover off the rear diff and change the fluid...while the vent wasn't (quite) under water, pretty much everything else was for about 3 or 4 hours. Normally I don't worry about it if it isn't over the end of the vent hose, but I usually don't let my truck sit in mud for that long. I haven't decided one yet...the factory synthetic Ford lube is rather expensive, though bearings aren't cheap either.

You know you're stuck when you can easily spin all 4 tires by hand...come to find out that some of the local boys had been out playing in the mud with their trucks with 44" tires. Next time I use a stick to check the bottom out, instead of assuming that the hole won't be any worse than it was the week before. Not only was I bottomed out on the axles, from the look of things I was also bottomed out on the hitch and the spare tire. D'oh!

I gotta buy me a Unimog....

LK

 

My neighbor across the street has one - amazing things. They have an injection mold business and are in the process of making a new cab mold for the Mogs.

 

Yeah, I've looked at them a few times - I've thought seriously about getting one, but the only problem is that they're just too big to fit down most of the trails I use (over 9 feet tall, closer to 10). Well, that and it's a lot harder to find parts when you need to make repairs. I've also looked seriously at a couple different military 6x6s - the last one was a 5-ton, and I was REALLY tempted. Problem is, if/when I get stuck I'd better be able to get out with the winch...cause nothing would be able to pull it out short of a bulldozer.

I also like the Pinzgauer - good clearance, and a good size to fit down trails. Not many of them around, though...finding parts is probably darn near impossible.

LK

 

LK - do you have any pics of your outing?

 

For the heavier duty hitch that mounts further up into the framerails, check out the Reese Titan (15,000 lbs max trailer weight). www.reeseprod.com. Another one is the Tork Lift Superhitch www.torklift.com.

I used to take the Bronco out in alot of mud. I quit mudding though once I got tired of constantly changing gear oil in the axles and re-packing front hubs. Those are 2 things you should always do anytime your truck is submerged, if you want it to last a long time.

 

My sugestion also would be to crisscross measure your rear frame rails !
If you twisted the hitch you may have tweaked the rails,which wil forever wear tires or dogtrack your truck! until it is fixed.
Sorry to suggest such bad news, but it does happen.

Rich

 

If you didn't tweak the frame, then perhaps it's not such a bad idea to have the factory hitch serve as the failure point under a heay load rather than the hitch holding up, but passing the load onto the frame and tweaking that instead.

 

I agree. SOmething has to give and it better be the hitch than the frame.

 

DMI quick+easy is the strongest hitch I have seen on a Super Duty, best of all worlds if you ask me, big $$$ though... That's what I would have if I didn't the Reese Titan already, which is MORE then tough enough (14,000#)!!!

 

Thanks for all the tips. Yeah, I suppose it is better to have the "weakest link" be the hitch rather than the frame, but in this case I think it's actually the driver.

I haven't gotten the hitch off yet - spent two days crawling around under the truck, washing the mud off and checking everything out. The only damage I can find so far (other than the hitch/frame) is the passenger's side front hub - it looks like it slid sideways into a rock (or perhaps a log), the outer edge has a bit of a 'hammered' look to it and is a white/silver color now instead of black. Since I think was thinking of getting manual hubs anyway, that isn't a huge deal. The skidplates also have a bit more damage than before, but that's what they're there for.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures - next time I'll have to bring the camera, so that I at least have evidence of my own stupidity. Actually, the stuck didn't look any worse than others I've had - the people who tried to pull it out thought they'd have no problem, but even with a good pull they could hardly shake the truck...maybe flex the suspension a bit, but that was all. Not only was all the weight of the truck on the axles (and skidplates), but I think the rear axle must have been in some sort of trench - it wouldn't go forward or backward, which is why we had to basically pick it up to get the truck out. I tried using the "jack and fill" method, but the rear bumper was underwater and we dig through mud to get to the hitch.

SoCalDesertRider - Yeah, I know I should probably change the rear axle lube...but hopefully the front is okay. When I entered the hole and found out how deep it was, I gunned it and managed to get the front end partly out the other side - so while it was also hung up on the axle, the axle & hubs weren't underwater. In general I've usually had most of my water-related problems in the front hubs and axle...the rear is usually *pretty* good, though usually I would never leave it sit at long as I did. When I was under the truck I popped off the little plastic end on the vent hose, and checked out the inside of it and the rubber hose...and it appears that none of the water got down the vent hose. The hose is also tight on the axle housing, though I'm going to add some clamps just to seal it a bit better. So, whatever water/mud got in would have had to get in through the seals.

I'm sure I should drain & flush it, and put in new fluid...but I'm planning to sell this truck within a year, and I'm trying to talk myself out of doing it. Of course, even if I'm selling it I should probably change the gear lube...I'd feel guilty selling it to someone without doing it. Dang morals, they're very inconvenient at times.

LK

 

Replacing the oil in the rear is probably a good idea. If you had run the truck for a while and had the rear warmed up when it when into the water, then the cold water would have caused the air in the rear to cool and condense thereby drawing water into the rear either by the vent if its under water, or through the seals if the vent is clogged....

Cheap insurance....

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but no one makes a trailer ball for any where near that kinda weight do they?

I have a pintle with the largest ball I think thats the highest and it goes to 10k If I remember correctly.

 

Where's this mud pit, I"d like to give it a go before everything freezes up. I'm from central mich area. thanks

 

I found this statement on the Hitch Web

2-5/16" ball with 1-1/4" shank(heat treated): 14,000, 24,000, or 30,000# capacity

I think with this exception (heat treated shanks) you are correct that 10K is about it.

 

What are the 3 different weights?