My hitch broke?
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,198
Likes: 2
From: Tulsa, OK
I would not weld the receiver up. Replace it.
My '03 has a badly worn hitch pin hole from towing our heavy travel trailer with too much "slop" between the receiver tube and the drawbar. Now, the drawbar can slip about 1/8" when braking/accelerating.
I decided to replace the receiver platform with OEM. You can order from Ford. Price is about $400 online. You also need to buy special bolts. 2 of the bolts are "torque to shear".
The fuel tank must be moved, but not removed, to get hitch out. You also need to use an air chisel or similar to remove 2 existing shear head bolts.
I have not done it yet, but the hitch is sitting on my shop floor, ready to go in.
My '03 has a badly worn hitch pin hole from towing our heavy travel trailer with too much "slop" between the receiver tube and the drawbar. Now, the drawbar can slip about 1/8" when braking/accelerating.
I decided to replace the receiver platform with OEM. You can order from Ford. Price is about $400 online. You also need to buy special bolts. 2 of the bolts are "torque to shear".
The fuel tank must be moved, but not removed, to get hitch out. You also need to use an air chisel or similar to remove 2 existing shear head bolts.
I have not done it yet, but the hitch is sitting on my shop floor, ready to go in.
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Thanks Joe. My ex F350 was easy to replace. Why the hell did they make this so much harder. Maybe I'll pay someone to upgrade my hitch or look at equalizer again.
Noa,
Many of the Excursion later model receivers (of which most of us have) are rated at 12,500#'s WITH a WDH...all of us towing heavy USE a WDH.
My trailer goes 9000#'s with 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight...I've logged many many towing miles with this combo...
For you...you should check out the Equal-I-zer brand hitch. It is a WDH with sway control in one item. It works with surge brakes too if that is what you have on your boat trailer?
As you can see in this thread...upgrading or replacing an Excursion hitch is darn near impossible...I mentioned the three choices earlier in this thread for hitch replacements...those are IT other than a custom weld job.
Good luck and welcome to FTE.
Joe.
Many of the Excursion later model receivers (of which most of us have) are rated at 12,500#'s WITH a WDH...all of us towing heavy USE a WDH.
My trailer goes 9000#'s with 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight...I've logged many many towing miles with this combo...
For you...you should check out the Equal-I-zer brand hitch. It is a WDH with sway control in one item. It works with surge brakes too if that is what you have on your boat trailer?
As you can see in this thread...upgrading or replacing an Excursion hitch is darn near impossible...I mentioned the three choices earlier in this thread for hitch replacements...those are IT other than a custom weld job.
Good luck and welcome to FTE.
Joe.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 1
From: Colorado
That one on ebay looks good, My buddy has a wrecking yard here in town and just got a 2000 Ex XLT diesel 4x4... If he parts it out I can get you his contact info... I was going to buy it but don't have the money or time for it right now... body is beat up but mechanically its good. its driveable still
it would be a tough weld as u need a 60 degree v groove to properly fillet weld that crack... then u gotta take a die grinder and make the inside wall smooth after welding. how deep is the crack? I just made the 2 inch receiver on my interational however i grind a bevel on the end and weld the reinforcement ring all the way around to the receiver tube then grind it flat...
it would be a tough weld as u need a 60 degree v groove to properly fillet weld that crack... then u gotta take a die grinder and make the inside wall smooth after welding. how deep is the crack? I just made the 2 inch receiver on my interational however i grind a bevel on the end and weld the reinforcement ring all the way around to the receiver tube then grind it flat...
Master of Strokes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 6,808
Likes: 25
From: CA
Well I was in the same boat as you about a year ago. Was towing a 13 K toy hauler ( Withch i just found out is closer to 15 K load woops). My stock hitch was just not up to the task. It was cracking and the pin whole was elongating. Went down to Echart hitch and they got me all fixed up and its been perfect sense. 
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 0
Well my brother is a welder and he's coming to AZ this Thanksgiving and he is going to weld up the cracks and weld on more reinforcements around the square, much much cheaper than $500 Ford hitch! If it stills keeps cracking or wearing then I will replace the thing! I'll let you guys know and post more pics after it's welded up!
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